Evaline:
The ride to Silver Moon felt shorter than it should have. Maybe it was because I spent most of it staring out the window, replaying memories of the past weeks over and over. The sound of the engine hummed softly beneath Draven's steady driving, and for a long while, neither of us said a word.
When the car slowed, I blinked, realizing where we were. The familiar gates of the Academy came into view - tall, polished iron with the silver crest gleaming faintly under the evening sun. My heart squeezed painfully.
We were already here.
The car stopped just before the guards, and that simple sound - the faint click of the gear - tugged me back into reality. I swallowed hard, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach even though Lioren wasn't there anymore.
Just the thought of my son made my throat tighten. Barely two months. That's all he had been in this world. How was I supposed to stay away from him even for a few days, let alone weeks?
