Chapter 27 · Sinking Together

"Don't you dare let go!"

Silas roared, his fingers digging into Viviane’s wrist. He could feel her pulse hammering against his palm—fast, erratic, terrified.

They weren't falling. Not really. They were sinking through a thick, suffocating void that tasted like ozone and old blood. Around them, the ruins of the Holy See’s anchor point shredded into black ribbons, swirling away into a vacuum.

Viviane gasped, her chest heaving against his. Her pupils were blown, reflecting the chaos. "I can't... I can't hold the seal!" she choked out. "The mana is leaking, Silas!"

"Then stop trying to lead!"

Silas yanked her closer, slamming her back against a jagged slab of floating stone. He didn't let go. He pinned her there, his body locking her in. "Let me in. Stop fighting the connection and just let me in!"

Viviane glared at him, a spark of Inquisitor pride fighting through the panic. "You're a sinner. A fugitive. I can't just open my mind to a—"

"To a what?" Silas leaned in. His breath was hot against her ear, his voice a dangerous, jagged whisper. "Look around, Viviane. Your faith didn't stop the floor from vanishing. Your vows aren't holding the sky up.