Selena.
I woke to voices, low and familiar, carrying the weight of the morning sun into my awareness.
My body was heavy, reluctant to move, but instinct pushed me forward. Slowly, I rose and stepped out of the cave, letting the cool air brush against my skin, each breath a reminder that I was still alive, still present, and still painfully aware.
And then I saw them.
All three of them stood a short distance away, but they were not alone. A girl stood with them, rough around the edges but clearly sharp, clearly untamed. Her posture, her alert eyes, and the way she carried herself told me she was no ordinary girl. A rogue, just like the stories, just like the whispers I had heard.
She noticed me immediately, her gaze sliding over me with open curiosity, slow and deliberate, as though she were assessing something she had not yet decided was worth her time.
"Who is she?" she asked, her tone light, but edged with something sharper beneath.
Kael did not even hesitate.
