Selene watched Ethan disappear through the doorway, his worried expression lingering in her mind.
She kept a faint smile on her face until she was sure he was gone. As soon as the door closed, her mask crumbled.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as her body seized up.
Her throat tightened, and her chest felt like it was being crushed.
She gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breathing, but the pressure inside her refused to go away.
"Not now…"
She whispered, her voice barely audible.
Her hands trembled as she pushed the covers aside. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked down at herself.
Dark, jagged marks stretched across her skin.
Thin, vein-like lines pulsed with an eerie glow, spreading out from her core and branching along her arms and legs.
The sight made her stomach turn. Her breath caught in her throat as she clenched her fists, trying to will the marks away.
"System, what the hell is this?
She muttered, her voice laced with desperation.
