WHAT I HAVE BECOME?

Adrianna's breath hitched as she was dragged into the shadowy alley, her heels scraping against the wet pavement. The nightcrawler's grip was relentless, its clawed hand clamped tightly around her wrist, leaving her no chance to wriggle free. The city's faint glow seemed to vanish behind her, swallowed by the encroaching darkness.

"Stop squirming," the nightcrawler growled, its voice cold and sharp as steel. It yanked her forward, nearly causing her to stumble. "You'll only make this harder on yourself. I don't like when my prey is uncooperative."

Adrianna's heart thundered in her chest, her mind a storm of fear and regret. She wanted to scream, but her throat felt paralyzed, her voice trapped by sheer terror. Alaric's stern warnings echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain: Don't leave the medical wing. It's too dangerous out there.

And now here she was—exactly where she shouldn't be.