I walked ahead of Kael.
Not storming. Not running.
Just… choosing distance.
I knew why he did it. I understood the logic, the sacrifice, the stupid noble self-destruction that always seems heroic from the outside and devastating from the inside.
But understanding doesn't erase feeling.
Jealousy still burned hot in my chest, sharp and ugly and very human. I hated it. I owned it. I refused to pretend it wasn't there.
Kael reached out and grabbed my arm, fingers wrapping gently, not restraining, just anchoring. I stopped walking but didn't turn around.
Not yet.
"I won't ask you to forgive me," he said quietly behind me. "Not now."
Good. Because if he did, I might've snapped.
I pulled my arm free, not violently, just enough to reclaim myself. "I need time," I said. My voice came out steadier than I felt. "If I look at you right now, I'll say something I don't mean."
He didn't argue.
He didn't chase.
He just stayed where he was.
That alone kept me from unraveling completely.
