The pressure tightened.
Not around the space.
Around their connection.
Vivian felt it first in her chest — a slow, cruel pull. Like invisible hands trying to tear her away from Sebastian.
Their joined fingers trembled.
The light between their hands flickered.
The new presence did not shout. It did not rage.
It simply enforced.
"Binding will be restored."
The words did not echo.
They settled.
Like a rule that could not be broken.
Sebastian clenched his jaw. Instead of stepping back, he moved closer to Vivian.
The pressure increased immediately.
"It reacts to us," he said quietly.
Vivian struggled to breathe.
"Not to us… to what we are together."
The space around them shrank. Light pressed into sharp lines. Every movement became hard. Every heartbeat felt watched.
Above them, broken pieces of the Veil floated slowly, like parts of a shattered crown.
The Watcher remained still.
Watching.
Measuring.
Not helping.
Not stopping.
