Aria’s POV
Mara came in quietly that morning, and she didn’t look at me right away. She had a tray in her hands, and the clinking sound of it was the only thing that made the silence break. I watched her place it down, slow and careful, like she was afraid of waking something that was still sleeping inside these walls.
He hadn’t come out of his office since last night, and everyone was pretending that was normal. I wanted to ask if he’d eaten or slept, but the words stayed stuck behind my teeth. When Mara turned to leave, I spoke before I could stop myself.
“Mara.”
She froze halfway.
She didn’t turn around yet, just waited, like she needed to decide whether answering me was dangerous.
“I need to ask you something,” I said, my voice too soft, almost unsure if it could carry.
She sigh
