Celeste sat along the edge of the training yard fence, her legs dangling off the wooden beam, boots tapping the post in a slow, distracted rhythm. The sun had begun its slow descent, casting a golden haze over the field and soaking the world in warm, fading light. The sparring matches had ended for the day, leaving behind scuffed dirt, muffled echoes of shouted commands, and a few discarded water flasks that rolled lazily in the breeze. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sitting there, but the ache in her chest hadn’t lessened.
"You look like someone ran over your favorite book," a voice called out behind her, dry with amusement but softened by concern.
Celeste didn’t need to turn around. Only one voice in Redstone could tease like that and still make her feel seen.
"Hi, Lilly," she mu
