Chapter 237: Chapter 237

I sat on the cold floor of the prison cell, my back pressed to the damp wall. My arms were wrapped around my stomach even though it was empty now. My eyes burned from crying, but the tears still came.

"My baby..." I whispered, my voice breaking. "My baby... I wanted to hold you."

I rocked back and forth, clutching myself as though I could bring back what had been stolen.

"I wanted to hold you," I whispered again. "I wanted to whisper your name... boy or girl... I didn’t care..."

I closed my eyes and saw the little life I had dreamed about, a soft face, tiny fingers, a warm body against mine.

"I hate them," I hissed through my tears. "I hate them all. I hate Rowan. I hate Kael. They didn’t believe me."

I pressed my forehead to my knees.

"I hate Damon..." My voice cracked. "He just lies there... sleeping... while I suffer..."

I slammed my fist weakly against the floor.

"I hate this world," I sobbed. "I hate everyone. They took everything from me..."

Footsteps came outside the cell. A guard pushed in a tray of food. I didn’t even look at it.

I turned my head away. "Get it out of here."

He shoved the tray closer. "Eat or you’ll..."

"I said get it out!" I screamed, my voice echoing off the walls. "I don’t want your food!"

The guard stared, then left, slamming the door behind him. I stared at the food, my stomach aching from hunger, but I wouldn’t touch it.

"I don’t want anything from them," I muttered. "Nothing. Not after what they did."

I lay back on the cold ground, staring at the ceiling. My eyes drifted to my torn clothes, the little things left from before. And then I saw it, a small head clip pinned to my sleeve.

My fingers trembled as I pulled it free. It was sharp enough at the end.

"This is it..." I whispered. "This is how I end it..."

I held the clip to my skin, pressing until I felt the sting.

"I can’t live without you," I whispered to the child who wasn’t there. "I’m coming, baby... I’m coming..." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚫𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵

I raised the clip higher, ready to plunge it.

I froze. The voice wasn’t mine. It was in my head, soft, echoing.

I blinked and looked around. The cell was empty. "What?"

A smirk twisted my face. "I’m losing my mind," I whispered. "Hearing voices in my head now..."

I raised the clip again. "I’ll end this before I go mad..."

Suddenly a rush of cold air burst through the cell. It whipped around me, pushing at my hair, my clothes. The clip flew out of my hand and clattered across the floor.

"What..." My eyes widened. "What’s going on?"

I looked at my hand. It was trembling, but it wasn’t fear anymore. It was something else. Something alive. Something hot. My fingertips felt like sparks. My whole palm pulsed as if it had a heartbeat of its own.

Then it hit me, the mark on my back. The crescent tattoo that had always been there, silent, hidden. Now it burned like someone had pressed a branding iron into my skin.

"Ahh!" I yelped, clawing at my back though I couldn’t reach it. "It’s hot! It’s burning!"

The pain was so sharp it stole my breath. I stumbled forward, falling to my knees. My palms slapped the stone floor, sweat dripping from my forehead. Heat spread through me like liquid fire, rushing down my arms, my spine, my legs, filling every corner of me.

It felt like something ancient and wild was crawling out from deep inside, pressing against my ribs, my skin, my bones.

"No... what’s happening to me..." I panted, my voice shaking. "What’s happening..."

My fingers dug into the cracks of the floor as my vision blurred. Everything tilted and swayed. My breathing came hard and fast, ragged gasps tearing from my throat. My whole body shook, every muscle trembling as if I was about to split apart.

Then it happened. A snap. Not sound exactly, but a feeling, like a string deep inside me breaking.

I screamed. But the sound that left me wasn’t my own. It was louder, deeper, full of something raw and powerful. The scream echoed off the stone walls like thunder.

When I opened my eyes, the world looked different. Sharper. Brighter. My hands were in front of me, my nails had grown longer and sharper, like claws.

I leaned over a small puddle of water on the floor. The face staring back at me was mine... but not mine. My eyes glowed gold, burning like molten metal. My skin looked flushed, alive.

"What... what am I?" I whispered, the sound small against the roaring in my blood.

Strength flooded my arms and legs. I felt it humming in my bones, heavy and unstoppable. I reached for the iron bars of the cell.

"Open..." I growled, my voice low and rough.

The metal trembled under my hands.

"Open," I said again, and this time it sounded like a command, like power itself had spoken through me.

The metal groaned under my grip, shuddering like it was alive and afraid. I pulled harder, my muscles burning with power that didn’t feel like mine. With a sharp, splintering crack, the bars bent as if they were no stronger than soft wood. I pulled again, harder, and they tore apart in my hands like paper.

The door swung open with a long screech that echoed through the corridor. For a moment, there was silence. Then footsteps, heavy, rushing, filled the hallway.

I yelled out angrily and I had no idea what happened as the whole prison was set on fire.

"She’s out! Stop her!" one guard shouted, his voice high with panic.

Another guard ran forward, swinging a baton at me like I was an animal to be beaten back.

"Get back!" he barked, his eyes wide but trying to look brave.

But I wasn’t weak anymore. The moment his arm swung, I moved faster than I thought I could. My hand shot out, catching the baton mid-swing. The wood vibrated in my grip, but I squeezed until it snapped clean in two.

"No one touches me," I snarled. My voice was low, guttural, like it belonged to someone else.

The guard froze. His eyes went wide. "What... what is she..."

I didn’t let him finish. My body moved on its own, fast, violent. I lunged, slamming my shoulder into his chest. He flew backward, hitting the ground with a thud. Another guard tried to grab me from behind, but I turned, shoving him into the wall with one hand. He hit it hard and slid down, groaning.

"She’s... she’s not human!" one shouted.

I stepped out of the cell, breathing hard. My heart pounded, my blood sang. I felt powerful, unstoppable, like fire in human form.

I stumbled forward, my bare feet cold on the stone floor, but I didn’t stop.

"What am I?" I whispered again, staring at my hands. "What have I become..."

I walked down the corridor, guards scrambling out of my way, too scared to stop me.

I kept going, step after step, trying to understand the strength inside me.