At that moment Ace decides , and it feels like a dam breaking inside him.
The bond is gone.
There's no reason to hesitate anymore, no invisible thread tying him to Kieran, no excuse to keep Jun waiting.
The realization fills him with an almost frantic urgency.
"I think am gonna head back. I need to talk to Jun." He says suddenly.
Elira's voice cheeps in, calm but insistent. "Ace, maybe you should take some time and reflect on everything. You shouldn't ju—"
"There's nothing to think about," Ace cuts her, his voice firm, laced with determination.
He softens slightly, his hands curling into fists at his sides as he forces his tone to steady. "If the bond is gone and I still hesitate to go back to the one person who has always cared for me, then... that's just selfish."
Elira's eyes narrow, her lips pressing into a thin line. She doesn't argue further, but Ace can feel her unspoken disapproval hanging in the air.
