  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The dull impact seemed to have echoed from the depths of the left passage. Jacob and I locked eyes. No time for debate. We dove into the darker tunnel.
  Our flashlight beam carved a shaky path through the oppressive gloom, illuminating rough concrete walls and occasional damp patches on the floor. The air, perpetually cold and tinged with chemicals, now carried a fresh thread of blood and… the sharp tang of cordite. Faint, but undeniable.
  &quot;God, it&#39;s black as pitch,&quot; Jacob growled low. His wolf eyes should have an edge in the dark, but here there was zero light—a pure underground labyrinth. &quot;Hold on.&quot; He felt along the wall until his fingers found a recessed switch and clicked it.
  Overhead, a few widely spaced fluorescent tubes flickered and buzzed to life, casting a ghastly white pallor that pushed back some shadows but made the c

  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The pickup truck ate up the highway, its engine growling, the scenery outside blurring into streaks of color. Wind whipped through the half-open window, tangling my hair and carrying Jacob&#39;s familiar scent—pine, sweat, and that uniquely warm, wild essence that was his alone.
  I drew a deep breath, filling my lungs with it. Suddenly, a feeling I hadn&#39;t experienced in a very long time rose within me, like a dormant spring beginning to flow once more.
  Back then—when I was observed like a lab rat in Karl&#39;s basement—Brett had been like a brother, my first taste of familial warmth. But Jacob, after my escape… he had replaced Brett, becoming something even more essential. Jacob was the one who could read my silences, who offered his jacket when I shivered, who sat with me through the night, listening to my incoherent ramblings after a nightmare until 

  Celena&#39;s Perspective
  Pain.
  Boundless, endless pain, seeping from the marrow of my bones, a rending deep within my soul. I wasn&#39;t unconscious, not truly. More like trapped behind a thin film of awareness. I could perceive the outside world hazily, but I was paralyzed, voiceless.
  Then, I &quot;saw.&quot;
  Not with my eyes. A more inward form of sight. A shadow, a feminine outline, was struggling, slowly &quot;standing up&quot; from my own limp form. She had no substance, composed more of pale mist and flowing darkness. I could just make out curves, but no flesh, no warmth. Just a... phantom reflection.
  Who was that? A part of me?
  The shadow wavered, turning. On the floor lay Karl. And from beneath him, dark red, viscous blood began to well up uncontrollably, defying gravity. It gathered, flowed as if alive, slithering toward the shadow. The moment shadow and blood met,

Celena&#39;s Perspective
  The dull impact seemed to have echoed from the depths of the left passage. Jacob and I locked eyes. No time for debate. We dove into the darker tunnel.
  Our flashlight beam carved a shaky path through the oppressive gloom, illuminating rough concrete walls and occasional damp patches on the floor. The air, perpetually cold and tinged with chemicals, now carried a fresh thread of blood and… the sharp tang of cordite. Faint, but undeniable.
  &quot;God, it&#39;s black as pitch,&quot; Jacob growled low. His wolf eyes should have an edge in the dark, but here there was zero light—a pure underground labyrinth. &quot;Hold on.&quot; He felt along the wall until his fingers found a recessed switch and clicked it.
  Overhead, a few widely spaced fluorescent tubes flickered and buzzed to life, casting a ghastly white pallor that pushed back some shadows but made the corridor seem endless and even more foreboding. We could see now: the tunnel stretched straight ahe

Chapter 233