In the Southern Bellini Pack, mornings were supposed to be bright, busy, filled with chatter and the buzz of the city below. But for Liora, that morning felt heavy the moment she opened her eyes. Her first instinct, as always, was to call Aunt Sienna.
She pressed the phone against her ear, waiting for the warmth of that familiar voice. But instead, after only a few words, Sienna's tone shifted to a more soft, hesitant, almost guilty tone.
"I'm going back, Liora," she said.
The words crashed through the little girl's chest, breaking her heart. "What? No!" Her voice broke instantly, tears rushing before she could stop them. "You… you can't go back! You promised you'd stay here with me!"
Sienna tried to soothe her, but the line and conversations felt unbearably cold and at the end she cou
