{AURORA'S POV}
I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, my chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven gasps. My hand flew to Mira's locket, clutching it tight, as if the silver could anchor me back to reality. The dream still clung to the edges of my mind, heavy and suffocating—my parents' deaths, Mira's desperate cries..
A voice cut through the silence.
"Having trouble sleeping?"
I flinched, twisting toward the sound.
Agatha sat by the fire with her back to me, the flames painting her figure in flickering orange. Her posture was straight, rigid, like even in rest she refused to lower her guard.
I swallowed, forcing my legs to move. Slowly, I pushed myself up and walked over, lowering myself beside her. The warmth of the fire prickled my damp skin.
"It's just a nightmare, that's all," I murmured.
"You dreamt of your family, didn't you?"
My brows drew together. "How do you—"
