Elias's rage flared. His will slammed into mine like a hammer.
"You can't stop me! It's my life—my death!"
My skull burned as he clawed at control, dragging us both closer to the edge. My vision blurred, the trench walls twisting around me.
I gritted my teeth, forcing back the wave of despair that wasn't entirely his anymore. It was mine too. His war, my betrayal, our pain—it all fused, a storm that threatened to drown us both.
But somewhere deep inside, beneath the anger, I felt it.
The smallest flicker.
A hesitation.
He didn't want to die.
He just couldn't see another way to live.