Chapter 32 · The Mirror's Lie

"Move. Now."

Kael’s hand clamped onto my shoulder, his grip bruising. He didn't wait for an answer. He shoved me forward into the gloom of the Forbidden Zone.

The air tasted of ozone and rotting paper. This wasn't just a restricted area; it was a psychic graveyard. Every step felt like wading through invisible cobwebs that clung to my skin, trying to pull the thoughts right out of my skull.

"I can't just 'move,' Kael!" I snapped, stumbling over a cracked floor tile. "The frequency here is screaming. It’s like a thousand people are yelling in my head at once."

"Then shut them out."

He stopped abruptly, pinning me against a cold stone pillar. The impact knocked the wind out of me. He was too close—I could feel the heat radiating off his chest, the sharp, metallic scent of his armor filling my lungs.

"You claimed you could hack any mind in this palace," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Do it now, or we’re both dead before we hit the inner sanctum."

I glared up at him, my heart hammering against my ribs.