The forest wind shifted.
It wasn't loud…but Leo felt it instantly.
His ears twitched as he carried Amaya through the trees, her body curled against his chest, fingers fisted in the fabric near his collarbone as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality.
Her breathing was shallow.
Too shallow.
The glow under her skin pulsed irregularly, flickering like a lantern struggling against a storm.
Leo tightened his grip.
She's getting worse.
He picked up his pace, leaping effortlessly from one thick root to another, his white tail snapping behind him like a banner of authority and barely restrained worry.
Amaya's eyelids fluttered.
"Leo…?" Her voice was a breath, thin and trembling.
"I'm here." His tone was low, firm — the kind meant to calm a panicking creature. "Don't fight the pull. Just stay with me."
She tried to nod. Failed.
A soft sound escaped her — not pain, not fear… something deeper, like her soul was being tugged from her chest.
