Aria’s pov
The forest was cold.
The moon hung low and red, watching us like an eye that never blinked. The trees moved in the wind, whispering secrets to each other, and the leaves made soft sounds under our feet. I walked beside Lena, but my heart was somewhere else — still back in that temple, breaking into a thousand pieces.
I could still hear Jason’s voice in my head.
> “It’s true, Aria… but I was never going to hurt you.”
Those words played again and again like a song I didn’t want to remember. I told myself to stop thinking about him, but the more I tried, the more my chest ached.
Lena held my hand and said softly, “Let’s go, Aria. It’s not safe here.”
Her hand felt warm. Mine felt cold.
“But why would he do this to me?” I whispered. My voice cracked halfway. “Why would Ja
