Cain's body locked in place the instant realization struck him.
His thoughts.
They were not on his own anymore.
They were heard!
For a split second, the world around him seemed to fall away. His crimson eyes widened, and then the color drained from them entirely, turning into a blank, endless white as if something ancient had surfaced from deep within his soul. The air around him thickened, pressing down with a weight that did not belong to this realm.
He felt something familiar but unfamiliar again.
His jaw tightened.
No.
Not again.
The white in his eyes flickered and then receded, replaced once more by the deep crimson glow that pulsed like blood under moonlight. He inhaled slowly, trying to steady the storm rising inside him.
Then he turned his head.
Zenaya and the owl lay collapsed on the ground.
For one terrifying moment, Cain's heart clenched.
