Chapter 112
Astrid's POV
The fragile peace I had purchased with Elara's tonic shattered without warning. It wasn't a gradual decline; it was a sudden, violent implosion. One moment, I was in the main house's kitchen, discussing pantry inventories with the head cook, and the next, a wave of cold so profound washed over me that I dropped the clipboard I was holding. It clattered to the stone floor, the sound unnaturally loud in the sudden silence of my mind.
And then, the whispers returned.
They weren't at the edge of my hearing anymore. They were inside my skull, coiling around my thoughts like venomous snakes. Before, they had been a vague, hissing static. Now, they had a voice. Leon's voice. It was distorted, layered with a cruel, mocking echo, but it was undeniably his.
'Did you really think a few herbs could keep me out, little mouse?'
I flinched, pressing my hands to my temples. The head cook gave me a worried look. "Luna? Are you alright?"
