The forest was a living, breathing nightmare. Every time I thought I found a path, the trees seemed to shift, those gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers to snag my hair and rip my dress to shreds. The physical pain of the tether snapping was fading into a gross, nauseating throb, but the mental agony was way worse. Every instinct, I had the core of my survival was screaming at me to turn back. To run to Caius and to beg."It’s just the withdrawal," Julian said, his voice cutting through the thick, unnatural fog. He was moving effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat despite the hellish terrain. "The bond is designed to be addictive, Andrea. It’s how he keeps his little harvest compliant." Julian said.I tripped over a root and slammed into the damp earth, my knees hitting the dirt hard. I didn’t get up, I just sat there, breathing in the scent of pine and rotting leaves. "Why are you helping me, Julian? What’s in it for you? You’re not a charity case." i asked.He stop
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