Doubts had started to grow in Bella's mind.
Aletha hadn't been the same for some time. She was distant, often absent, her eyes empty—like she was carrying an invisible weight. Her answers were short and cold. Sometimes, her eyes seemed darker, almost black, but it only lasted a second. Bella had seen it. So had Zetch.
"She was alone in the forest again this morning. She barely talks, eats even less," Bella said as she walked beside Zetch.
"And you saw it too… her eyes, right?" Zetch asked in a low tone. "A passing shadow, but real."
Bella nodded, concerned.
"I know she's still grieving Nick… but this isn't grief anymore. It's something else."
"Something is consuming her."
They kept walking in silence, a growing worry pressing on their hearts. They didn't know yet that the worst was still to come.