Daphne's POV
The darkness had claws, and they were digging into my soul.
I sprinted through Willowbrook's endless corridors, my bare feet slapping against stone that felt like ice against my skin. My nightgown caught on shadows that shouldn't exist, tearing at the fabric and my flesh alike. Every step sent shockwaves of cold through my bones.
Behind me, the sound of pursuit grew stronger. Multiple sets of footsteps, heavy and relentless, multiplying with each desperate turn I made. I refused to look back. I already knew what hunted me through these halls.
The whispers began as barely audible murmurs, then swelled into a chorus that filled my head.
Omega. Omega. Omega.
The word coiled around my windpipe like a noose. I opened my mouth to scream, to rage against the accusation, but what emerged was pathetic. Broken. The whimper of something small and defeated, something that knew its time was up.
I skidded around a corner and froze in absolute horror.
