Lila’s POV
“But why isn’t he here with you now, Moira?” Henry asked softly, his voice rasping under the weight of emotion.
Moira looked down, her jaw tight. “Cayden became obsessed with finding a loophole. A way back into Aruyios. It consumed him. I tried to make him see—we needed to move forward. Start a new life. But he wouldn’t accept it. Said our future could only exist back there.”
She paused, her eyes distant. “We were poor. Really poor. Cayden spent every day and most nights chasing old leads, scratching at shadows. And I… I was lonely. So, eventually, I called Sandi. I couldn’t tell her everything, but I told her enough. Enough for her to understand my desperation. Greg paid for my flight back to Forreston. I left without saying goodbye.”
No one spoke. Moira’s voice cracked, bu
