Scene 1 – Elena at the Edge
The storm's grip on Elena tightened like a vice. She knelt in the mud, hands pressed over her ears, but the whispers still bled through. Her breaths came in sharp, broken gasps, fogging the air like steam despite the cold rain.
Kael crouched a few feet away, his heart hammering, watching as her eyes darted in panic. They weren't seeing him anymore—they were staring at phantoms only she could see.
"Elena," he said firmly, trying to cut through the storm's hiss. "Look at me. It's not real. None of it's real."
But she shook her head violently, rocking back and forth. "It's real—I saw it—I saw me kill you." Her voice cracked, raw with terror. "I felt the blade, Kael. It was in my hand!"
Aaron lingered behind Kael, torn between rushing forward and holding back. The storm's presence seemed thicker around Elena, like a second skin wrapping her in darkness. Every step closer felt like walking into quicksand.
