Guin woke up with a splitting headache, and her entire body felt like it had been weighed down by stone. Her limbs were stiff, her breath shallow, and her senses dulled—except for the persistent throb behind her eyes. She tried to stretch, groaning softly as pain prickled through her spine. Though her magical core still pulsed faintly within her, she could tell one thing immediately: her core had been completely drained. It would take days before she could use it again.
She turned her head and saw Jerome lying beside her, fast asleep. His face was peaceful, free from pain or worry. She placed her palm gently against his chest—only to find his soul was missing.
Normally, when a person's soul leaves their body, it means death. But Jerome wasn't an ordinary person—he was a hybrid, a being forged of two natures. He would survive... but it still terrified her.
