Alina blinked against the harsh light, every nerve alive and tingling. Her head throbbed, a dull echo from the last moments she remembered—the Veilbound figure lunging, the snap of shadow threads, the heat and tension coiling through her body. She tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if the fight had drained her completely.
Two figures loomed over her, familiar yet terrifying in their contrasts. Kael’s shadowed presence pressed subtly against her side even from a distance, dark eyes calculating, unreadable yet magnetic. Riven’s fire lingered in the heat of his gaze, sharp and scorching, igniting a pull she couldn’t ignore.
“You’re awake,” Kael murmured, voice low and possessive. “Good. I wanted to make sure you felt the aftermath… consciously.”
Alina tried to speak,
