The fracture did not begin in the ground nor in the air, but within the fragile space between two hearts that had once known each other before the world twisted them into strangers.
Elara felt it as her balance faltered again, her breath breaking unevenly, her chest tightening under the strain that had begun to hollow her from within, her vision blurring at the edges as the power she carried demanded more than she could safely give.
Her knees weakened slightly, her fingers trembling despite her effort to steady them, her body no longer fully answering her will as the cost of holding everything together pressed deeper into her bones.
The clash between Alessandro and Cassian roared just ahead of her, sharp and violent, yet it felt distant for a fleeting second, as though her senses narrowed to the fragile line she stood upon.
"…just a little longer," she whispered, her voice faint, though stubborn, her lips parting as her breath struggled to follow.
Her gaze flickered.
