To Become The Monster
SnowBoundInkmy father's eyes my mother's rage bookmom undresses for son
Her eyes meet mine one last time, and there is something unspoken there—something heavy with expectation.
“You chose to become the monster,” she says quietly. “Now learn what it means to wield it.”
And just like that, the path forward is no longer theoretical.
It has a destination.
And a name.
The Butcher.
And somewhere deep inside me, something ancient and unfamiliar stirs—like it’s been waiting for this war far longer than I have.
We pack in quiet motion.
Mae moves through Ilythra’s home like she’s afraid of touching things too hard, like the walls might whisper secrets if she brushes them wrong. I’m stuffing clothes into my bag—things that already feel like remnants of another life—when I