Seraphina’s Pov
The quiet didn’t scare me anymore.
That was the first thing I noticed the morning after we went back to the house. No buzzing under my skin. No tight coil in my chest waiting for something bad to happen. Just quiet, real, unforced, steady.
I lay in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling, listening to the sounds of the estate waking up. Distant footsteps. A door opening. Somewhere, a kettle whistled softly.
Normal sounds.
Safe sounds.
I didn’t feel victorious.
I didn’t feel triumphant.
I felt… settled.
Like something inside me had finally unclenched.
Lina climbed into bed with me not long after, her hair messy, her eyes still half-asleep. She curled into my side without saying anything, her small body warm and trusting.
That trust still made my throat tighten.
I
