Chapter 16: Ordinary Days Under a Dangerous Moon
Olivia's "Liv" Winters’ POV
Life doesn’t pause just because your world almost burned down.
The moon doesn’t dim its light out of sympathy. The sun still rises. Time keeps moving—cruel, indifferent, relentless.
So I went back to work.
The morning after Ethan disappeared into the forest, I woke before dawn, muscles aching, bond-scar throbbing faintly in my chest like an old wound reacting to weather. The manor was quiet, wrapped in that strange stillness that only exists after chaos—when everything looks normal again, but nothing truly is.
I showered, letting warm water wash away the scent of moonlight and old memories clinging to my skin. I dressed in neutral colors, tied my hair back neatly, and looked at my reflection until I recogniz
