Gideon’s POV

It hit me like a knife to the chest.

One moment I was sprinting through the forest, following broken branches and Evelyn’s scent. The next—my knees buckled. My vision dimmed. The tether between us snapped taut like a cord yanked by unseen hands.

“Evelyn,” I gasped, stumbling to the ground.

The pain wasn’t physical. It was deeper—buried in marrow and memory. Like she was calling out through every part of me, and ...