Chapter 80
Ariana stopped walking without realizing it.
One moment she had been moving forward, trying to stay focused on what she needed to do next. The next, something hit her chest hard enough to steal her breath. It wasn't physical, but it felt real enough that her body reacted immediately. She pressed her hand against her chest and took a step back, her foot sinking slightly into soft moss that didn't feel entirely solid, and tried to steady herself as her breathing turned uneven.
The feeling didn't go away.
Instead, it stayed and slowly spread, tightening in a way that made it harder to breathe properly. Ariana had felt pain before, but this was different. It didn't come from an injury, and it didn't feel like her own power reacting. It felt like something had reached her from somewhere else. The forest around her remained unnaturally still, the pale trees unmoving, their faint glow offering no warmth.
