Autumn arrived with a quiet shift in the air.
The kind that made people slow down just a little. Not because anything was wrong, but because something felt… different.
For Aria, that difference came in the form of a letter.
It arrived sealed with formal diplomatic markings. Not the usual kind of correspondence she received. This one carried weight before she even opened it.
The name on it made her pause.
Alpha Thorne.
She sat down before breaking the seal.
There was something about it. A small sense of unease. Or maybe curiosity. It was hard to tell.
Thorne had never written to her like this before.
Not formally. Not respectfully.
Not like this.
She opened it and began to read.
By the time she reached the end, she read it again.
Slowly this time.
Carefully.
Because it did not feel real at first.
Thorne… admitting he was wrong?
It almost felt like a trick.
She leaned back slightly, the letter still in her hands.
