The carving was gone by the time the guards arrived.
Serena stood pointing at the bare stone wall, heart still hammering from waking to those two words etched fresh in the dark, and watched the Guardian's expression shift from concern to skepticism in the space of a single breath.
"There's nothing here," he said, running a gloved hand across smooth, unmarked stone. "No tool marks. No dust displacement. Nothing."
"It was right there." Serena's voice cracked with frustration. "*Trust no Alpha.* I saw it. I felt the dust still settling."
"You've been through considerable trauma tonight." The Guardian's tone softened into something patronizing which made her want to scream. "Fear does strange things to the mind. Perhaps you should rest."
"I'm not imagining this."
"I'll note your concern
