CHASE
Helena's home is not what I expected.
No penthouse. No mansion. Just a small house on the outskirts of the city. Hidden. Secluded. The kind of place you'd drive past without noticing.
She called me three hours after the meeting with Dominic and Ethan. Said we needed to talk. About the curse. About what's coming.
I almost didn't come. Almost ignored her.
But the cold in my chest is getting worse. The migraines. The way my reflection moves independently when I'm not looking.
I need answers. Even if those answers come from the woman who abandoned me.
Helena opens the door before I knock. "Come in. We don't have much time."
The interior is strange. Candles everywhere. Symbols carved into the walls. Books in languages I don't recognize. It smells like incense and something darker. Older.
"What is this place?" I ask.
"Sanctuary. The only location where the curse can't fully reach. Where we can talk without it listening." Helena closes the door. Locks it. "Sit. Please."
