Leah’s POV
I had tried to ignore it at first, but the feeling refused to go away.
Ariana had been gone for two weeks, and nothing about her silence felt normal. I kept telling myself she was just settling back into her life, adjusting to whatever responsibilities she had left behind before coming to Silvercrest. That explanation made sense in theory, but the longer it went on, the less I believed it.
I stood near the edge of the training field, watching a group of students go through their drills. Their movements were steady, though not perfect, and I knew I should be paying attention. Instead, my focus kept slipping, pulled back to the same thought I had been trying to avoid.
Ariana would not just disappear like this.
“You’ve been staring at the same spot for a while.”
Ethan’s voice
