Chapter 116
The stillness didn't break after Kael spoke. It pressed inward instead, heavy and suffocating, until even breathing felt too loud in his chest. The pressure didn't move, but it settled deeper, like something waiting for him to decide what came next.
Ariana didn't let go of his hand as the tension built. Her fingers tightened around his, not sharply, but enough for him to feel the strain she was trying to hide. "Kael… whatever this is, you don't have to carry it alone," she said, her voice steady at first, but not enough to hide the fear underneath.
He didn't look at her right away. His focus stayed forward, locked onto the figure as something inside him settled into place in a way that felt wrong for how natural it was. "I already am," he said quietly, and even he could feel how final that sounded.
