Victor's POV
Helena grips me desperately as we travel through the void between worlds. Her fingers dig into my arms with the terror of someone who believes one wrong move will send her plummeting into the endless darkness below us. She has no idea that losing her would be impossible for me. Across countless lifetimes, my love for her has never wavered, and it never will.
The concrete of the apartment parking garage solidifies beneath our feet. The air carries the dampness of recent rain and the metallic scent of urban decay, but all of that fades against her presence. Her skin still holds that subtle sweetness, now tainted with the bitter edge of fear from what she witnessed. She stares straight ahead, her jaw clenched tight, trembling beneath my steadying hands.
Bringing her to that place was a mistake. I knew the memories it would stir, the truths it would force her to confront. But Aria's protective barriers around Helena's mind left me no choice.
