~ELYSIA~
As the days grew shorter and the nights colder, I felt the pull of the moon, a siren's call that grew louder with every passing hour. The Bond of the Phoenix had brought a storm to our doorstep, a tempest that raged in my very blood.
Alex and Twix had begun holding whispered conversations, leaving me to feel more alone than ever. I knew they were planning, strategizing, but I was no longer a part of those discussions. The distance between Alex and myself was growing with every passing minute; a chasm that threatened to swallow us whole.
No longer able to hold my anxiety, I entered the study one evening. "Alex," I murmured, "can we talk?"
He looked up, his eyes tired. "Of course, love," he assured, setting aside his work.
I stepped closer, my heart racing. "What's happening to
