I woke in a dream.
The world was formless—no sound, no pain, only drifting in a sea of spiritual currents.
Until a soft, rhythmic heartbeat echoed from the depth of my body—
Not mine.
His.
Caelum.
Alive.
I opened my eyes to find myself lying in the Sanctum of the Moonveil Spire, a sacred place deep in Moonscar territory. Runes flickered faintly on the ceiling. The scent of jasmine and herbs—Rima’s pheromones—wrapped around me like silk.
She was at my bedside in an instant, her eyes red-rimmed.
“You scared me half to death!”
“I’m alive,” I rasped. “So is he.”
She nodded. “But Caelum… is in partial Awakening Sleep. His spiritual core is stabilizing. He needs you.”
“I’m here.”
“You were unconscious for seven days,” she whispered. “Talon shielded the array until collapse. Riven ra
