The door to the chamber slammed open so hard it struck the stone wall with a sharp crack, cutting through the heavy silence like a blade.
Everyone turned at once.
The Ice Belle stepped inside without waiting for permission or greeting, her expression unusually sharp, almost strained in a way none of them had seen before. The cold aura around her flickered subtly, unstable compared to her usual composed presence, as if something was interfering with her focus from afar.
Selene straightened immediately. "What is it?"
The Ice Belle didn't answer right away.
She stopped in the center of the room and closed her eyes briefly, her senses turning inward, reaching far beyond the palace, beyond Lechia, stretching toward the connection she shared with Lucas.
A moment passed.
Then another.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I felt it too," she said finally, her voice low.
Nyx looked at her sharply. "Then you agree it's gone."
