Kael woke up screaming.
"WHY AM I SO WEAK?!"
The cry tore out of his throat as he bolted upright, lungs burning as if he'd been drowning.
But before he could think of anything, his hands flew to his head, fingers digging into his scalp as pain—raw, blinding, and wrong—exploded behind his eyes.
It wasn't physical.
It was deeper.
As if something fundamental had been ripped out of him.
"Agh—!" He clenched his teeth, body shaking as the pain surged, peaked, and then—
Stopped.
Just like that.
Kael sucked in a sharp breath, sweat dripping down his face. His heart hammered violently as a hollow sensation settled in his chest.
Something was missing.
Not injured.
Not sealed.
It was gone.
He tried to remember. Tried to retrace his thoughts, his emotions, his last actions—
—And hit a wall.
The last clear memory he had was of Vilonder.
That absurdly strong human.
The way his mana crushed Kael like a toy. The helplessness. The rage.
Everything after that was blank.
