The cold didn’t fade.
It settled.
Not over the ridge through it.
Aria felt it first, the moment her boundary stabilized. The line she had drawn inside herself held firm, filtering the bond, steadying the chaos…
But something was pressing against it now.
Not breaking it.
Not yet.
Just testing.
She exhaled slowly, keeping her focus tight.
“…It’s not pushing like before.”
Lucian stood close, his attention locked on her.
“Then what is it doing?”
Aria’s eyes flickered faintly.
“It’s… knocking.”
Rune frowned. “Knocking?”
She nodded once.
“Not trying to break in. Not forcing anything.”
A pause.
“…It’s asking.”
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Not disbelief.
Something worse.
Understanding.
Lucian’s expression hardened.
“That’s not better.”
“No,” Aria agreed quietly. “It’s
