"Alexander—?"
Emily's voice trembled.
But he didn't turn back.
Not even once.
The distance between them wasn't far.
But it felt like a wall had suddenly risen between them.
Cold.
Unbreakable.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The battlefield had gone quiet.
Not completely—
But enough that every movement, every breath, every step Alexander took felt louder than the chaos around them.
The soldiers didn't fire.
They didn't advance.
They waited.
Like they already knew something Emily didn't.
Like they were watching something inevitable unfold.
Alexander stopped a few steps away from the woman.
From his ex.
From the person who had just tried to kill them.
She was still on her knees, trembling slightly, her dark energy flickering around her like a dying flame.
Her breathing was uneven.
Unstable.
Fighting.
Losing.
"Get up," Alexander said quietly.
Emily's heart dropped.
No.
No—this wasn't right.
