The night air felt different. Clean. Cool. Alive. For the first time since I stepped into the realm of the First Moon, I noticed small things again—the way the grass bent in the wind, the faint call of a bird somewhere deep in the trees, the uneven creak of the porch boards under Asher’s boots. Everything felt… real.
My chest still glowed faintly where the mark lay, but it no longer hurt. It pulsed like a heartbeat, slow and steady. I pressed my palm over it, feeling the warmth and the gentle rhythm, the way it seemed to breathe with me.
Asher’s hand brushed mine. His thumb moved in small, nervous strokes. “You’re… different.” He said softly. “But it’s still you.”
I smiled. “I’m still me.” I said. Quiet, steady, sure. “Just… more of me.”
Behind us, Gage peeked around the corner. His us
