Author here: Please read this chapter before Chapter 40 due to a posting mix-up. Thank you so much for understanding!
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I woke to a crash.
Not a gentle sound, not something that could be ignored, a full-body hitting the floor kind of crash that sent me bolting upright, heart hammering.
"Azryth?"
No response.
I threw off the covers, running toward his office where he'd been working.
He was on the floor.
Just... collapsed, face down, not moving.
"Azryth!" I dropped to my knees beside him, rolling him over, his skin was too cold, his breathing was shallow. "No, no, no. Come on, wake up."
Nothing.
Through the binding, I felt him barely, his presence was dim, flickering like a candle about to go out.
He'd overextended, used too much power during the fight, then pushed himself further while rebuilding the wards, redesigning security, maintaining protections.
He'd burned himself out.
And I'd let him, I'd gone to sleep while he worked himself into collapse.
