But the curse was more than magic—it was a mirror to her guilt. Years ago, as the village healer, she’d tried to save a boy from the plague. When he died, her grief awakened a forbidden power. Now, it poisoned her, a shadow that fed on her sorrow. A knock at her wooden door broke the silence. She didn’t turn from the fire. She knew who it was. Elya , her former mentor, her executioner. Her voice was low, apologetic. “I came to apologize, Avah. I betrayed you with the spell that bound you to this curse.”