Chapter 66
The light did not hurt. That was the first thing Ariana noticed, and it unsettled her more than anything else. After everything they had just endured, after the pressure and collapse of the space behind them, she had expected something overwhelming. Instead, this place felt still, not empty and not quiet in any familiar way, but complete, as if nothing here needed to struggle to exist. She remained where she was, her hand still in Kael's, the ground beneath them smooth and steady, stretching outward into a horizon that did not feel endless, but whole.
Kael did not relax. His grip stayed firm, his body angled slightly in front of hers without thinking, his attention locked on the presence ahead. "This is wrong," he said quietly, and this time there was a pause after it, a fraction too long, like he was holding something back. Ariana kept her gaze forward. "This is not like the other place." Kael exhaled once, sharper than before. "No. It's worse."
