Darkness settled, just my breath audible alongside a chorus of voices murmuring my name.
A hush fell over everything, even emptiness seemed to pause. A flame flickered inside, beat strong, yet felt…distant. Wren kept hold of my arm, a solid presence while his face mirrored what I’d just witnessed.
“Vivian,” he said quietly, “tell me you’re still here.”
The sound of my own voice felt wrong as I spoke, a simple "I am" that lacked any real weight. A shadow of doubt lingered, was it even true?
Kneeling there, Arabella’s hands went to her wrists, smooth now, though they’d held the void’s bonds. Tears marked her white cheeks alongside a stubborn set to her jaw. “So, you believe I am free?” she whispered, yet it felt like a warning.
“Instead, you released something else. Something keeps an e
