Ria
She laughed.
Smiled. Hugged guests. Raised a glass.
On the surface, Zara was the perfect bride-to-be.
But I knew better.
Something about her felt off.
Tessa and I stood near the edge of the patio, pretending to be invested in the last of the toasts. I kept my eyes on Zara like a hawk. Every movement, every blink, every smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
She was… muted.
Like someone had turned down the volume on her spirit.
Not broken. Not upset.
Just… quiet.
Too quiet.
And that wasn’t Zara.
Especially not days before her 19th birthday.
Especially not when she’d been on the brink of awakening.
⸻
Tessa
“I don’t feel her anymore,” I whispered, barely moving my lips.
Ria’s jaw tensed. “Me neither.”
We’d been attuned to Zara’s energy for years—since our parents moved
