Kallen shot through the ruined halls of the Crimson castle, past shattered pillars and crumbling walls, his every step hammering into the ground, racing toward the sacred grove with every ounce of urgency.
His chest heaved, his heartbeat thrumming wildly against his ribs, erratic and out of control. With burning lungs burned, he gasped for air, but it felt thin and insufficient. His body demanded control and composure, but his mind was spiraling.
The steel will that once anchored him; that made him feel like he would watch the heavens fall without flinching, had crumbled to dust.
He knew running in this direction was reckless. His rational mind screamed at him to stop and think, to turn back. But his body refused to obey. Every fiber of his being pushed forward, driven by desperation.
Kallen wanted to curse,in rage, but the weight pressing down on his chest made it impossible for even utter a word.
