Chapter 48
Ariana felt the pull before she understood what was happening.
One moment she was reaching for Kael, and the next, everything around her twisted. The space folded in on itself, and the connection between them snapped so suddenly that it left a sharp ache in her chest.
Then there was nothing.
No sound.
No movement.
Just darkness.
Ariana landed hard on her knees. The impact sent a dull pain through her body, but she barely noticed it. Her first instinct was to reach out again.
"Kael," she said.
Her voice did not echo.
It disappeared as if the space around her swallowed it whole.
Ariana slowly pushed herself up and looked around.
The ground beneath her was still the same dark surface, smooth like glass, but this place felt deeper than before. It was not just empty. It felt aware in a way she could not explain.
Like something was paying attention to her every movement.
Her chest tightened.
This was not just another part of the trial.
This was something else.
