To say I was baffled would be an understatement. I never imagined I would come close to smiling, much less actually do it—ever since I was dragged in here. My smile, my joy, my life… all of it felt like it ended the moment I was taken from my pack. So believing that the tiny chuckle that echoed through this dark cell came from me felt unreal. For a moment, I wondered if Lucian had slipped another memory into my head. But the softness in everyone’s eyes told me it wasn’t him.
I had really smiled.
For the first time in months.
And I didn’t know how to feel about it.
What did it mean?
Was I beginning to accept this place—this darkness, this repetitive cycle—as my new reality? Was I even allowed to?
“There’s nothing stopping you from laughing, Julian,” Lucian said gently, drawing my atte
