KAEL'S POV
Light. Noise. Pain.
Her scent — burning through all of it. Honey and smoke. Home.
But it was wrong now — warped by the Hollow's echo, stretching across every corner of the void.
I opened my eyes, and the world was black glass and shifting light. Shadows moved beneath the surface like serpents, whispering in tongues that scraped at my mind. Every breath felt like fire. Every heartbeat, a war.
Ayla.
I could feel her pulling on the bond, desperate, wild. I'd told her to stay away. I'd meant to protect her.
But she never listened, and gods help me—I didn't want her to.
The light split around her as she burst through the fold, her body thrown forward, caught halfway between flesh and flame. She landed on her knees before me, breathless, eyes wide. Silver light clung to her like armor.
"Ayla," I rasped, my voice shredded. "You—shouldn't—be here."
She shook her head, trembling. "You're not leaving me here alone."
