I trudged through the snow, my boots crunching on the ground as a bitter reminder of the chaos that had just occurred. My heart pounded with a disturbing mix of anger and dread as I neared the lake's edge, now a deceptive sheet of glass shimmering under the relentless winter sun. It seemed cruelly beautiful, concealing the terror beneath its freezing surface. Braxton and Winter might have lost their lives there, and the image kept replaying in my mind—both of them submerged, gasping for air, while I desperately tried to reach them.
The icy wind gusted around me, sending a sharp chill through my bones as I remembered the moment I received the mindlink. The water had been a dark, turbulent nightmare as I hurried to the scene, adrenaline rushing through my veins. Doctor Rivers' words echoed
