Chapter 58

The pain tearing through my chest was unbearable. It felt like my heart was being crushed slowly and deliberately. And in that moment, something inside me snapped. Whatever fear I had left burned away, replaced by pure hatred. I moved without thinking. My hand flew to my pocket, closing around the small knife I always carried for protection. Before my mind could catch up, I drove it forward, straight into his chest. “Go to hell, you fucking devil!” I screamed. For half a second, I thought—please, let this work. But he didn’t cry out. He didn’t stagger. He didn’t even flinch. Instead, he looked down at the blade, then back at me…A slow, dark smile spread across his face, calm and almost amused, like I’d just brushed dust off his coat. He wrapped his hand around my wrist, steady and warm, completely unbothered. “I warned you,” he said softly, almost gently. “You can’t hurt me.” My breath came out in broken gasps as he leaned closer, his presence swallowing the air around us. His voice dr