Lorien POV

My breathing came in sharp, uneven bursts far too fast for something as simple as walking. Panic clawed at my chest, coiling tight like a vice, and the edges of my vision began to blur. The only thing tethering me to the present was the slow, deliberate motion of Auren’s thumb tracing steady circles against the back of my hand. Back and forth. Calm. Controlled.

“You abandoned your people.”

The melodic voice rang out, light but cutting through the silence like a blade. I ...