The sky was still a deep indigo when Rose stepped from the ruins, the cold morning air brushing against her cheeks like fingers from a world that had no idea she existed, much less what stirred inside her. Her boots crunched over brittle grass as she moved to the edge of the cliff. The horizon glowed faintly, not with light—but with potential.
Alex stood just behind her, watching the way her shoulders lifted with each breath. He hadn’t left her side since she woke. Not even for a second.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked, his voice low, careful.
Rose didn’t answer right away. She held the pendant between her fingers, the chain still warm from where it had glowed against her skin. The light inside had dimmed now, but a subtle pulse remained. It wasn’t random. It was direction.
“I don’t
