Niva had heard I was awake and came rushing into the hut. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot from crying.

  "You must never scare me like that again," she said with a trembling voice. "I really thought you were going to die."

  She wrapped me in a tight embrace.

  "Careful, you might reopen the wound," Will said, his tone strained.

  Niva shot him a sharp look.

  "Next time, make sure you protect her better – she was close to dying!"

  Will’s eyes narrowed, and he answered her with a look so cold the air in the room seemed to freeze.

  "Where’s Sac?" I asked quickly, choosing to ignore the heavy tension between them.

  They both turned to me, a little surprised.

  "He’s being kept locked in a hut," Niva replied. "They’ve posted a guard on him around the clock… in case the darkness returns."

  "I need to see him. Now," I said and met Will’s eyes. He saw my determination and nodded.

  "I’ll go with you."

  The hut was a bit outside the new village, separated from the others. In front of the door sat a large man from the village – Ismael, father to one of the children we’d rescued from the dark side. When he saw me, he quickly stood up and gave a small bow.

  "I don’t know how to thank you… without you, I’d never have seen my children again."

  I walked up to him and met his gaze.

  "You fought for the children too, Ismael. You deserve the same gratitude as we do."

  I turned toward the hut.

  "Has anything strange happened while you’ve been guarding here?" I asked.

  He looked surprised and shook his head.

  "Nothing I’ve noticed, no."

  I frowned.

  "Will… I can feel it. The darkness. It’s strong here. We need to get inside – now."

  Will nodded at once, and Ismael unlocked the door for us.

  Inside, slumped against the wall, sat Sac. Blood ran from a fresh scab on his forehead, as if he had hit his head hard. His body was limp, his gaze glazed and empty. A clear darkness lingered over him, like a shadow that refused to let go.

  "Sac?" I whispered softly.

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  He slowly turned his head toward me, without a hint of recognition in his eyes, then let his gaze slide back to the wall in front of him.

  That’s when I felt Seraya’s light awaken within me.

  "Come back to me, Sac… come back to the light," I whispered, letting the light flow from my hands.

  It was like watching a dream – the light spiraled gently through the room, cautiously reaching out toward him.

  He gasped, as if something inside him had come to life, and an animalistic sound broke the silence – a sound that made the hairs on my neck stand on end.

  "Don’t fight it, Sac. Let the light in again," I said, louder now.

  He twisted in pain, collapsed onto the floor, and began to scream, as if the light was burning him from the inside.

  Sac’s body trembled on the ground. Slowly, the screams faded, like a storm dying down. I carefully sat down beside him, ready for anything, but he didn’t move. Will stood watch in the doorway.

  After a while, Sac opened his eyes. They looked clear. Tired, but no longer empty.

  "Tracy…" he whispered, barely audible.

  "I’m here," I replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You’re back now."

  He blinked slowly and took a deep, shuddering breath.

  "It… it was like drowning in something I couldn’t see. Like I was awake, but couldn’t move. Couldn’t think clearly."

  Will stepped closer to us. "You’re with us now. The darkness is gone."

  But Sac shook his head.

  "No… it’s not gone. It’s still… inside me." He sat up with effort, sweat running down his forehead. "I can feel it. Like a whisper far back in my mind. Like something waiting."

  "We can help you keep it away," I said gently. "You’re not alone, Sac."

  He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes, but also a glimmer of gratitude.

  "I thought I was lost. But you… you pulled me back. I saw the light. Your light."

  Will said nothing, but I felt his presence strengthen me. We were three now. Not just two.

  "You’re not bound to the darkness, Sac. Not anymore," I said softly.

  "It doesn’t feel like it," he mumbled. "I can control it… but I don’t think I’ll ever be completely free."

  I took his hand. It trembled, but he returned the grip.

  "Then we’ll just have to make sure it never takes over you again."

  He gave a faint smile.

  "I don’t know if I deserve you both, but… thank you."

  Will placed a hand on Sac’s shoulder.

  "You’re one of us. You belong here – as long as you keep fighting, you’re not alone."

  We sat in silence for a while. Sac stared at his hands, as if he was really seeing them for the first time. I saw the guilt and fear battling in his eyes.

  "I… I remember things," he said suddenly. His voice was low, every word weighted with effort. "Not everything. It’s blurry. Like dreams. But I know she was there… Sacra."

  I tensed. So did Will.

  "She moved through the darkness like it was her home," Sac continued. "She controlled me. Not always directly, but I could feel her will becoming mine. She whispered to me. The words burned into me, and her hatred… it was like a fire – cold and empty."

  "What did she say?" I asked, my voice breaking the silence like a whisper through the wind.

  "She said you didn’t deserve the light. That you were chosen for the wrong reason. She wants Seraya’s power… and she believes it was misplaced. That it should belong to her."

  My heart beat faster. I felt something stir inside me – not fear, but a glowing rage, like a quietly burning fire suddenly igniting.

  "That’s exactly what Seraya warned me about in the dream," I said quietly. Will looked at me. "She said Sacra would come for the light."

  "Yes," Sac said. "She said that was the plan all along. To die in front of you… or appear to. To buy time. So you wouldn’t look for her. She disguised her darkness… so you’d mourn instead of seeing what she truly is."

  I felt anger rise inside me. Everything we’d felt… the grief, the pain – it had all been a lie.

  "She plans to reach the light, Tracy," Sac said. "Through you. She knows you’re connected to Seraya. She wants… to use you. Twist the power into something else."

  "That’s not going to happen," I answered coldly. "Not as long as we stand."

  Sac looked at me with a heavy gaze.

  "You have to be stronger than her. Stronger than all of it. Because she won’t stop. She’s obsessed."

  Will took a step closer. "Then we’ll be ready. All three of us."

  I looked at Sac. The scars inside him remained, but he was awake. And now, we knew who our true enemy was.