For the rest of the day—
Aliena couldn't shake the feeling.
It followed her through corridors.
Through conversations.
Through wedding preparations.
Through meals.
Through laughter.
Like a shadow she could feel but not see.
Something had changed.
Not dramatically.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But enough for her.
Enough for the bond.
Every now and then—
she would feel Sebastian.
A pulse.
A thought.
An emotion.
Then—
nothing.
Like a door opening briefly before closing again.
The inconsistency unsettled her.
Because the bond had never behaved this way before.
Not since the awakening.
Not since the abyss.
Not since she had entered his subconscious and seen things no mortal was ever meant to see.
A throne.
Chains.
Blood.
Loneliness.
The memory made her stomach tighten.
Aliena stood by one of the palace windows, staring out into the gardens below.
The wedding was getting closer.
Everyone kept reminding her.
As though she could somehow forget.
