His people... this group that Isabella had gathered around her... they were beginning to change, shift in ways he didn't quite understand.
It struck him then—their cooperation, the silent understanding between them. It was new, different. It was... human.
Shelia, his wild sister who once reveled in chaos, was now beginning to find calm in the quiet. There was a certain grace to her movements now, a stark contrast to the raw, untamed energy she used to exude.
Opehlia, though still unsure of herself, had grown into someone who could speak her mind, even if she didn't realize it. Her growth had been quiet, subtle, but it was there. And Luca—Luca, the warrior—had always been a tool, a weapon. But now? Now he was listening. Listening in a way that Kian had never seen before.
Kian turned back to Isabella, his conflicted expression hidden beneath the ice-cold mask he had perfected over years of isolation.
