Mia’s POV

The gates creaked open.

My feet moved involuntarily, the cold metal scraping against the stone resonating through my bones.

The air beyond felt different, thicker, like it had settled before a storm.

My pulse thudded against my ribs, but I refused to slow down.

When I crossed, I spotted her.

She stood in the distance, half shrouded by a crooked archway, her cloak shifting in the breeze.

I couldn’t see her face clearly, but something inside me ...