Behind her, Gaya approached, her footsteps silent against the mossy earth.
But astonishingly, she was calm. Not cold. Not cruel. But calm, like someone who had carried immense sorrow for far too long.
“You bring him calm,” Gaya murmured gently. “Peace. Control. You steadied the rage within him, soothed the wild magic that tormented him.” She paused, her voice softening. “It seems he was close… so close… to breaking the curse completely on his own.”
River squeezed her eyes shut as more tears spilled down her cheeks.
“But why isn’t he waking up?” she cried. “Why can’t I feel him through the bond? Why—why can’t he hear me?”
Her voice shattered on the last word.
Gaya lowered herself to her knees beside them, her old face etched with regret so deep it seemed to carve new lines each second
