The moment Pelushra vanished, the lab felt too big.
Too empty.
Too loud, even in its silence.
I just stood there, staring at the spot where her borrowed body had been, the faint shimmer of fading divinity still clinging to the air like static. It didn't matter how hard I blinked; she was gone. Really gone.
And I had no idea what to do with the weight she'd just dropped on my shoulders.
My legs finally remembered they belonged to me and gave up. I sank into the nearest chair, gripping its sides as if that alone could steady the reality that had just blindsided me.
For a long moment, I didn't even breathe. My heartbeat felt too sharp. Too alive.
Prepare.
Exploit everything.
She was leaving Zethara in my hands.
No pressure.
I don't know how long I stayed there. Five minutes? An hour? Time didn't behave normally when your world tilted sideways.
All I knew was that when I finally forced myself to move, my body felt like it was running on borrowed energy.
