POV – Estela
Ryder, Parker, and Riley knelt at the back of the swan boat as it drifted slowly through the dim, starlit tunnel. Soft instrumental music echoed off the cavern walls, and the faux river sparkled beneath them like moonlight trapped in motion.
They were whispering, giggling beneath their breath, eyes glued to the front of the boat—watching, waiting.
Killian was leaning in.
“Riley, you’re a genius,” Parker whispered.
“Thank you,” she whispered back with a proud little smile. She didn’t fully understand the purpose of a ride like this, but she liked it. The stars, the slow current, the love songs bleeding through the speakers—it felt like magic. Like fate was gently nudging her parents back together.
A pop ballad floated through the air, something about dying every day waiti
