Kael knelt beside her, the soft moss giving beneath his weight. His eyes searched hers—not demanding, not impatient, just... present.
“You were gone for a while,” he said, voice low. “I tried to reach you, but it was like the forest sealed you away.”
Zahra nodded slowly, still feeling the echo of the Oracle’s touch in her chest. “I saw too much. Not just of the curse… but of myself. Of what I could become if I choose wrong.”
Kael reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “You're not alone in this. Whatever path you walk, I’m with you.”
A shaky breath escaped her. “I saw your pain too, Kael. In the visions. Your blood... your scream. Darius hurt you.”
His jaw clenched at the name. “He tried to twist me into a weapon. Into something I’m not.”
“You’re not,” she said, touchi
