Chapter 403: Uncertain Trails

~ LHARS ~

As soon as he stepped back into the gateway Lhars stopped and took a moment, leaning against the side of the strange place to breathe. He was so confused and… unfocused. He'd been through the Gateway three times in his life. He knew that being uncertain was a good way to get lost in the maze of this place. So he stopped to breathe and refocus and remind himself that, no matter how Kyelle had looked at him, no matter what amount of fear and sadness he'd smelled on her, no matter what way she'd held him… there was nothing he could do if she didn't feel the bond, or want it.

And the truth was, at that moment, he couldn't afford to focus on Kyelle. If the roles were reversed he would have wanted her to enter this place with her sharpest wits about her, so he forced himself to recenter and made himself stop looking back and think about what was next.