Evaline:
The sensation didn't fade.
It grew.
At first, it had been nothing more than a whisper beneath my skin, a quiet tug I could almost ignore if I tried hard enough. But the longer I stared at the tree, the stronger it became... like invisible threads tightening around my chest, pulling me forward inch by inch.
My healing power reacted instinctively.
It stirred beneath my skin, restless and agitated, no longer flowing with its usual warmth and calm. This felt different. Sharp. Defensive. As if my power had sensed something profoundly wrong and was bracing itself for a fight it had never faced before.
The more I focused on that strange pull, the more my power pushed back.
Two opposing forces pressed against each other around me - one unknown and lingering, the other alive and desperate to protect.
I sucked in a sharp breath and closed my eyes.
Focus.
For a heartbeat, everything went quiet. The hum beneath my skin steadied, vibrating just below the surface, waiting.
