Chapter 16: The Beginning of the End
The clearing feels like a trap.
Open.
Exposed.
Waiting.
And then—
They step into it.
Cristoff stands there.
Smiling.
Her father is beside him.
Unyielding.
Unforgiving.
The past.
The present.
The cage she tried to escape—
Waiting to close again.
Justin steps in front of her.
Protective.
Unwavering.
"She's not going back."
Her father's expression hardens.
"You were never meant to have a choice, Tristana."
And just like that—
Hope dies.