“Hello, dear,” she said softly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
She reached out as though she’d been waiting in this exact place for me.
My lips trembled. “Who—?”
Her hand brushed mine, and a warmth ran through me. “Great Aunt Marie. You carry my blood, and I carry yours. Don’t be afraid.”
I blinked, tears threatening. “You’re real.”
Her smile widened gently. “As real as you are. You’ve finally opened the veil, Elara.”
My chest tightened. The veil. I wasn’t standing in the cabin anymore—I was on the other side.
But then—
“Elara?” Tyler’s voice cut through faintly, muffled, like it was coming from underwater.
“Elara, talk to us!” Sage’s voice, frantic.
“She’s gone slack,” Alaric snapped, closer, sharper. “She’s not moving.”
I spun around instinctively—but there was no sign of them.
