CHAPTER 13 — TOO CLOSE TO CONTROL
(Lira's POV)
I didn't sleep. Not even a little. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt it again—that pull, that pressure, that voice. Not loud, not constant, but there. Waiting. Like it knew I would come back. Like it was patient enough to let me break on my own. Which was very rude, honestly. If you're going to be a creepy, intrusive voice in my head, at least commit to the chaos. Half-effort haunting is just annoying.
"You're thinking again." "I didn't sleep." "That's not surprising." "That sounds like judgment." "It is." "Wow. Supportive." Kael was watching me again. He did that a lot. Not in a normal way. Not casually. More like he was studying something dangerous that might explode if he blinked wrong. Which, to be fair, was not entirely inaccurate
"He's still there, isn't he?" he asked. I didn't answer immediately. That probably answered it. "…a little," I admitted. "Not fully. Just… present." "That's enough." "Yeah, I got that part." I rubbed my temples, trying to ignore the faint echo in my head. "So what's the plan?" "You train." "I walked right into that one." "You always do." "Rude."
But I lifted my hand anyway. Because apparently, I make bad decisions now. The shadows responded instantly, faster than before, sharper too. They curled around my fingers like they were waiting for me, like they knew me now. Which was both cool and deeply unsettling. "See?" I said. "Improvement." "You're unstable." "…you really need to work on your compliments." "It wasn't a compliment." "Exactly my point."
I focused again, pushing a little further this time. The shadows stretched outward, thin strands weaving through the air. Controlled. Mostly. Okay, slightly controlled. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. "Better," Kael said. I froze. "…that sounded like progress." "It was an observation." "That's literally what a compliment is." "No." "You're exhausting." "I know."
I exhaled slowly, trying to hold the control. For a second, it worked. For a second, everything felt steady. Balanced. Mine. Then the bond shifted. Subtle—but sharp enough to break my focus instantly. "Don't," Kael said immediately. "I didn't do anything!" "You reacted." "Well, yeah, something is literally trying to exist in my head!"
The pressure flickered again. Not as strong as before—but closer. More familiar. "You feel that?" I asked. "Yes." "Good, so I'm not losing it." "You might be. But not because of this." "…wow." I dropped my hand, the shadows dissolving reluctantly. "This is getting worse." "It's getting stronger." "That's not better." "No."
I turned to him. "If he can reach me like that, what's stopping him from—" "Taking more?" "…yeah." Kael didn't answer right away. Which, again, was not comforting. "That depends on you," he said finally. "Oh, great. No pressure." Silence settled between us, but it wasn't calm. Not really. It felt like everything was waiting. Watching.
"Try again," Kael said. I blinked. "Are you serious?" "Yes." "I almost got mentally kidnapped and you want me to try again?" "Yes." "You're unbelievable." "And you're stalling." "…fine." I lifted my hand again, slower this time. Careful. The shadows responded, softer now, like they were testing me too.
"Good," Kael said quietly. "Hold it." "I am holding it." "Don't lose it." "I'm trying not to lose it." "Don't try." "I hate when you say that." The shadows steadied. Then the bond pulled again—harder this time. I sucked in a breath. "No—no, not again—" "Lira." "I'm fine." "You're not." "I said I'm fine!"
The shadows flared instantly. "Control it," Kael snapped. "I am controlling it!" "You're reacting." The pressure hit again. "You're slipping," the voice murmured. "No." "He's pushing again," Kael said. "Yeah, I can hear him!" "You can't hold it forever," the voice continued. "Watch me." "Stubborn." "Correct."
The pressure pressed harder until something in me answered. The shadows surged toward it. Everything went still. "Ah… there you are." "Nope—no, absolutely not—" The pull snapped tighter and suddenly I wasn't being pushed anymore—I was being pulled. "Stop it!" I forced it back. Kael grabbed my wrist. "Stay here." I steadied.
"He's trying to take me somewhere." "Yes." "That's bad." "Yes." I exhaled. But then everything shifted—his hand still on me, the bond aware, the air different. "You didn't pull away." "…neither did you." Silence. Close.
Dangerous. Then a sharp pulse broke it. I stepped back. "Okay—that's enough." But even as I turned away, I could still feel it. Not just the enemy. Not just the danger. But him. And somehow—that might be worse.