Gideon felt a suffocating pressure clamp around his neck, his oxygen instantly cutting off as an invisible force tightened its grip. The sudden shock caused his fingers to weaken, his hold on Adeline's hand slipping away completely.
"Gideon, finally you've shown yourself. I've been waiting for you for so long," an unfamiliar woman's voice whispered directly into his ear, sending a shudder through his veins.
Gideon's face turned a dangerous shade of crimson as he fought for air. He needed to shift into Helios immediately to break the chokehold. But the moment he shifted, his priority had to be rescuing Adeline.
He glanced sharply at the mystical fountain. The water was a trap. He knew that if he touched it, the same paralyzing illusion would ensnare him too. Adeline was completely unresponsive, staring blankly into the ripples, utterly deaf to his struggles and oblivious to the danger closing in on them.
