POV: Ember Wellesley.
**EMBER**
The night was warm for spring, the kind that smelled of moss and rain-soaked bark. Ember stood by the open window, her newborn son cradled against her chest. His breath was soft, slow, like he trusted the world completely.
She rocked gently, humming something her mother used to sing—a lullaby without words, just a tune carried by the breeze and the beat of her heart.
Behind her, Asher stirred in bed, his voice groggy. “You okay?”
She turned with a tired smile. “He needed air. So did I.”
Asher rose, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders as he came to stand beside her. Together they looked out at Raven’s Peak, the lights of scattered cabins glowing like quiet stars through the trees.
“You think he’ll love this place?” Ember asked softly.
“He already
