Adrian started having nightmares again—not about the entity, but about loss.
In his dreams, everyone he cared about died. Kieran turned to ash. Wei was torn apart. Li Wei was consumed by darkness. Over and over, he watched those he loved destroyed while he remained helpless.
"They're just dreams," Kieran assured him.
"They feel real. Like premonitions."
"Your ancient soul is processing trauma from the entity battle. It's normal after existential threats."
But the nightmares continued, growing worse. Adrian stopped sleeping, afraid of what he'd see.
His exhaustion affected his work. He made mistakes, missed details, struggled to focus. The coalition noticed, concern spreading.
Finally, Grandmother Chen intervened.
"Your mind is wounded," she said. "Not physically, but psychically. The entity touched your soul deeply. You need healing."
She performed a ritual—ancient magic designed to heal psychological trauma. It was painful, forcing Adrian to confront his fears directly.
He saw himself losing Kieran, watched it play out in detail. The grief, the emptiness, the impossible continuation of existence without his mate.
"This is your deepest fear," Grandmother Chen said. "Loss of your bond. But fear is not premonition. The bond is strong. Kieran is ancient and powerful. Loss is not inevitable."
The ritual took days, forcing Adrian to face every nightmare, every fear, every trauma buried in his ancient soul. By the end, he was exhausted but clearer.
The nightmares stopped. He could sleep again without terror.