Morning came without light.
No golden rays slipped through the curtains, no warmth touched the stone walls only a dull, endless gray that made it feel as though the world itself had forgotten how to breathe. The sky mirrored the unease that had settled deep within Nicole's chest, heavy and unmoving.
She stood before the mirror in silence, carefully adjusting her clothing. Each movement was precise, controlled, as if focusing on something so small might quiet the storm building inside her. Behind her, Jasper did the same. The soft rustle of fabric and the faint clink of metal were the only sounds that filled the room.
They didn't speak.
Not because there was nothing to say—but because there was too much.
Jasper had told her he would take care of it. Those words should have comforted her, and yet… they lingered in her mind like a warning. There was something beneath them, something unspoken that made the air between them feel fragile.
Danger.
Not just for the council.
