The moment the bond tried to sever itself, Kael looked at me with the same horror as a man watching history repeat itself in real time.
The reaction in him was immediate and devastating, because the instant the connection between us fractured, something primal tore violently through the shattered space around us.
The bond did not simply weaken beneath the weight of betrayal. It recoiled as though it had become something wounded and furious, twisting against itself until the entire fractured system screamed in response.
Pain ripped through my chest with brutal force. Not emotional pain. Physical agony sharp enough to make it feel as though something alive inside me was being torn apart by invisible hands.
I staggered backward violently, breath catching in my throat as power burst uncon
