Chapter 139: Shadows of Fear

Thelma Zane's POV: "Actually, I’m a little scared." The words tumbled from my lips, muffled against Aldrich's shoulder as sobs wracked my chest. "Why is fate so unfair to me? Why am I the one who has to suffer all this?" Aldrich sighed softly, his hand moving rhythmically along my back, soothing yet trembling ever so slightly. "Everything will be fine," he murmured, but I caught the hesitation in his voice—the same uncertainty that haunted my own thoughts. It wasn’t a promise he could truly make, and we both knew it. The path ahead was obscured by shadows, with no guarantees, only hope. All we could do was keep moving forward and pray that the dawn would eventually break. I clung to Aldrich’s quiet strength, pouring out my fear and despair in the safety of his embrace. I had faced sorcerers, demons, the threat of mutation, and the looming specter of death. Yet here, in this moment, I allowed myself to unravel, exposing the raw edges of my soul. The hours passed, and soon the firs