Lily POV
The moment Caleb's hand touched mine, I felt alive again.
For weeks, I'd been floating between worlds, never fully solid, never fully real. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't even cry properly because the tears would just phase through my face. But now, with our fingers locked together, I felt warm and whole for the first time since my sacrifice.
"Don't let go," I whispered, squeezing his hand as tight as I could.
"Never," he promised, and I believed him.
But then Elder Iris shouted something about a Void King, and I saw the huge shadow rising from the dimensional tears. My brief moment of happiness crashed down around me.
"We have to run," I said, trying to pull Caleb away from the growing darkness.
"I'm not leaving you behind again," he said strongly.
"You're not leaving me behind. I'm coming with you."
