Isla
I couldn’t stop shaking, even though Mrs. Hawthorne had wrapped another blanket around my shoulders and poured more of her bitter tea. The vision had shaken something loose. A memory I didn’t ask for… and now couldn’t unsee.
Nahara. The woman I once was.
Her kiss with Rael still lingered on my lips. Her pain sat like a weight in my chest.
“I saw her,” I said finally. “I was her.”
Mrs. Hawthorne said nothing.
“But I don’t understand…” My voice cracked. “Why did she die? What happened between them?”
Her expression didn’t shift.
“Tell me,” I begged. “Please. How did she die?”
A long silence passed.
Mrs. Hawthorne reached across the small table and took my trembling hand in hers. Her grip was strong. Steady. Like she was trying to anchor me before letting me drown.
“Nahara’s de
