"Kairo!" Eli's voice broke into the chaos, a mix of disbelief and relief pouring out of him.
"Kai!"
"Captain!"
"You're alive!"
The others' voices followed one after another—raw, choked, overflowing with emotion.
Eli couldn't stop the grin that spread across his bloodstained face. His chest felt too tight, his heart hammering so fast it almost hurt. 'I knew it… I knew it.'
He'd felt it earlier—the faint pulse through the blood sword, like a heartbeat calling back to its owner. It had grown lighter in his grasp, as if someone else was reaching for control. And in that moment, Eli knew.
Kairo was close.
He'd known exactly what would happen the moment he stabbed the octopus's heart. The second the blue blood started to spill, Kairo would sense it—feel it—and come running.
Because Kairo's power wasn't just about blood. It was about connection.
And Eli was right.
As soon as the first splash of that shimmering blue blood hit the water, a blur of movement cut through the chaos.
