Chapter 166: The Breaking Point

Thelma’s Perspective The moment the sap touched my skin, an excruciating pain erupted, tearing through me like fire racing along a fuse. The intricate, tattoo-like engravings on my body flared to life, glowing brilliantly as though lit by some internal force. The intensity of the pain was so overwhelming that my body collapsed into the snow, helpless and unresponsive. I felt myself sinking under a wave of dark, writhing sap that moved like bloodthirsty leeches. It swarmed over me, enveloping me in a suffocating cocoon. "Thelma!" I heard Dorothy’s panicked cry as the world darkened. My vision blurred, replaced by the cold, viscous embrace of the sap. It pressed against me, seeking entry through every pore, every orifice. But the glowing engravings on my skin pulsed defiantly, pushing back against the invasion with a soft golden light. The power protecting me felt gentle yet unyielding, like moonlight solidified into an unbreakable shield. The sap’s attempts to penetrate