MAETHYS POV
Chocolate was very unexpected.
I hadn’t had it since I was young—since Grandmother had brought it home as a special treat, wrapped in paper like it was something sacred. I’d taken one bite and thought it was the sweetest thing in the world. Grandmother had laughed at my face and told me not to get spoiled.
I picked up a square now, turning it between my fingers.
Nayla watched me with anticipation, each move noted with her eyes.
“I’d only had it once,” she said. “Before… everything.” She hesitated, then added, “I remembered the taste.”
I glanced at her, surprised by the openness in her voice. She’d shared something that mattered, and the quiet between us made it feel wrong not to meet her there.
“My grandmother brought it home once,” I said quietly. “I thought it was the
