POV: Vivian
Chase wakes on the third day after our collapse, and I know immediately that something fundamental has changed because his eyes open black instead of gray and stay that way for a full thirty seconds before any color returns at all.
I'm sitting beside his bed when it happens, having refused to leave despite nurses insisting I need rest in my own room, having spent three days watching monitors and waiting for any sign that the consumption Helena warned about didn't kill what was left of Chase Sterling.
His eyes snap open. Fully black. No iris, no pupil distinction, just darkness that proves the curse isn't just possessing him anymore but has integrated so completely that even his physical appearance reflects the hybrid state Helena predicted.
"Chase?" My voice shakes despite trying to sound calm.
