Evangeline's POV
Something didn't right. Even as Kaia had left my room, even as the door clicked shut with gentle finality, I couldn’t stop thinking about the look in her eyes, the fear, the uncertainty… the guilt.
And the way she couldn’t answer me. What was she hiding?
I stared at the door for a long time after she left, biting my lip, torn between giving her space or doing something I hadn’t done in a long time, following my instincts.
Eventually, the silence grew too loud.
My breath trembled through the quiet as I rose slowly from the bed. I reached for the door, cracked it open as silently as I could, and peeked out into the hallway.
The corridor was dim, lit only by the wall lights placed evenly along the walls. It was empty. But Kaia hadn’t gotten far. Her silhouette was visible at the far end of the hall, moving softly, her small frame gliding like she had memorized every corner of this fortress.
I stepped into the hallway, closing the door gently behind me. My bare fee
