Chapter 28:

Every step was a struggle, an agonizing dance between pain and determination. As I guided Harry through the woods, my senses hyperaware of every rustle and whisper of the environment, I couldn't escape the relentless grasp of the venom coursing through my veins. It was a fire that threatened to consume me from within, a price paid for my reckless confrontation with Victoria.

I clenched my teeth against the pain, my jaw a rigid barrier against the torment that threatened to break through my facade of composure. Every movement felt like a battle, a testament to my stubborn will to protect Harry and reach the safety of town. Despite the turmoil ravaging my body, my thoughts remained focused on one goal: getting Harry to help.

My fingers trembled as I fumbled for my phone, the screen casting an eerie glow in the dim light of the forest. I dialed Charlie's number, the digits a sequence of lifelines that connected me to the help we so desperately needed. As the phone rang, each second an eternity, I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead, a stark reminder of the feverish burn that had begun to consume me.

"Hello?" Charlie's voice crackled through the line, an anchor of stability in the chaos that surrounded me.

"Charlie," I managed through gritted teeth, my voice strained by the effort of holding on. "It's Warden. Harry and I are in the woods… hurt."

The urgency in my words was palpable, a plea that carried the weight of the situation. I could hear the concern in Charlie's voice as he responded, his questions a blur as I fought to string together coherent responses. The pain was a symphony of agony, each note played against the backdrop of my determination to keep going.

"Stay where you are, Warden. We're coming for you," Charlie's voice held a resolute promise, a lifeline that I clung to as I disconnected the call. With my remaining strength, I managed to help Harry to a relatively safe spot, his pained groans a stark reminder of the cost of our encounter with James and his coven.

But as the minutes stretched on, the venom's grip tightened, and I felt the first tendrils of panic clawing at the edges of my consciousness. My vision began to blur, the world around me oscillating between sharp clarity and hazy distortion. The forest seemed to close in around me, the very trees whispering their malevolent secrets as I fought to remain upright.

I knew I couldn't stay here. The venom was spreading, its malevolent touch igniting a fever that consumed me. My body felt like it was on fire, my skin burning as though I was being consumed from within. It was a maddening sensation, one that drove me to action as I forced myself to my feet.

Gritting my teeth, I stumbled forward, my steps unsteady as I pushed through the agony that threatened to overwhelm me. Every movement was an effort, a battle against the venom's paralyzing effects. The world swayed around me, colors and shapes distorting in a nightmarish dance.

I needed to get deeper into the woods, away from the town and its inhabitants. My rational mind knew that the venom's effects would only grow worse, and I couldn't risk hurting anyone in my current state. With every ounce of my fading strength, I forged ahead, each step fueled by a determination born from the knowledge that this was a battle I couldn't afford to lose.

As the forest enveloped me, the pain intensified, an inferno that threatened to consume me entirely. But even in the midst of this torment, a spark of defiance remained—a whisper that told me I could withstand this trial, that I could emerge from the darkness stronger and more resolute than before. With that thought as my guiding light, I pressed on into the unknown, my body a battleground where survival and transformation waged a furious war.

[due to my financial situation these up loads will become less frequently until something changes i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter]