Kora’s POV
Sleep didn’t come that night. Even with Edward’s arms wrapped around me and the quiet hum of the forest outside, my mind wouldn’t rest. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the arch — that soft, silver glow, the voice that whispered about balance and power.
By dawn, I gave up trying. I slipped out of bed carefully, so I wouldn’t wake him, and walked to the window. The first rays of light cut through the fog, washing the world in gold. I pressed my palm to the glass and stared at the faint crescent mark still burned into my skin. It pulsed once, softly, like a heartbeat.
That mark had changed everything.
I knew Edward was pretending to sleep. He was too still, too quiet — the way he got when he was alert but didn’t want me to notice. When I turned, his eyes opened immediately,
