He lifted his head, eyes blazing gold. “I… am not… yours… to control…!” His voice was full of power now, raw and steady. “I am… me!”
The shadows screamed. They lunged, and I thought he would fall. But instead, he roared, a sound that shook the stone chamber, and the shadows shattered, scattering across the floor like smoke.
I fell back, my chest heaving, my hands still glowing. He stumbled forward, gasping, but he was standing. Fully himself. Not half-controlled. Not a puppet. Him.
“I… I did it.” He whispered, voice shaking, a mix of disbelief and relief.
I ran to him, grabbing his face and pulling him close. “Yes! You did it! You fought it! You’re free, Gage!”
He looked at me, tears in his golden eyes. “I… I thought I’d lost… I thought it would take me…”
I shook my head, pressing my
