Elián;

The moment my eyes open, I know something is wrong. Different in a subtle way.

The kind of subtlety that’s heavy because you can feel it seeping into your bones.

It feels like I have been dropped into water without realising it. The sound in my ears feels muffled and... my body just feels... off.

For a moment, I remain still in bed, staring at the canopy above me. My body feels heavy. Not tired. I just woke up. But I feel... like there are weights tied to my limbs.

The air feels thicker than usual.

I swallow.

A ripple starts in my chest. A strange, crawling sensation beneath my ribs. Like something is tightening from the inside.

I inhale slowly and exhale as I try to pull myself together.

The curtains stir slightly in the breeze. And Nagari carries its usual, gentle hums and hisses. The world looks normal.

So why does my heart feel like it’s trying to escape my throat?

I press my palm to my chest. And my heart is off the rails!! It’s beating too fast. Too loud.

"Calm down," I murmur to myself, but even as I say it, the feeling grows.

It spreads.

From my chest to my stomach. And then... my stomach tightens sharply.

I suck in a breath and instinctively cradle my stomach beneath my palm.

I freeze when I feel my baby shift. Not gently, or subtly like she usually does, but with a strong kick.

I groan and bite my lips together. Isn’t it too early for her to be moving!??

The thought hasn’t even settled when she gives another roll. Harder this time.

My breath escapes me.

"Hey... hey," I whisper, trying to soothe both of us as I hold on to my stomach, but that’s when I feel it.

The fear.

Fear that is so deep and thick, I know it isn’t mine.

It crashes through me like cold water poured over overheating skin.

Sudden. Sharp and crushing.

I drag a shaky breath as my fingers dig into the sheets.

What is going on??

This isn’t me. This... this isn’t my fear.

I know my fear. I recognise it. I have lived with it long enough to understand its texture.

But this isn’t my fear. It is different.

This is deeper...Older.

And it’s not originating from me. Then it dawn on me.

"Elien?" I whisper internally, but I’m met with silence.

Silence instead of the usual shared awareness. Instead of the gentle hum of him at the back of my thoughts.

I’m met with just... Distance.

"Elien," I try again, sharper this time, but instead of a response, the fear spikes violently.

Then I feel him recoil. Like he is pulling himself inward. Retreating

My throat tightens in fear.

He never does this. He’s pulling so far back that it feels like he’s trying to erase himself.

"Elien, what’s happening?"

I ask him again, but I get nothing.

Only that suffocating dread pouring through our shared body.

My pulse accelerates, and my magic starts flickering under my skin.

The room suddenly feels too small. Too tight.

The baby moves again. Harder and Frantic.

A soft, involuntary sound escapes me as pain and discomfort bloom through me.

"Stop," I whisper to the air as I tighten my grip on my stomach.

My fingers tremble as I sit up slowly.

My vision crosses from panic, and I feel it spread through my veins like poison.

"Elien!" I call out this time, and I feel him curled up in the corner of my mind, not responding. Just... bracing. Bracing for something.

"What did you feel?" I whisper desperately, and again, I get no answer.

All I sense through him is the echo of something approaching.

Something wrong.

And then a wave of magic pulses through me.

Violent... Unstable.

My breath shatters into sharp gasps as my vision blurs for a split second.

The baby kicks again, harder than the first two times, and I bend forward instinctively, clutching my stomach.

"I know," I whisper shakily.

"I know, I feel it too," I add as tears start forming in my eyes.

This fear isn’t mine. It’s Elien’s. And whatever he is sensing...

It terrifies him.

And that... terrifies me more.

My magic begins to flare unpredictably around me. The candles flicker wildly. And the air in the room shifts.

Like it’s trying recklessly to protect me from something I can’t see.

"Elien, please," I beg softly, and still he gives me nothing!

Just the echo of his panic bleeding into me.

My breath becomes uneven.

Too fast. Too shallow.

The baby moves again... agitated now.

"I can’t—" I swallow, pressing my palm firmer against my stomach.

The panic begins to spiral, and I am unable to anchor it.

Usually, when fear comes, I can name it.

This has no name. Only instinct.

And that instinct screams... Danger.

A knock echoes faintly at the door, and I turn to it.

I don’t respond... I can’t.

Another pulse of fear slams into me, and tears start falling as my body tenses.

"Elien!" I try one last time, and this time a broken whisper spills our shared consciousness.

"He’s here. Something is here. And it’s close." He says in a voice so small, I almost don’t hear it.

The door bursts open, and I turn back to it.

"Elián?" Zephan’s voice cuts through the fog like steel.

I try to speak. But I’m too busy trying to breathe, so I just reach out to him.

He crosses the room in seconds, and his hands grab my shoulders while panic dances in his eyes.

"Look at me," he commands gently, and I try... but my vision is unfocused.

"It’s not mine," I whisper hoarsely, and his brows draw together.

"What isn’t?"

"The fear."

The words barely leave me before my body shudders, and the baby shifts again, distressed.

Zephan’s hand moves instinctively to my stomach.

"I can feel your magic spiking," he says lowly, and my lips tremble.

"I don’t know what’s going on..." I cry as I grab his coat, and he freezes.

I don’t even remember deciding to reach for him. But I do. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

I grab him because being around him makes me feel a bit safe.

"I need you," I breathe, and I feel him stiffen. The words leave before I can filter them.

Not thought through or pondered on, but raw... and real.

I look up at Zephan, and his expression shifts immediately.

"I’m here." He whispers as he cups my face, but it’s not enough.

The fear keeps rising.

I press my forehead into his chest, fingers clutching the fabric of his robe as if I am afraid he will vanish.

"Closer," I whisper urgently, and he doesn’t hesitate.

He climbs onto the bed fully, pulling me against him and wrapping both arms around me.

His scent surrounds me... Warm, familiar, and grounding.

But the fear doesn’t vanish.

It trembles inside me like a live wire.

My magic flares again, and the windows rattle slightly.

Zephan swears softly under his breath, and then he screams.

"Zerana!"

I shudder as it feels like his voice shook through the entire palace.

Soon enough, footsteps approach, and the door swings open.

Zerana enters first. Wide-eyed and panicked. Zethar barges in after.

"I went to fetch her the moment I felt his discomfort." He informs Zephan, and Zephan nods.

Queen Selthía follows close behind, but I barely register them.

Zerana moves to my side immediately.

Her hand presses to my pulse, and her eyes narrow slightly.

"What did you feel?" she asks calmly, and I swallow.

"Elien," I whisper, and she quickly looks up at Zephan to be sure he’s not hearing.

"He’s afraid," I add, and she nods.

Her hand moves to my stomach, and the baby shifts again under her palm.

"His magic is destabilising," she says quietly, and Queen Selthía steps closer.

"What triggered it?" She asks, and I shake my head weakly.

"I don’t know," I confess.

That’s what terrifies me.

I don’t know!!

Another wave hits.

Stronger, and I grip Zephan tight.

"Don’t let go," I whisper.

He doesn’t. Instead, his arms tighten instinctively.

"I won’t."

Queen Selthía murmurs some kind of incantation under her breath.

It helps for half a second, but the discomfort surges again.

I gasp sharply.

My fingers dig into Zephan’s clothing as if I am trying to hide myself in his very bones.

"I need you," I whisper again. This time, it’s desperate as I look up at him.

I feel desperate.

Zephan’s eyes flick briefly to Zerana.

"He’s not calming down." Queen Selthía notes quietly, and Zerana studies me... Then Zephan, then me again.

"This is not an illness," she says finally, and Zephan’s jaw tightens.

"Then what is it?" He demands, and Zerana’s gaze sharpens slightly.

"His hormones and peace are destabilised." She says, and silence falls.

"He’s reacting to his Alpha," she continues calmly.

"And the bond is pulling him toward the one thing that stabilises him most." She adds, and Zephan stills slightly.

My breath comes out unevenly.

"I can’t—" I swallow.

"I can’t hold it together." I moan as my magic flickers again.

The air shifts.

"I know," Zephan murmurs softly into my hair.

"I know."

Zerana straightens slowly.

"There is only one person here who can anchor him fully... and properly."