Chapter 66
The light did not hurt.
That was the first thing Ariana noticed.
After everything they had just gone through, after the pressure, the tearing, the collapse of the space behind them, she expected pain. She expected force, something overwhelming that would try to take control of her the moment she stepped into this place.
But it did not.
It felt… still.
Not empty.
Not quiet in a normal way.
Still in a way that felt complete.
Ariana stood where she was, her hand still in Kael's, though neither of them had moved since crossing through the tear. The ground beneath their feet no longer cracked or shifted. It held steady, smooth and pale, stretching outward into a horizon that did not feel endless, but whole.
Kael did not relax.
His grip remained firm.
His eyes stayed sharp.
"This is wrong," he said quietly.
Ariana did not disagree.
But not for the same reason.
"This is not like the other place."
"No," Kael replied. "It is worse."
That made her look at him.
