Chapter 59
Kael felt the change before he saw anything. The space around him had gone quiet again, but not in the same way as before. Earlier, every step had been resisted, every movement answered by pressure that tried to force him back. Now there was nothing. No push, no warning, no violence. The stillness felt deliberate, and that alone made something inside him tighten. It did not feel like peace. It felt like a decision had already been made, and he was only now walking into the result of it.
The ground beneath his feet continued to fracture as he moved, thin cracks widening with each step. Pieces shifted and slipped into the darkness below, but he barely noticed. Lightning ran across his arm in uneven flashes, crawling beneath his skin before breaking free in sharp arcs. It no longer felt like power waiting for control. It felt like something that had already chosen to rise on its own.
