Dust rained down from the bones above as the cavern trembled. Kalen’s confession didn’t just hang in the air—it rooted into the stone, vibrating through silver river until the wolves below howled as though in response.
Bound.
Like a blade against my ribs, the word pulsed through me. Before I could draw them back, my shadows flinched and then rushed forward, reaching for him.
Kalen did not move. He allowed them to cling to his scars, arms, and throat. Something between defiance and surrender twisted his lips. “Feel it,” he growled. "I am buried with the same curse you bear. All this time, you believed that I was chasing you, but I was only chasing what I lost. What was stolen.”
The faceless figure leaned forward, silent but smiling, as though this had been the secret it was waiting f
