[Ann's POV]
The sweet, yeasty scent of freshly baked pan de coco filled the wagon, a humble, comforting perfume that cut through the dust of the road. I took a small, neat bite from my own piece, the soft bread and sweet coconut filling a quiet pleasure.
My gaze drifted to Ovelia and Gale. In a perfect, unspoken synchronization, they both tore open the small plastic packets holding their bread at the exact same moment. The simultaneous rustle was a tiny thing, but it highlighted the new, invisible thread that now connected them. A sharp, cold pang, unexpected and unwelcome, twisted in my chest.
An elemental fairy is by her side now, the thought whispered, laced with a bitter edge. He has a bond I can never have. What if he becomes everything to her? What if… he takes her away from me?
