Avalon’s training sessions had become more intense with each passing day. She pushed Bella harder than ever, her methods unorthodox but undeniably effective. Bella had come to dread these sessions, yet, at the same time, she couldn’t deny that Avalon was beginning to peel away the layers of her trauma, slowly uncovering the buried truths of her life. Avalon’s approach was tough and direct, never allowing Bella to hide from the discomfort, never letting her retreat into the walls she had built around herself.
“Stop avoiding the truth, Bella,” Avalon said sharply during one of their sessions. “You can’t heal if you keep running from the parts of you that hurt the most. You’ll never be free until you confront them head-on.”
Bella flinched at Avalon’s words, but deep down, she knew they were right. Every time she tried to remember the details of her past, the captivity, the pain, the fear, she felt like she was drowning in emotions she couldn’t control. But what scared her the most was the increasing tug she felt toward Kael, a bond she couldn’t deny no matter how hard she tried.
That afternoon, Avalon led Bella through an exercise designed to push her to the edge of her limits. It involved deep meditation and channeling her hybrid energy, forcing Bella to tap into memories she wasn’t ready to face. At first, it was subtle—just a flicker of something familiar. A cold, dark place. The sound of metal chains scraping against stone. The stench of stale air and dampness. And then, like a floodgate opening, Bella was thrown back into that dark, horrific place.
The memories of her captivity rushed back with a vengeance. She could see Kael—her Kael—fighting, bloodied and furious, against the forces holding her captive. She could hear his voice, full of desperation, calling out to her, telling her that he would never leave her. The image of him, fierce and protective, filled her with an overwhelming sense of safety. He had risked everything to save her, and that thought alone made her chest tighten with a mix of gratitude and confusion.
Bella’s breath quickened as she tried to break free from the grip of the memories. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she could feel tears threatening to fall. She couldn’t let Kael see this. She couldn’t let him know how much the memory of him still affected her, how much she longed for the connection that had once been so effortless between them.
“Bella,” Avalon’s voice cut through the haze of her emotions. “What’s holding you back? What are you afraid of?”
Bella gasped, snapping back to the present, her body trembling from the intensity of the flashback. She tried to steady her breathing, her heart racing as she fought to regain control of herself. She didn’t look at Avalon. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on the ground, unwilling to share the memory that had just overwhelmed her. The truth of Kael’s love and sacrifice was too much for her to handle, especially when she still didn’t understand where she stood with him.
“I’m not ready to talk about it,” Bella murmured, her voice shaky but resolute.
Avalon studied her closely, her sharp eyes narrowing as she observed Bella’s reaction. She said nothing at first, but Bella could feel the weight of her silence. Avalon knew, just as Bella did, that something had shifted within her. The memory of Kael’s devotion had broken through the walls she’d built around her heart, and though she wasn’t ready to admit it, Bella was starting to feel the connection again.
Later that day, as Bella retreated to a quiet corner of the packhouse, Avalon sought out Kael. She found him alone, staring out the window with a furrowed brow, deep in thought. The tension in the room was unbearable , a mix of impatience and desperation swirling in the air. He hadn’t seen Bella since their last confrontation, and she had made it clear that she wasn’t ready to face him just yet.
Kael looked up when Avalon approached, his expression hardening slightly. He was always cautious around her, aware that her presence meant she had something to say—something he might not want to hear.
“She’s making progress,” Avalon said, her voice neutral, though there was a subtle hint of something in her tone that caught Kael’s attention. “But it’s not easy. Bella’s fears run deeper than she realizes.”
Kael clenched his fists, his mind racing. “I know. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m losing her.”
Avalon sighed softly, her gaze lingering on Kael. “You’re not losing her. But you have to understand that she’s not ready to face what’s between you two. She doesn’t even know how to confront it herself.”
“Then what do I do?” Kael’s voice was raw with frustration. “I can’t just wait around forever.”
Avalon studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. “Keep giving her the space she needs. She has to find herself before she can find her way back to you. But don’t give up. It’s there. She’s starting to feel the bond again, whether she admits it or not.”
Kael’s heart skipped at her words, a surge of hope coursing through him. “You’re sure?”
Avalon gave a small, knowing smile. “I’ve seen the way she reacts when she’s near you. It’s not gone, Kael. She just needs time to understand it for herself.”
Kael exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging with a mix of relief and uncertainty. “Time. That’s all I can give her.”
“Exactly.” Avalon turned to leave, but she paused at the door, her gaze lingering on Kael. “And remember, what she’s remembering… it’s not just about you. It’s about her, too. She has to figure out who she is before she can figure out who you are to her.”