** Paige’s POV **

The walk toward Greg’s house feels both too short and too long.

Every step lands heavier than the one before. The tarmacked pavement feels too hard beneath my boots, and my power hums beneath my skin, steady at first, then flaring, then steady again.

The street looks almost exactly the same as the day I left. Same hedges trimmed too neatly. Same potted plant by Mrs Turner’s front window two doors down. But it all feels… distant. Like I am looking at it through ...