AIYANA
The crowd began to disperse, but I couldn’t move. The air around the bonfire felt too thick, like it was wrapping me in smoke and uncertainty. The heat was suffocating. The voices, even soft, buzzed in my ears.
I needed to get out of there.
I slipped away in silence, weaving between trees, ignoring the stares. Icarus’s presence trailed behind me like heat against my back, while Maxim’s... felt like a rope tugging at my chest.
Just when I thought I’d have a moment to breathe, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Aiyana.”
His voice reached me like a deep whisper. Max.
I
