AYLA'S POV
Silence.
Real silence this time — not the Hollow, not the realm between stars. Just the kind that comes after everything breaks.
When I opened my eyes, the world was colorless. The snow was gray, the sky a bruise. My breath came out in shivers, white mist curling above my face.
Something heavy lay across my arm.
Kael.
He was unconscious beside me, his hand still gripping mine like even the gods couldn't pry us apart.
For a long moment I just watched him breathe. His lashes dark with soot, lips parted slightly, blood drying at his temple. Too human. Too real.
My heart hurt.
Then it moved — not the organ itself, but something inside it. A second pulse, slow, ancient. The sound of someone else's breath mingling with mine.
A whisper.
Not words. Just intent.
A reminder.
We are one now.
