Stella
The walk back to my wing felt longer than it should have.
Not physically longer. Just stretched. Thinned. Like time itself didn't trust me to move through it properly.
Caspian stayed close. Too close.
Not hovering — not obvious — but near enough that if I stumbled he would catch me before I finished falling. His hand never fully left my back. Not guiding. Anchoring.
Hunter didn't speak. He walked ahead of us this time, not behind.
That detail should have bothered me.
It didn't.
What bothered me was the ringing in my ears. It wasn't a loud ringing. Not sharp. Just constant. Like a tone hovering at the edge of perception, too faint to name and too present to ignore.
My vision felt slightly delayed — like my eyes were catching up half a second after my body moved.
What bothe
