Dren approached Kael slowly.
"Hold still," he said.
Kael frowned but didn't move.
Dren raised a hand—not touching—just hovering near Kael's chest.
The Ember Core pulsed.
Then—
Dren flinched.
"…There are two," he whispered.
Kael stiffened. "Two what?"
Dren stepped back, unsettled.
"Two presences," he said. "The flame… and something behind it."
Lira's eyes widened slightly.
Seris didn't react outwardly—but her attention sharpened.
"What does it mean?" Kael asked.
Dren shook his head slowly.
"It means," he said, "you're not just becoming something."
A pause.
"…You're being watched by it."
- End of Chapter 40-