[5 SECONDS]
'They need me,' Akhil thought, images flashing through his mind. Ryan's determined expression. Aria's fierce loyalty. Nyla's cold precision. J's unwavering devotion. All of them fighting desperately against an enemy they couldn't hope to defeat.
Fighting to save him.
[4 SECONDS]
'But if I go back without knowing how to stop this thing, will it even matter? I'll just be conscious in a body controlled by the Monarch. Trapped. Helpless. Watching while it uses my power to slaughter everyone I care about.'
[3 SECONDS]
The pull grew stronger, reality beginning to blur at the edges. The void started to fade, replaced by flashes of the battlefield—brief glimpses of the carnage outside. Bodies on the ground. Blood everywhere. His friends broken and bleeding.
'I need to see them. Need to know they're okay. Need to—'
[2 SECONDS]
