Aurenya’s POV
The glow under my skin didn’t disappear.
It stayed.
Soft.
Unsteady.
Like a heartbeat that didn’t belong to me.
No one moved.
Even Rhydan’s grip on my arm loosened slightly—not because he trusted what was happening, but because he didn’t know what to do with it.
The darkness around us felt thicker now.
Not empty.
Occupied.
I could still hear breathing.
Mine.
Theirs.
And something else.
Slow.
Measured.
Close.
Kaelor’s voice came first. Low. Controlled.
“Aurenya, look at me.”
I tried.
But my body wouldn’t listen fully.
My eyes stayed fixed ahead.
On nothing.
On everything.
Because I could feel it standing there.
I still couldn’t see it.
But I knew exactly where it was.
The pull inside my chest tightened.
Not painful.
Just stronger.
Like a thread wr
