The voice did not fade.It lingered inside my mind long after the abyssal creature rose from the trench, echoing through me like a memory I could not place…'You have returned'.
I pressed my hands against my temples, trying to steady myself as chaos unfolded beyond the balcony. Imperial warriors clashed with darkness, their magic illuminating the water in violent flashes of silver and blue. Every strike sent shockwaves through the ocean, yet my attention remained locked on the creature's burning gaze.
It wasn't looking at the palace,It was looking at me.The imperial ward surrounding me pulsed brighter, reacting to my rising heartbeat. Azarus's magic wrapped around my body like an unbreakable shield, warm and steady even from a distance.
He was fighting,I could feel it.Every movement he made rippled faintly through the protective barrier, as if our connection allowed fragments of his power to reach me.
