**Gaia's POV**

The silver poison flooded through my system, but it wasn't just weakening me. Something else was happening. Something worse.

Heat.

It started as warmth in my core, then spread outward like fire through my veins. My skin felt hypersensitive, every brush of fabric against my body sending sparks of unwanted sensation. My breathing grew shallow, labored.

'What's happening?' I tried to reach out through the mindlink to Astrein, pushing my consciousness ...