I didn’t sleep. Not a wink.
The night stretched endlessly, shadows crawling along the walls like they were alive, mocking me. My mind wouldn’t stop racing—Alaric’s words, the hunters, my mother… the bridge. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the mist curling through the trees, felt the cold brush of unseen fingers, heard faint whispers from a world I shouldn’t be able to touch.
By the time the first light of morning crept through the blinds, I was still sitting upright in bed, knees pulled to my chest, staring at the ceiling. Every tick of the clock reminded me that nothing would ever be the same.
I finally slid out of bed, bare feet cold on the wooden floor, and padded down the stairs. Sage was in the kitchen, moving silently between stove and counter, the smell of toast and coffee fil
