Celeste POV

“When monsters start eating each other, you stay quiet and record everything.”

I’d learned that the hard way.

Survival wasn’t about strength. It was about timing knowing when to speak, when to vanish, and when to make sure your silence had teeth.

The night air bit cold as I stepped out of the cab, hood pulled low, heart thudding like I’d swallowed thunder.

The café across the street was nearly empty, its neon sign flickering weakly against the wet pavement.

He was ...