Morning came quietly, but Selena did not wake with the same ease she usually did.
It was subtle at first, the way unease always was. Not a thought, not a fear—just a feeling that settled somewhere beneath her awareness and refused to leave. She lay still for a moment longer than necessary, listening to the cave around her.
Everything sounded normal.
Too normal.
The steady breathing of the others. The faint shift of movement as someone adjusted their sleeping position. The distant drip of water somewhere deeper inside the stone walls.
But something about it felt… arranged.
Selena exhaled softly and pushed the thought aside as she sat up.
Nyra's behavior from the night before lingered at the edge of her mind.
The apology.
The laughter.
The ease.
It had felt wrong in hindsight, like a mask worn too well.
Selena stood slowly, brushing the thought away as she moved.
If Nyra was planning something, she would show it eventually.
People like her always did.
