Chapter 131Joe's POV
The walk back to the palace felt longer than the drills themselves. My boots dragged through the dirt, my body aching with every step, but my mind was elsewhere. It was fixated on the deadly shimmer of the Chromium Ivy.
It had been right there. Within reach.
My wolf snarled inside me at the memory. We could've taken it. We could've ended this.
But no. The Moon Goddess, in her infinite cruelty, had made the plant untouchable. A cure within sight, but never within grasp. The chief's gloves had been more than protection, they'd been a reminder of how slim my chances truly were. Even if I knew exactly where the plant grew, stealing it was impossible. And without it… the poison would keep eating me alive.
Still, as we crossed into palace grounds, a strange shift stirred in my chest. The heaviness that had been crushing my ribs since morning began to ease. My heart stopped clawing for air. The pain dulled down.
And I didn't have to ask why.
She was here.
