Chapter 60
Kael did not move for a long time.
The space had gone quiet after Ariana disappeared, but this silence was not peace. It felt heavy and watchful, like the entire place had stepped back just enough to see what he would become next.
His breathing was slow, but every breath hurt.
He reached for the bond again.
Nothing answered.
No warmth.
No trace.
No echo.
That was when it settled fully in his chest.
She was gone.
Not hidden.
Not blocked.
Gone.
Kael closed his eyes for a second.
He had expected rage. He had expected it to come fast and sharp, something loud enough to break through everything.
But what came first was something colder.
A hard, quiet weight that pressed deep into his chest and stayed there.
It did not burn.
It did not move.
It just remained.
When he opened his eyes again, lightning was already crawling over his arm.
It had risen on its own.
