*Rhys*

The uncomfortable mattress pressed against my back, a cruel reminder of the paralysis gripping my once-powerful limbs. I lay there motionless as memories of Alexa's betrayal replayed over and over again. Her smug face haunted me, and her laughter echoed in the recesses of my thoughts as the poisons she had concocted coursed through my veins.

I wished to turn back time and heed the warnings I had ignored. But wishes were nothing more than wisps of desperation, and ...