#Chapter 131: Breaking the Spell

The artifact's whispers slithered darkly through my mind. Each voice knew exactly which memories would make me bleed. "Poor Aurora," they cooed with fake sweetness. "Still completely alone. Even your fated mate would rather warm someone else's bed." Kane's face flashed across my thoughts. That night at the council when he chose Alpha Sarah’s daughter over me. The dismissal in his eyes when he said those three words that shattered everything: "It meant nothing." Our entire partnership reduced to lies and convenience. I tried to focus on the ritual, but I couldn’t seem to stop my hands from shaking. The ancient words Elsa had taught me kept slipping away every time I reached for them. Like trying to grab water. The artifact pulsed brighter as my suffering deepened. Its surface shifted with patterns that hurt to look at directly. My pain fed it, each wave of anguish making it stronger. "We can make it stop hurting," the voices shifted to mock sympathy. "Let us take away the me