The Gift does not give power , the old texts had said. It gives choice.
Kaelen had thought that was poetry. Now, as his back hit the cold stone of a dead-end chamber, he realized it was prophecy. The Gift does not give power , the old texts had said
Shinjiteita nakama. The ones he had believed in. The Gift does not give power
Kaelen stumbled through the jagged doorway, one hand clamped over the wound in his side. Warmth bled between his fingers, sticky and relentless. Behind him, the sound of heavy boots echoed off the stone corridor—steady, unhurried. They weren’t chasing anymore. They were savoring. sticky and relentless. Behind him
Nurturing Love and Sprinkling Care, Naturally.