Cold dread spread through Rafe's body the moment that sensation settled deep inside his chest. His eyes widened uncontrollably while the color drained from his face in a single instant, leaving him so pale without even realizing it himself.
This was not fear as he had ever known it before. It did not rise from instinct or from a threat he could measure and respond to. Instead, it felt greater like something far more absolute, as if an inevitable end had already reached out and brushed against him.
The coldness of it seeped into his body without resistance. It felt suffocating and final and made his entire body tense.
His breath stopped as he forced himself to turn his head, clinging to whatever control he still had left.
He felt relief when his body responded and when his limbs still moved under his will instead of locking completely. His fingers tightened around his daggers, the familiar weight grounding him and keeping his mind from spiraling further.
