"Silence is not weakness; it is the quiet forge where power, patience, and destiny are tempered. Here, in the shadow of the Cradle, I learn that to endure is to command."
The immediate, overwhelming psychic pain of the forced Bond withdrawal had slowly subsided, but it was replaced by a hollow, profound ache in the constant, absolute silence where Alaric's presence had always resonated. It felt like a crucial piece of my soul had been surgically removed. Yet, the pain was miraculously muted by the overwhelming, demanding stability radiating from the pups. It was a tiny, perfect anchor against the void, a silent reassurance that the Law still existed, just hidden.
