In truth, Henrietta had felt this moment coming long before their arrival. The day Lucas had faced the Empress's celestial Qi explosion, something deep within her had stirred...a sharp, wrenching pain that laced through her chest, a feeling she couldn't explain but knew too well. The soul bond between them had trembled violently, then dimmed. She had felt him slipping away. Since then, though she knew he still lived, her heart had been restless, heavy with dread. Seeing him now, pale and unmoving, confirmed every fear she had been trying so desperately to silence.
The King noticed her expression and followed her gaze. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the figure being carried out of the carriage. Lucas's body was draped in a dark travel cloak, his face ghostly pale beneath it, lips faintly blue, his breathing shallow but steady.
