The forest was my only refuge.
The fresh air, the damp earth beneath my boots, the distant murmur of the wind through the branches… it all seemed to calm the storm raging inside me.
But it wasn’t enough.
Not since the meeting.
Not since I saw Lucian’s world crumble before my power.
I exhaled slowly, trying to clear my mind.
And then I felt it.
It wasn’t a sound, nor a movement. It was something deeper. Something ancient.
The bond.
My body tensed instantly. The sensation was unmistakable. An invisible pull in my chest, like a thread that had never truly been severed. A cruel reminder of the connection we shared, despite everything.
Freidis growled inside me, her energy burning like embers.
"Stop."
My instincts screamed the same, but my feet had already stopped on their own.
I c
