Through touch, he felt her—not just her physical state, but the flicker of emotions she buried beneath her bravado.
Fatigue weighed heavy, a quiet ache she'd never voice.
Pressure, self-imposed, tightened her nerves like taut wires.
Disappointment, unacknowledged, trembled in her muscles, a silent frustration at her limits.
To Kael, these were as vivid as thunder, a map of her inner storm.
"Generate a small spark," he said softly, his voice a low murmur against her ear.
"Okay," Liss replied, extending her right arm, her fingers flexing.
A soft crackle sparked to life in her palm, faint arcs of electricity dancing across her skin, casting pale blue light that flickered over the wrecked room.
Kael focused, his resonance honing in on the moment her power flared.
Her heartbeat surged, a subtle spike.
Her breath deepened, drawing from her diaphragm.
Neural signals raced, muscles priming in her arms and shoulders, a cascade of instinct and energy.
