Enzo's POV
The next morning came earlier than I wanted it to. Alaric was already moving around the room, his presence filling the space before the sunlight even had a chance to touch it.
Not that much light made it in thick curtains blocked out the dawn, casting the room in a low, amber glow from a single lamp.
He didn't rush me, but the way he quietly laid out clothes for me said everything: we were leaving soon, whether I was ready or not.
I dressed slowly, feeling each movement like a countdown to stepping into a world I'd never belonged to.
My chest was tight with an unease I didn't want him to see. He glanced over once, caught my hesitation, and came closer, brushing his fingers briefly through my hair.
"Stay close to me when we arrive," he said simply. Not a warning, it was an order.
The drive out of Ravensreach took us through the outskirts, where the buildings thinned out into stretches of shadow-soaked forest.
