Olivia's POV
The masked man leaned back in his chair, his gloved hands resting loosely on his knees. For a moment, he just stared at me through that faceless mask. Then his voice came, low and calm, like a blade sliding across stone.
"My son is dying," he said. "And you… you are going to heal him."
I blinked at him, confused. "Heal him?" My voice cracked. "Why would you go this far—kidnapping Selene, dragging me here—just for that? If your son is sick, I can help. I can heal him. You didn't have to do this."
He tilted his head slightly, like he pitied me. "It's not as simple as you think," he said. "His illness is not a wound. It's an exchange. A curse. His life for another's."
My stomach tightened. "What do you mean?"
The man leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "If you heal him, the curse won't just break—it will move. His heart will start beating again, and yours will stop."
