Elara's POV
The cold wind whipped through the trees, carrying with it the faint rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of voices. Sergio stood beside me, his presence steady and familiar, a tether in a world that often felt like it was spinning beyond my control. My fingers tightened around the edge of my coat as the sound of footsteps grew louder—many footsteps. The rhythm of the approaching movement wasn’t hurried but deliberate, as though they had all the time in the world.
“They’ve come,” Sergio said quietly, his voice calm but laced with tension.
I looked up at him, my mind clouded with confusion and unease. He had warned me this would happen, that someone would try to take me away. He didn’t explain who or why, only that I needed to trust him. And I did. How could I not? Sergio
