Riley POV
Morning sunlight spilled across the gardens of the McKinnley estate, painting everything in soft gold. Riley sat on a stone bench surrounded by roses and wildflowers, the cool breeze carrying their scent through the air. It should have been peaceful—gentle, calming—but her mind refused to rest.
Everything had changed so quickly.
Her identity.
Her place in the world.
Her role in a prophecy older than any of them.
She lifted a rose, brushing the soft petals with her thumb. The delicate bloom shouldn’t have felt so heavy in her hands, yet today it did. Because she finally understood—she was done sitting in fear. Done wondering whether fate would swallow her whole.
She had a choice, and she was ready to make it.
Riley exhaled slowly, letting her doubts drift away with the win
