{AURORA'S POV}
The thunder of hooves shook the cobblestones, making the ground tremble beneath my feet.
My heart seized the moment I saw the black and gold banners of the Severance cutting through the morning haze. People screamed and scattered into the narrow alleys. Horses reared, armored riders reining them in with shouts. The clamor rolled through the streets like a storm.
My friends were already surrounding me before I realized. Kai, Vivienne, Eden, Lukas, Giselle, Agatha—their faces were paler than the last. I saw my own fear reflected in each of them, in the way Kai's jaw clenched, in Vivienne's trembling fingers, in Eden's distant, guarded look. Our eyes met in quick, frantic flashes; no words were needed. The moment stretched and narrowed until there was nothing between us but a shared intake of breath.
Then my gaze drifted on Leo.
