Noah blinked, caught off guard by the question.
He hadn't done anything differently. At least, not that he was aware of.
Seeing his confusion, Ailetta let out a quiet sigh, the tension in her expression easing just slightly as if she had already expected that response.
"There's no point trying to explain it to you like this," she said, her tone turning faintly exasperated despite everything happening around them. "You don't need to ask for my permission."
Her gaze held his for a moment longer.
"See for yourself."
Noah understood immediately. It would be faster this way.
He reached for the connection and deepened it, allowing himself to fully align with her presence rather than simply brushing against it as he normally did.
It wasn't that he could hear her thoughts. There were no words, no inner voice he could listen to. Instead, he felt them.
