ARIA POINT OF VIEW

I followed Thorne down the corridor, each step echoing between stone walls that seemed too quiet. He didn’t speak, didn’t glance back, didn’t give even the faintest hint of what waited ahead. His silence bothered me more than anything, Thorne only moved like this when something had unsettled him.

By the time we reached his office, a knot had already formed in my stomach.

He opened the door and stepped aside, letting me enter first. The air inside felt heavier than ...