Minutes passed.
Each second stretched like an eternity.
Kaelen didn't stop. Couldn't stop. His hands moved on instinct, pushing out every healing skill he could muster, even the inefficient ones. The moment one finished casting, another replaced it, layered and chained with ruthless precision.
Alira's body lay there, silent.
Her chest barely rose. Her pulse was faint. Her aura, nearly indistinguishable.
But her life force… it hadn't vanished.
And that was the only thread Kaelen held onto.
"Come on," he whispered. "I know you're still in there. You're the strongest person I know. You can't leave now. You can't... not like this."
Neal knelt nearby, hands balled into fists on his knees, his expression tight with guilt and helplessness. He had stepped in too late.
He should have shouted sooner, pulled Kaelen back harder, done something.
