No one moved.
The city around us continued breathing—cars passing in the distance, neon lights flickering against wet pavement, humans laughing somewhere far down the block completely unaware that something ancient and dangerous stood in the middle of their world.
But inside that moment—
everything held still.
My former mate stared at me like he no longer recognized the woman standing in front of him.
And maybe he didn’t.
Because the Aurelia who once would have folded beneath guilt…
was gone.
“What is this?” he asked hoarsely.
His eyes flicked between me and Kael again, desperation slowly overtaking anger.
“What’s happening to you?”
The question landed harder than expected.
Not because I didn’t know the answer.
Because I was still learning it myself.
Kael remained silent besi
