The change in me was subtle at first: a distraction during council sessions, a stillness in the training yard, and a distance in my eyes that had not been there before. I tried to hide it, to push the whispers away, to focus on the work that needed to be done. But Kaelen knew me too well. He had been watching me for months and had learned to read my silences, to sense my moods, and to see through the masks I wore.
He found me on the battlements, alone, looking out at the distant glow of the Rift. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold, but I did not see it. I saw only the darkness, the whispers, the voice that called to me from the deep.
"You've been distant," he said, moving to stand beside me. His voice was calm, but I heard the tension beneath it, the fear he was trying to hide.
I did not look at him. "I'm fine."
"You're not fine." He reached for my hand, his fingers lacing through mine. "You haven't been fine for days. Tell me what's wrong."
