The air between them was electric, a storm ready to explode at the farthest reaches of the world. Elira felt it in her very bones—the uneven balance, the thrumming power that snapped just out of reach. As if the world itself were stretched to drumhead tight and ready to break. Kael's grip was tight on her shoulder, supporting her, even as his own chest labored with shallow gasps, his gaze sweeping the fading world with the same, haunted fervor.
"Something's wrong," Elira whispered, her words barely cutting through the oppressive silence.
