Chapter 59
Kael felt it before he saw anything.
Something was wrong.
The space had gone quiet again, but this silence was not the same as before. Earlier, it had resisted him. It had pushed him back, tested him, forced him to fight for every step. Now it simply stayed still, as if it had already made its decision.
That made his chest tighten.
He moved forward anyway.
The ground beneath his feet was cracked and unstable from his earlier attacks. Pieces shifted and broke under his weight, but he did not slow down. Lightning flickered along his arm, unstable and sharp, crawling across his skin like it wanted to break free.
This time, he did not stop it.
Control had not saved her.
"Ariana," he called.
No answer.
The bond stayed silent.
But this silence was different. Before, it had felt cut, like something had been torn away. Now it felt wrong, like something had taken its place and twisted it into something else.
Kael slowed for just a second.
