The wind howled.
Not above them—
around them. Inside them. Between them.
Amaya and Leo plummeted through the darkness, the cliff disappearing above like a fading memory. Stones tumbled beside them, glowing faintly with Leo's aura before dissolving into the shadows below.
Amaya couldn't breathe.
Cold air tore past her face like razors. Her hair whipped wildly, her vision blurring with speed and terror.
"Leo—!" she screamed, reaching blindly through the darkness.
Her hand found his.
Their fingers locked instantly, desperately, like their souls refused to let go even if gravity demanded it.
"I've got you!" Leo roared over the wind.
His claws glowed faint white, sparks peeling off as he tried to ignite his aura, but—
Nothing.
His power flickered uselessly.
The corruption. The earlier fight. The bond strain.
He couldn't fully shift.
He couldn't fly.
He couldn't protect her.
"Damn it—!" he snarled, the frustration ripping out of him like a wounded animal.
