Kaelen fell.
His consciousness plummeting into depths he had never known existed. The darkness pressed against him from all sides, cold and vast, and he could feel it probing at his mind, searching for weaknesses.
'You are alone,' a voice whispered. 'You have always been alone.'
"I'm not alone," Kaelen thought. "I have people who care about me."
'Do you?' The voice was amused. 'Or do they just care about what you can give them? Your power. Your sacrifice. What are you without those things?'
Kaelen felt the question like a blade. He had spent so long giving, so long sacrificing, so long carrying the weight of everyone's expectations. What was left of him? What was there beneath the Keeper's mantle, the network's power, the endless burden?
"Enough," he said. "I'm not here to be broken. I'm here to bind you."
'Foolish.' The voice grew cold. 'I am older than your kingdom. Older than your Elders. Older than the vein that you bound. YOU CANNOT BIND ME.'
