The Warden's claws sank into Kai's chest.
There was no pain, no scream, no blood. But something deep inside him gave way. It wasn't like being cut—it felt like something was being pulled out, like a hook deep in his bones suddenly yanked. It wasn't violent, but careful, like a surgeon removing something important but invisible. Whatever it was, it left a cold emptiness inside him, where his warmth and strength used to be. He gasped—not from pain, but because the feeling was so strange, like a hidden connection to the world had been broken. The air felt different. Sounds faded. Time seemed to stop.
Then—silence.
For one awful moment, the whole forest went still. No leaves moved. No animals made a sound. The trees looked like the ribs of a dead beast, and the moonlight dimmed. It felt like the forest itself was watching.
The Warden let out a shaky breath.
