Ashera's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

She leaves the glow behind, sore and empty, but determined to do no more harm. Therefore, she walks until the forest shifts and the air thins. The bond slams open. Neko feels near, then the shape hits her: black bars, bone hands, rot. Her reach tightens it. She chokes the surge back, tasting iron. Ahead, a stone rises, vines lit like her mistake. They twist inward, knotting into a cage-shape at the top. A mark. A warning. She chooses a new rule: reach like breath, not a fist. Today she backs away from the glow. Tomorrow she will practice touch without weight. She will not build his cage again.