Lyra's POV
The sound of rushing water filled the air, crashing against the rocks like a relentless drumbeat. I stared into the churning current beneath the waterfall, my thoughts a chaotic mess. My hands trembled as I gripped the bark of a nearby tree, knuckles whitening. My children, my babies were gone. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime slipping through my fingers.
Elista’s soft steps crunched over fallen leaves as she approached. “We’ll find them,” she repeated, her voice steady but eyes glistening. “Panicking won’t help, Alyssa.”
I turned to her, fury flashing through my chest like lightning. “Panicking? My children have been taken! You expect me to stand here calmly while” My voice cracked, and I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to hold back the sob clawing its way up
