Aria POVThe dust hadn’t even settled before I realized something was wrong with the air.It felt heavier. Thicker. As if Clara’s presence had soaked into the courtyard stones and refused to leave. Water rippled across the shattered ground in thin streams, circling her feet like obedient creatures. She hadn’t moved since she declared she was “holding back,” but somehow her stillness made the storm worse.Ares was leaning into me, breath ragged, heat pouring off him in waves. His weight wasn’t the heavy, reassuring warmth I knew. It was frantic. Distorted. Like his body was fighting itself.“Ares,” I whispered, brushing my fingers along his jaw, “look at me. Stay with me. The moment you drift, she wins.”His eyes flickered open.Gold too bright, too hungry flared beneath his lashes.“I’m here,” he rasped. “Just… anchor me.”Anchor him.As if my hands, trembling and silver-stained, were enough to hold off whatever ancient thing was clawing at him from the inside.Clara made a soft sound
Last Updated : 2025-11-17 Read more