NOAH'S POV

I sat down on the cold, bare forest floor, cradling Ares’ head gently on my lap. His chest rose and fell with painful, uneven breaths. A dagger was lodged straight through his heart—a cruel piece of metal that didn’t belong in the strongest man I knew. The woods around us were unfamiliar, eerie, and silent. My hands trembled as I reached for the weapon. The moment my fingers brushed it, a sizzle of pain shot through me. I snatched my hand back and stared in horror. The dagger ...