Chapter 71: You're already losing - Riven's POV

My fist slammed into the wall again before I could stop it. Everyone probably heard it and I hated it.

Pain shot up my arm, but it barely registered through the storm raging inside my mind. The drywall had cracked beneath the impact, splintering under the force as my breathing came out ragged and uneven.

“Stop,” I hissed under my breath, gripping my wrist with my other hand as if that alone might keep me still. “You’re not taking it. You won’t take my mind. I refuse to let you get close to Callista.”

A low laugh echoed through my mind, dark and patient.

You’re already losing. She didn’t even realize it wasn’t you the entire time.

My teeth ground together as I staggered back a step, my shoulder bumping hard against the dresser as I sat down. The room was spinning as the pressure inside my skull got worse and worse, as if he was trying to claw his way out of my mind into the physical realm.

“No, you can’t do this to me,” I snapped, dragging a hand down my face as I paced across the room. “I won’t allow it.”

The demon didn’t answer immediately, but the weight of him was there, pressing against my thoughts like a shadow trying to swallow the light.

And then I felt her. Callista.

Her presence brushed the bond faintly, like warmth slipping through a crack in the door.

“Riven?” Her voice carried through the connection.

My head snapped toward the shared wall. Though I couldn’t see her, I knew she was just on the other side, probably leaning against it and listening for me. But I couldn’t respond. Not while knowing that she spoke to the demon and thought it was me.

What’s worse? The demon admitted everything from how he felt about her to even mimicking my jealousy at the fact I didn’t want her kissing him. She never knew the difference.

“I’m here,” I tried to say, but the words barely left my throat before my body jerked violently.

My hand slammed against the wall. The impact rattled a picture frame above me on the wall. It wasn’t strong, but I was sure she heard it.

The voice slid through my thoughts again, amused.

You still think you’re in control.

I slowly stood and pushed away from the wall, breathing hard as I tried to center myself. “You’re not touching what is mine,” I muttered, dragging both hands through my hair. “You can threaten me all you want, but she will never be yours.”

Silence answered me for a moment, then the pressure continued even harder this time.

It came without warning, slamming through my mind like a wave crashing against rocks. My knees buckled slightly as the room tilted again, the demon pushing forward with far more force than before.

My hand shot out to brace against the dresser, but my fingers curled into the wood so tightly it creaked under the strain.

“She’s afraid,” the voice murmured, almost thoughtful. “You feel that, don’t you? She’s afraid of what might happen if I gain control of you. Should I continue?”

My chest tightened as the bond flickered again. Callista.

Fear threaded through the connection now.. She was trying to reach me, searching the bond for answers.

“Leave her alone,” I growled. “In the end, you know you’ll get what you want. At least let me have some happiness before you take it from me.”

Another laugh echoed in the back of my mind.

I haven’t even touched her yet. But Riven, you don’t know how this will end. Maybe being with her releases me. Maybe it doesn’t. I’ll never tell you the truth.

My vision blurred for a second as anger surged through me. “Shut up. Just shut up!”

The demon pushed again. My body lurched forward before I could stop it, my shoulder slamming into the wall with enough force to make the entire frame shudder.

Pain flared along my side, but it was nothing compared to the battle raging in my head. I forced myself upright again, dragging in a shaky breath as I leaned heavily against the wall.

“You think brute force is going to work?” I rasped. “You’ve been trying that for weeks.”

The darkness stirred, shifting through my thoughts like smoke.

And you think stubbornness is enough to stop me?

Another pulse rolled through the bond. Callista’s voice reached me again, clearer this time.

“Riven? Are you okay?”

My heart twisted painfully.

“I’m fine,” I tried to say, but the words stuck in my throat.

Instead, my hand curled into a fist and slammed into the wall again. A crack splintered outward from the impact and on the other side of the bond, I felt her jump. Guilt stabbed through me immediately.

“She can hear what you’re making me do,” I muttered hoarsely.

Good. The demon’s voice carried a dark satisfaction now. Let her hear what you’re becoming.

My jaw clenched as I pushed away from the wall and went to my bed. “That’s not what this is. You’re going to be defeated. The Alpha King—”

Do you even know what he really wants? There is no cure for this. It’s all a lie. You’re cursed.

The pressure inside my head shifted again, colder this time.

“Curse…” I thought about it for a moment as I tried to make sense of it. “A curse is something that can be broken.”

Not all curses.

I shook my head, trying to shove him away. “We’ll find a way.”

She’s already been told not to trust you.

The words made my stomach twist.

“Because she shouldn’t,” I snapped. “Not with you taking the helm whenever you want.”

The demon hummed softly.Then perhaps I should prove why.

Cold flooded the bond so suddenly it stole the air from my lungs. My entire body went rigid as I felt Callista recoil on the other side of the connection.

“No,” I said immediately, panic flashing through me. “Don’t—”

Too late. The demon pushed forward just enough to brush against the bond directly, letting his cold presence slide across it like a shadow going over the sun. Callista could feel it, feel how close he was to our bond.

I knew she did.

“You’re showing her,” I realized, horror settling in my chest. “You’re proving what she was told.”

Of course.

The darkness in my mind curled with satisfaction.

You wanted her to understand the danger. I’m simply helping convey what you truly wish to tell her.

My hands shook as anger surged through me again. “You’re twisting it.”

No, I’m simply demonstrating the truth. You and I are one and the same. We were born together and we’ll die together. She might as well accept it.