Elizabeth’s POV

The world felt colder than it should have. September air wasn’t supposed to cut this sharp, but it did, slicing into my skin as I walked the cracked sidewalk toward the lonely streetlight. Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, but I kept moving, pulled forward by something I couldn’t name.

Daniel was already there. Hood up, shoulders hunched, like he’d been waiting for hours. For once, the sight of him didn’t terrify me. It unsettled me, yes, but not in the ...