Chapter 225: The Unyielding Struggle

**Thelma Zane’s POV** Dorothy solved the puzzle that had eluded me for so long in an instant. Amid the countless dead pine trees in Frank’s spiritual world, she identified the “heart” of the curse—a seemingly insignificant piece of charred wood. “This is it,” she said confidently, her fingers brushing against the brittle bark. The moment her hand made contact, a subtle pulse of power rippled through the air. I could feel it too—this cursed fragment was the source of all the torment. Hope surged through me. I immediately directed *New Flow* to envelop the tree, intending to devour it and extinguish the curse once and for all. Just as the power began to work, Dorothy’s sharp voice cut through my concentration. “It moved! It’s not here anymore. Look—it’s in that tree now!” She pointed toward a crooked, withered pine not far from us. The realization struck me like a blow. This demonic fragment could move. It wasn’t just a static force but a cunning, agile entity, slipping fr