Julian I don’t lose control. Not with souls. Not with bargains. Not with emotions I buried centuries ago. Ophelia Arden was supposed to be a transaction. Her father made the deal. I took what was owed—her gift, her fire, the part that made her feel. It should’ve ended there. But the bond between us refuses to let go. And the closer I get, the more I wonder if I ever had a choice at all. She doesn’t know what I am. Or what she is to me. And if I were a better man, I’d stay away. But I’ve never been good. Ophelia I used to feel everything. Now my emotions are locked somewhere I can’t reach, and my art is nothing but echoes. They say I’m fading. But I know better. Something was taken from me. Julian Duvain watches me like he already owns every piece of what’s left. He’s wrong in all the ways I should run from—but I don’t. Because when he looks at me, something sharp stirs in my chest. He sees what no one else does. And whatever he’s hiding… it feels tied to everything I’ve lost. I should be afraid. But I’m already burning.