The silence that followed didn't feel empty.
It felt wrong.
Not because nothing was happening—but because something had, and the world hadn't decided how to settle after it. The air no longer pressed the same way. The ground beneath Liora's feet felt steady, but not reliable. Even the horizon, once distant and constant, now carried a quiet distortion that refused to fully disappear from her awareness.
She stood still.
Cairis's hand was still on her arm.
Firm.
Grounding.
Real.
And yet—
It didn't feel like enough.
Because the other grip—the one that had vanished—hadn't truly left.
Her wrist tingled faintly.
Not pain.
Not pressure.
Just—
Presence.
As if something had been there long enough to leave a memory her body hadn't decided to release.
Liora lowered her gaze.
Her fingers moved slightly, brushing over the exact spot where it had held her.
Nothing.
And still—
Not nothing.
"…You felt that too," Kael said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
