Raisel - POV

Soren sat beside me, his fingers laced through mine, his grip steady but unreadable. His expression mirrored my own—uncertain, waiting. Roacher settled into the chair across from us, her gaze sharp as ever.

"You might not remember this," she started, voice carefully measured, "but when you were fifteen, you were bullied. And then... you snapped." She hesitated.

I swallowed hard.

"How could I forget something like that?" I asked, my voice quieter than I ...