My arms tightened around Elowen, pulling her closer against my chest, burying my face in her hair. She didn't say anything — just leaned back into me, her hands covering mine where they pressed against her stomach. I felt her steadiness through the bond — an anchor in the storm.
"I don't remember any of it," I said. My voice came out hollow. "The fire, the escape, Kieran — it's all just... fragments. Pieces that don't connect."
"The trauma was severe." Corvin's voice was gentle. "You were seven years old, watching your world burn, separated from your brother in the dark. The mind protects itself."
"By erasing everything? Everyone?" I felt Elowen's hand tighten on mine, felt her anguish through the bond — anguish for me. "I had a family. Parents. A brother who died for me. And I don't re
