CRYSTAL POV
But he didn't look at me again.
Not even by accident.
It was like I had already been erased from his world. Like I no longer existed.
A single tear slipped down my cheek unconsciously. I wiped it off immediately, because I was done crying.
That moment build a new Crystal Vale. A completely different person.
The walk back from the training ground felt like the longest journey of my life.
Every step echoed in my ears, like my body was moving on autopilot while my mind stayed frozen on that single moment, Ryan's hand over my heart, his loud voice that he echoed through the crowd, the quiet finality of "I reject you."
The bond was gone.
Not ripped out with screams and fire like the stories said. Just… gone. A cold, hollow space sat where the warm, const
