Chapter 81
Ariana did not move right away.
After the voice faded, the space around her returned to silence, but it did not feel empty. The pressure in her chest had eased slightly, yet something still lingered beneath it, something she could not ignore no matter how hard she tried. She kept her eyes open this time, her breathing uneven but controlled as she tried to understand what had just happened.
That was not Kael.
The thought settled in more clearly now, and instead of bringing relief, it made everything worse. If that was not him, then whatever answered her was something else entirely, something connected to him but no longer the same.
Ariana slowly lowered her hand from her chest and forced herself to stay steady. "Then where are you?" she whispered. There was no response, but she no longer expected one.
