Chapter 126
The clearing didn't settle after Kael ran. The pressure he left behind stayed in the air, heavy and controlled, like something had shifted but hadn't fully moved on. No one spoke at first, but the silence didn't feel uncertain. It felt like everything was waiting.
Ryder pushed himself upright, his breath still uneven as his hand briefly touched his throat before dropping back to his side. The bond hadn't steadied, and the tension in his chest made it clear that whatever Kael was moving toward, it wasn't something he had chosen freely. He didn't need to look at Mira to know she had already understood that.
"He's not running," Ryder said, his voice rough but controlled.
Mira's gaze stayed fixed on the tree line where Kael had disappeared, her posture still but focused in a way that made her awareness sharper than anyone else's. "No," she said quietly. "He's being pulled."
