ANMELDENAria didn’t know how long she had been in the room.There was no way to tell. There were no windows, no sound from outside, and no change in light. The air remained still, unchanged, as if time itself had stopped moving.At first, she had tried counting. Breaths, steps, anything that might give her some sense of control or measure. Eventually, she stopped because it didn’t matter. Nothing in the room responded, and nothing shifted.The pressure never left.It wasn’t heavy or painful, but it was constant, like something resting just above her power, keeping it from rising no matter how hard she pushed.Aria sat on the edge of the bed with her elbows resting on her knees and her hands clasped together. She wasn’t panicking anymore. That had passed. Now she was thinking, and that was worse.The more she thought, the clearer everything became. This wasn’t temporary. This was planned. Someone knew exactly what they were doing, and that meant she wasn’t just captured.She had been expected.
Ryan knew something was wrong before anyone said a word.It wasn’t a sound or a message. It was the bond.For the past few days, it had been strained but still present. No matter the distance or tension between them, he could always feel her. Even when she was angry or pulling away, there was always something there.Now there was nothing.Ryan stopped mid-step.Caleb, who had been talking beside him, noticed immediately and frowned. “What is it?”Ryan didn’t answer. His focus had already shifted as he reached for the bond again, more deliberately this time, trying to find even the faintest trace of her.There was nothing.It wasn’t blocked or weakened. It was gone.His jaw tightened.“Ryan?” Caleb asked, more alert now.Still nothing.That wasn’t possible. Bonds didn’t just disappear completely.Ryan turned sharply toward him. “Where is she?”Caleb blinked. “What?”“Aria. Where is she?”“She was with Kael the last time we—”“Where is she now?”Something in Ryan’s voice made Caleb stop
Aria woke slowly, not because she was rested, but because her body didn’t have the strength to do it any faster.Her eyes opened halfway, closed again, then forced themselves open fully. For a moment, she didn’t move. She didn’t even try. Something felt wrong.It wasn’t pain. It wasn’t even discomfort. It was absence.Her body felt too light, as if something that should have been there was missing.Then it hit her.Her power.It wasn’t gone, but it was quiet, too quiet.Aria pushed herself up too quickly, and the sudden movement made her head spin. The world tilted slightly, forcing her to steady herself with a hand against the surface beneath her. The bed was unfamiliar, firmer than anything she was used to, almost clinical in its simplicity.“Easy.”The voice came from in front of her, calm and controlled.She froze before turning toward it.The room was unfamiliar. There were no windows and no visible doors, just smooth, seamless walls and nothing else. The air felt still, controll
No one moved, but Aria felt the shift immediately.The air had changed. It pressed against her chest in a way that made it harder to breathe, like something invisible had closed in around her. It wasn’t just coming from the people in front of her.It was coming from her too.Kael stepped forward just enough to make his position clear, his voice steady. “She said no.”The man facing them didn’t react right away. He simply looked at Aria for a second, then gave a small nod.“Understood.”That was all he said before everything fell apart.The ground beneath Aria’s feet shifted, not breaking but locking into place like something had snapped into position around her. The energy spread outward in a pattern she could feel but not see, and the realization hit her too late.It was a trap.“Move!” Kael snapped.She tried.The moment she stepped back, something slammed into her chest. It wasn’t a person. It was force—sharp, controlled, and strong enough to knock the air straight out of her lungs
Aria woke before sunrise, not because she was rested, but because something felt wrong.Her eyes opened slowly. She didn’t move at first, didn’t sit up. She just listened.Nothing.No footsteps. No voices.A few feet away, Kael was resting, but not fully asleep. She could tell. He was too still, too aware, like someone waiting for a reason to get up.Everything looked normal.But it didn’t feel normal.That pressure was back.Only this time, it was different.Heavier. Wider.It didn’t feel close anymore. It felt like it was everywhere.Aria pushed herself up slowly, her body already tense. Kael’s eyes opened almost immediately.“You feel it too,” he said.It wasn’t a question.She nodded. “It’s not like before.”“No,” he agreed, already sitting up.That was all it took. They were both fully awake now.Aria stood, brushing dirt from her hands. Her muscles felt tight, not panicked yet, but ready.“What is that?” she asked.Kael didn’t answer right away. He scanned the area first, his ex
Ryan knew he didn’t like the place the moment he arrived.It wasn’t because it looked dangerous. It was the opposite.Everything about it was too neutral. Too controlled.The land stretched open in every direction, flat and exposed, with no clear advantage points and no obvious weaknesses. Whoever had chosen it understood strategy. There were no blind spots, no easy ambush positions, no place to hide.Caleb walked beside him, scanning the area with quiet focus.“Feels like a trap,” he muttered.Ryan didn’t argue. “Everything is.”They kept moving.Ahead of them, groups had already gathered. Not a crowd, not chaos. It was organized. Leaders stood with their people, spaced carefully apart. Not close enough to invite conflict, but not far enough to ignore each other either.No one trusted anyone.Ryan respected that. It meant no one here was careless.“Stay sharp,” he said under his breath.“Always,” Caleb replied.As they approached, a few heads turned. Recognition spread quickly, subtl
By the next day, everything felt heavier.Not just her body. Everything.Aria walked ahead this time, not because she knew where she was going, but because she didn’t want to feel like she was being led.Kael didn’t stop her. He just let her walk.“You’re off balance again,” he said after a while.
Ryan knew something was off before the messenger even spoke.It was in the way the guards handled him.Too careful. Too respectful. Like they were trying not to make a mistake.That alone was enough to put him on edge.By the time Ryan stepped into the main hall, his attention was already fixed on
They didn’t stop until it was nearly dark.Not because they felt safe, but because moving blindly through unfamiliar land at night would only make things worse. The risk of running into something they couldn’t see was higher than the risk of being followed.Kael chose the place they settled.It was
By the afternoon, something in the air had changed again.Aria noticed it before she could explain it. At first, it was just a faint unease, the kind that sat quietly in the back of her mind and refused to go away. The land around them hadn’t changed. The ground was still dry and uneven beneath the







