Chapter 27 · Price of the Sync

"Get your head out of my goddamn skull, Kane!"

Evelyn’s voice didn't just hit my ears; it ripped through my consciousness like a jagged blade. I slammed my shoulder into the lead guard, sending him flying through a glass partition. The shatter was satisfying, but the mental feedback was a nightmare.

Every time I swung, I felt her panic. Every time she gasped, my lungs tightened. We weren't just soul-bound; we were fucking fused.

"I'm trying!" I roared, ducking a heavy boot aimed at my jaw. "Hard to focus when you're screaming in my ear!"

"Then stop thinking about how close I am!" she snapped back.

I froze for a millisecond. That was the problem. The sync didn't just share power; it leaked desire, fear, and every dirty little instinct we were trying to hide. I could feel the heat of her skin against mine, even though she was huddled five feet behind me, trembling behind a fallen marble pillar.

Two more elites closed in, their hands glowing with the sickly blue light of soul-siphons. They weren't just goons; they were high-tier hunters.