Chapter 52
Ariana felt the shift the moment it settled inside her. It did not feel like a choice she made, but like something that had already chosen for her. The golden light beneath her skin flickered once before stabilizing, yet it no longer felt entirely hers. Something else moved with it now, steady and deliberate, as if it had always been there and had simply been waiting for the right moment to surface. That realization made her stomach drop in a way she could not ignore.
For a second, she tried to convince herself it was only fear distorting her thoughts, but the feeling did not fade. It stayed, quiet and certain, like a second awareness layered beneath her own. It did not argue with her. It did not rush her. It simply existed, and that made it harder to deny.
"That's not right," she said under her breath, but the words felt weak the moment they left her.
Kael reacted immediately. "Ariana."
