Chapter 30
Kora’s POV
The tension in the air felt thicker than ever as we left the village behind, the weight of the old woman’s words still hanging over me. The herbs, tucked safely into my pack, were an enigma I didn’t know how to solve. Could they really protect us from Aaron? Or were they just another superstition, another trap to lead us into something darker?
Edward and I moved in silence for most of the day. We kept our pace steady but cautious, knowing the longer we lingered, the more danger we put ourselves in. The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear — we couldn’t stay in one place for long. We had no choice but to keep pushing forward, deeper into the unknown.
But despite our best efforts, the oppressive silence felt suffocating. Every crack of a branch beneath our feet, every flutter of birds taking flight, made my heart race. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched, that Aaron’s gaze was on us even when we couldn’t see him.
After hours of travel, we made camp on the outskirts of a dense forest. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of red and orange, a contrast to the heavy mood that clouded the air. I sat by the fire, trying to ignore the creeping dread settling in my bones.
Edward, always the silent one, was sharpening his blade nearby, his face unreadable. The rhythmic sound of the steel against the stone was oddly calming, but it didn’t soothe the unease that twisted in my gut. I could see him, though, glancing over at me from time to time, his expression hard. He was worried — I knew it.
“You’re quiet tonight,” I said softly, breaking the silence.
Edward didn’t look up from his work. “I’m always quiet.”
I let out a small laugh, but it felt hollow. “True.”
Another stretch of silence passed, longer this time. I could feel his gaze on me, even if I couldn’t see it.
Finally, he spoke. “You think the herbs will work?”
I blinked, surprised by the question. “I don’t know. I don’t even know why she gave them to me.”
“You think she’s trying to help, or...” He trailed off, not finishing the thought.
I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe she’s just trying to keep us here longer, to trap us.”
“Maybe,” Edward agreed, his voice low. “But we don’t have many choices. Either we trust it, or we don’t. We’re running out of time.”
I could hear the frustration in his words, the tension in his shoulders. I wanted to tell him it would be okay, but even I wasn’t sure of that anymore. There was a certainty in his voice that made me uneasy. Edward wasn’t the type to let his guard down, especially not with me.
But there was something else in his tone that made my pulse quicken. It wasn’t just concern — it was something deeper. Something I wasn’t sure I could confront.
I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time that evening. There was something raw in his eyes, a depth of emotion I hadn’t seen before.
“What is it, Edward?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He hesitated, his jaw tightening as if he were struggling with the words. But when he spoke, it was almost like he had no choice. “I’m not just worried about Aaron, Kora.”
I swallowed, suddenly unable to look away. “What else is there?”
“You,” he said simply, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m worried about you.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the intensity in his gaze. “Me?”
He stood abruptly, throwing the sharpening stone down on the ground with a force that startled me. “Yes, damn it. You. Every damn day I watch you, and I can see it in your eyes. You’re falling apart, Kora. You’re not who you were before.”
The harshness in his voice made my heart ache. It wasn’t just anger or frustration — it was something much deeper, something I couldn’t quite understand.
“Edward, I—”
“No,” he cut me off, stepping closer. “I’ve been standing by, watching you lose yourself, and I can’t do it anymore. You’re not the person you were when we first left. You’ve changed. And it’s like... like you’re becoming someone I don’t recognize.”
His words hit me like a slap, hard and fast. I wanted to defend myself, to explain why I had become this way, but the words didn’t come. There was truth in what he said.
I was different. But the weight of everything we had endured since leaving the capital — the constant danger, the fear, the loss — had chipped away at me. I was no longer the girl who had trusted easily, who had believed in the possibility of good.
I was a survivor now, and that had come with a price.
“You don’t understand,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I can’t be the same. I can’t be that person anymore.”
Edward’s eyes softened for just a moment, but the hardness remained in his posture. “I don’t need you to be the same, Kora. I just need you to stop pushing me away.”
I flinched at his words. “I’m not—”
“You are,” he interrupted, his voice soft but firm. “You don’t let anyone in anymore. You keep everyone at arm’s length. And it’s killing you.”
I felt my chest tighten, the familiar ache of loss pulling at my heart. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that I was just trying to protect myself, but deep down, I knew he was right. I had shut myself off from the world, from him.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly, though the words felt hollow. “I don’t know how else to be.”
Edward let out a heavy sigh, kneeling down in front of me. His hand reached out, and for a moment, I thought he might touch me, comfort me. But he hesitated, pulling back just as quickly.
“Just promise me something,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse. “Promise me that when this is all over, you’ll remember who you are. That you won’t let everything that’s happened destroy you.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
For a moment, there was a fragile silence between us. Then Edward stood and walked to the fire, leaving me to wrestle with the weight of his words.
It wasn’t just Aaron I had to fear anymore. It was the person I was becoming.
I couldn’t allow myself to lose everything — to lose myself. But the path ahead felt darker than I could have ever imagined, and I wasn’t sure I had the strength to fight it.
The night passed in a tense stillness, the crackling of the fire the only sound between us. And as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help but wonder: Was Edward right? Was I losing myself in all of this? Or had I already lost the person I used to be?
I didn’t know anymore.
But I was going to find out.
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