When I woke, everything felt wrong.
My pulse didn't sound like mine. It was too fast, too wild. My chest rose and fell in rhythm with someone else's breathing. The world itself seemed sharper, and louder. I could feel energy swirling under my skin like lightning waiting for release.
Then I turned my head.
Yan was sitting at the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. His dark hair was a mess, his usually composed face drawn tight with exhaustion. But when my gaze fell on him, something tugged in my chest. It was an ache, and an emotion that wasn't mine.
Guilt, worry and relief warring in my soul all at once.
"You're awake," Yan said quietly, not looking at me.
I tried to sit up, and a sharp pain lanced through my ribs. "How long…"
"Three days."
Three days. I blinked, trying to steady my breathing. "The link… it's real, isn't it?"
He nodded slowly. "The elders couldn't undo it. Our spiritual threads are intertwined."
