Aurora’s P.O.V

Alice’s eyes softened as she looked at me, and she gave a small nod. “I understand, Aurora. You’re not the first to feel this way, and you won’t be the last. But learning to fight, to protect, it’s not just about physical strength—it’s about mindset. And you have to be sure, really sure, that this is what you want."

"I’m sure," I said, the weight of the words grounding me. "I can’t keep waiting for Caleb to come back and keep thinking I’m not ...