Kora’s POV
The days after the battle passed in fragments. Sleep eluded me, and when it came, it was shallow—haunted by flashes of fire and shadow. I’d wake with my palms burning faintly, as though my body still remembered the war my mind wanted to forget.
Edward tried not to hover, but he did. Every time I caught him watching me across the room—his hands folded, his jaw tight—I knew he was waiting for signs that something was wrong. Maybe he thought Aaron had left some trace inside me, some seed of darkness that would grow in silence.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure myself.
Each night, when I closed my eyes, I still felt a flicker of warmth that wasn’t entirely mine. A pulse deep within my chest—like a second heartbeat. I told myself it was just memory. Just echoes. But sometimes, when th
