Aurenya’s POV
The darkness didn’t lift.
It settled.
Thick. Heavy. Wrong.
For a moment, all I could hear was breathing—too many of them in one space, all trying not to panic at the same time.
Rhydan’s grip was still around me.
I could feel it even if I couldn’t see him properly.
Kaelor’s voice cut through first. “Stay close. Don’t split up.”
A soft scrape of movement. Boots. Shifting bodies.
Then Draven’s voice—calm, but lower now. “It’s not finished.”
That made my stomach tighten.
Because something inside me agreed.
The bond didn’t fade.
It pulsed.
Slow. Controlled. Like something testing how far it could stretch before snapping again.
I swallowed hard.
“I need light,” I said.
No one answered immediately.
Then Arinya’s small voice, close to me. “Mama… I can see a little.”
