The archives did not return to silence.Not the silence they had carried before. The moment Selene's hand left the ancient book, the air settled into something watchful, as though the room itself had awakened alongside whatever lay hidden within its pages.
She stood motionless, her pulse slowly finding its rhythm again. Yet it no longer felt entirely her own. Something had shifted inside her—not violently, not beyond her control, but with quiet certainty. It felt as though a missing piece had slipped into place.
"Selene."
Orion's voice reached her gently, drawing her back. She turned to find him only a step away, his expression calm but searching.
"I'm alright."
Orion studied her. "It doesn't look that way."
A faint smile touched her lips, though it never reached her eyes.
"Something
