Kieran didn't let go of her for a long time.
Even after Elena's breathing steadied, even after the dust of the shattered barrier settled like dying stars around them, he held her as if his grip alone could keep the world from pulling her away again. His heart hammered against her cheek, each beat heavy with fear—fear he hadn't bothered to hide this time.
"You were gone."
His voice was rough, ragged. "I couldn't feel you. Not even through the bond."
Elena swallowed hard. "It wasn't a normal threshold. It wasn't just magic—it was a consciousness."
Kieran stiffened. "Tell me everything."
She gently pulled back, though he kept one hand on her waist, as if releasing her fully might tempt the void to reclaim what it had tried so violently to take. Elena lifted her gaze to him, saw the storm still raging in his eyes, and forced her voice steady.
"There's someone inside the relic," she said. "Not a fragment. Not an imprint. A full presence."
