Moments before the thunder rumbled, Luci emerged from the shadows.
His predatory red gaze locked onto Madeline—but what struck her most was the body he now wore. Saul's. Luci, a parasitic demon from the underworld, had taken him over completely.
Madeline shifted back as he approached, her limbs heavy with weakness. She had spent the last of her strength in the dreamscape, confessing her power. Now, back in the forest, there was no sign of her husband.
Only the wind whispered through the trees, branches creaking like hushed warnings. The silence pressed in, broken only by the deliberate sound of Luci's footsteps.
"You have to cease to exist," he said. His voice was cold, slicing through her like a blade of ice.
"What do you want?" she asked, her tone steady despite the tremble in her body. She stayed low on the ground, watching him, every heartbeat drawing in a sliver more strength.
"The reason I exist," Luci said, his eyes glowing, "is you… Goddess of the Moon."
