Yesterday's missing chapter.
******
The next morning came slower than expected—not because anyone had overslept, but because something about the air felt heavier.
Not in a physical way, but in that quiet kind of weight you only feel after a day that left too much behind, the kind of day that doesn't just end, but lingers.
Ethan stood shirtless in front of the sink, brushing his teeth as early light poured in through the window, cutting a warm angle across the mirror.
The low hum of shuttle traffic echoed faintly outside, and Everly could be heard mumbling something half-coherent from down the hallway.
He hadn't slept badly. In fact, he felt rested enough. But his mind hadn't shut off. Not fully.
That rune.
That strange moment in class.
The way Evelyn had spoken—like she'd seen something about him even he didn't understand.
