Chapter 126. Not Yours

Xerina’s POV

I screamed, the sound tearing through the illusion, but it didn’t stop. The pain, the betrayal, it all swirled around me, crushing what little remained of my spirit. When the vision finally broke, I was left gasping for air, my body shaking uncontrollably. Zane was still there, standing over me, watching with that same sick satisfaction.

“Do you see now?” he said, his voice low and venomous. “They’re all the same. They fear you. They never wanted you to be free.”

Tears spilled down my cheeks, but I didn’t bother to wipe them away. I was too far gone. Too broken to care anymore.

“Rasmus… never loved me,” I whispered, the words hollow in my mouth.

Zane knelt beside me, his hand resting on my shoulder. “No, he didn’t. But I can give you something better than love. Power. True freedom.”

I stared at the ground, my body numb, my mind shattered. The memories, the pain—it was all too much. There was no way out. No escape from this nigh