“It’ll be stronger next time.” The words didn’t sit well. They didn’t fade. They lingered like a warning I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much I wanted to. Around us, the guards were beginning to stir. Slowly. Unevenly. One of them let out a low groan, his fingers twitching as his head shifted slightly to the side. “They’re waking up,” Cassian said, crouching down beside them. Kael didn’t take his eyes off me. “What did it do to them?” I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my thoughts. “It didn’t hurt them,” I said. “Not directly.” “That’s not reassuring,” Cassian muttered. “No,” I agreed quietly. “It’s not.” Because if it wasn’t trying to hurt them… then it had another purpose. And that purpose was me. The first guard’s eyes opened suddenly, his breath catching as he jolted upright, disoriented. “Easy,” Cassian said quickly, steadying him. “You’re safe.” The guard blinked rapidly, his gaze darting around before landing on me. And freezing. A sharp tension coiled i
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