My chest trembled with uneven breaths as I clutched it to me, pressing its familiar warmth to my skin. Even dormant, its presence felt alive, buzzing faintly with the echoes of her essence.
She wasn’t here to guide me.
But with this... with this, I might find the strength to follow in her path.
Tears welled and stung my vision, but I wiped them away angrily. Crying wouldn’t serve me now.
Sliding the pendant back into the drawer with trembling care—where it screamed of evidence should it come to light—I clutched the crystal tightly.
I took one last glance around the office, committing every calculated manipulation to memory before slipping out.
The night air outside hit me like a tonic, cool and biting yet brimming with newfound resolve.
I took comfort in the weight of the hea
