Chapter 1

My name is Elara, and my entire life has been a countdown to my sister Clara' s 30th birthday.

In our small Appalachian community, that day was marked for a "life transference" ritual. I was born to be her spiritual donor, a divine provision to save her from the wasting illness that has plagued her since childhood.

My only hope, my only escape, was Liam.

But that hope shattered the moment he walked into our small trailer home, his face set like stone. It was the eve of Clara' s birthday. The ultimatum had arrived.

"Elara, we need to talk about tomorrow."

I looked up from the book I was pretending to read, my heart pounding against my ribs.

"There' s nothing to talk about, Liam. I can' t do it."

He sighed, a sound of pure exasperation, and sat across from me. He took my hands, his grip strong and unyielding.

"It' s not a big deal. The elders say it' s just a portion of your vitality. A small piece. I' ll be there, I' ll help you recover. It' s for the family, for Clara."

"A small piece?" My voice trembled. "Liam, you don' t understand. I' m already weak. I' m not strong enough for this."

I had to tell him. The secret I' d held for ten years felt like a physical weight in my chest.

"When you had that logging accident... the one that should have killed you... I did a ritual. A different one. I saved you, Liam. I gave you a part of my life. I don' t have enough left to give."

He stared at me, his handsome face twisting not with recognition, but with disappointment. He dropped my hands.

"A hysterical lie, Elara. That' s what this is. You' re just being selfish. Making up stories to get out of your duty."

He stood up, towering over me.

"You' re going to do this. For me. For Clara. For our future."

His words hit me harder than a slap. The man I loved, the man I had sacrificed half of myself for, saw me as nothing more than a selfish liar.

The hope I' d clung to for years died right there in our tiny trailer. My destiny was sealed, and the one person I thought would protect me was the one pushing me off the cliff.