"Obey."
The word did not reach Kael's ears.
It passed directly through intention.
For an instant, his knees received an order that had not come from his mind. The muscles in his legs relaxed, his center of gravity began to lower, and his own mana tried to follow the movement as though kneeling were the natural conclusion of everything he had done up to that moment.
Kael interrupted the sequence.
He did not resist the word.
He resisted the body.
Scarlet mana passed through muscles, tendons, and bones at the same time, synchronizing every part around a single conscious decision.
Remain standing.
The pressure increased.
He remained still.
Beside him, Seraphine dropped onto one knee.
Kael caught her arm before the second touched the ground.
Her gray eyes were wide.
"I can't…"
The word died in her throat.
She tried again.
"N…"
Nothing.
Kael understood immediately.
The Choir was not merely giving orders.
