Chapter 78
Kael did not know how long he had been running.
At some point, it stopped feeling like a choice. His body kept moving even when he tried to slow down, as if something inside him refused to let him stand still for too long. The ground passed beneath him in uneven bursts, his steps heavier than they should have been, each one sending small cracks through the earth.
His breathing was wrong.
Too fast, too sharp, like it could not keep up with what was happening inside him. The storm had not settled since he lost control. If anything, it had only grown worse, building pressure in his chest until it felt like it might tear through him at any moment.
He tried to stop once.
He forced his claws into the ground, dragging them through the dirt to anchor himself. For a second, it worked. His body slowed, the movement breaking just enough for him to catch a breath.
Then the storm pushed back.
Hard.
