Something was wrong.
I could feel it all day.
It started as a small discomfort…
Then slowly turned into something else.
Something stronger.
The bond.
I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to steady my breathing as I walked down the empty hallway.
Why was it getting worse?
Every step felt heavier.
Every thought… distracted.
Like something was pulling me.
Toward them.
I stopped abruptly.
No.
I wasn't doing this.
I turned quickly, planning to head the other way—
And walked straight into someone.
Strong hands caught my arms before I could fall.
My breath hitched instantly.
Kai.
His grip tightened slightly as his eyes locked onto mine.
Dark. Intense.
Too close.
The bond snapped violently.
I gasped.
Heat rushed through me, fast and overwhelming, like my body suddenly wasn't my own.
His jaw clenched.
"You feel that too, don't you?" he said, his voice low.
I couldn't answer.
Not when my heart was racing this hard.
Not when his hands were still on me.
"Kai."
Leo's voice.
Sharp. Warning.
But Kai didn't let go.
If anything… he stepped closer.
My back hit the wall.
My breath caught again.
"Let go of me," I said, but my voice came out weaker than I wanted.
His eyes dropped briefly to my lips before returning to my eyes.
That small movement sent another wave through me.
Dangerous.
"Say it again," he murmured.
My chest rose sharply.
"Let. Me. Go."
For a second…
I thought he wouldn't.
Then suddenly—
He released me.
I sucked in a breath, stepping away quickly.
Like I needed distance to think again.
Leo stepped forward, his expression dark.
"This is exactly what I meant," he said coldly. "We need to control it."
Control it.
Like it was that easy.
I let out a small, disbelieving laugh.
"Then you figure it out," I said. "Because I'm not the one cornering people in hallways."
Kai's eyes flashed at that, but he didn't respond.
Evan leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching everything like it was some kind of experiment.
"Interesting," he said quietly.
I frowned. "What is?"
His gaze met mine.
Calm. Focused.
"The bond," he said. "It's getting stronger faster than it should."
My stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
He didn't answer immediately.
And that silence said enough.
Leo's expression hardened further.
"It means this is a problem," he said.
A problem.
I clenched my fists.
"Then stay away from me," I snapped.
"We tried that," Kai muttered.
And that…
That hit differently.
Because it was true.
The more we stayed apart…
The worse it felt.
My chest tightened again, the bond pulsing like it was alive.
Like it was demanding something.
I shook my head.
"This is insane," I whispered.
But deep down…
I knew something was changing.
Something we weren't ready for.
And the scariest part?
We were running out of time to stop it.