She knew this had gone far beyond a simple mana transfer.
For a moment, she even thought of pulling back. The words formed on her tongue, ready to sever the connection and put an end to this dangerous intimacy before it swallowed her whole.
Enough. Stop. This isn't right.
Simple words. Words that would have ended everything.
But they never came.
Because the moment her resolve began to harden, as though the connection itself could sense her resistance, something shifted deep within the flow.
A profound, mind-shattering sensation seized control of her body all at once. There was no warning. One moment she was herself, and the next she was something unmade and trembling, held together by nothing but the grip of his hand around hers.
Her own mana answered it helplessly, rushing outward in great uncontrolled waves, as though her body had forgotten how to hold anything back.
