Elaine's hands shook as she clasped the necklace around her throat. The metal was warm against her skin, already working to suppress the golden glow that wanted to burst forth whenever her emotions ran high.
Mira's warning echoed in her mind. The resistance is watching you closely.
She had to be smarter. Faster. More careful. One month wasn't much time, but it was all she had.
The afternoon sun filtered through the palace windows as Elaine made her way toward the east gardens. Guards nodded respectfully as she passed, some murmuring "Your Highness" or "Luna," a courtesy that felt both liberating and suffocating. She was free to move but always watched.
The rose garden sprawled before her, a riot of crimson and white blooms that seemed too beautiful for this dark place. She carried a ba
