Liz sat on the bench with Kael on her lap, his head heavy against her legs. Her hand was on his forehead—steady, trembling slightly.
Golden light poured from her palm, soft at first… then brighter. Warmer.
"Kael…" she whispered.
She didn't know what had happened. Didn't know what to do. Her fingers moved through his hair—slow, careful, trembling.
But he didn't respond.
She looked at him—
And noticed the change.
He was different. No longer the same person who had left for the underworld. Something was off. Subtle… but wrong.
She could feel it. He was hiding something. Even she knew—no one changed this much, not in so little time. His appearance. His behavior. All of it… different.
Even now, she kept telling herself—he was still the same. That maybe… nothing had changed.
Kael was floating in empty space, curled into a ball. His body was shivering. It was cold. Silent. Empty.
Then—
A light appeared in the darkness. Soft. Warm. Familiar.
