Lina’s POV
The hallway felt longer than before, as I moved through it. Every step away from that room felt wrong — like retreating instead of escaping. My pulse hadn’t slowed. If anything, distance made it worse.
Footsteps sounded behind me.
I didn’t turn.
“You walk fast when you’re running from something,” Carlino said.
“I’m not running.”
“Tesoro.”
I stopped at the door but didn’t face him. “You said ten minutes. Shouldn’t you be leaving?”
“I should.”
“Then go.”
Silence stretched.
“You’re shaking again,” he said quietly.
“I’m angry.”
“No,” he replied. “You’re scared.”
I turned then. “Of what? You?”
His jaw tightened. “Of this,” He said, looking in between us.
He meant the air. The pull. The thing neither of us had named.
“You don’t get to act like this just happened to yo
