Emerald stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the perfectly made bed. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, her breath caught halfway between fear and denial. It was too neat… too empty.
The walls were bare. The room smelled faintly of herbs and cleaning solution, with a sterile scent. Not like Darius… Not like her uncle, who always left his shoes half-kicked under the bench and who hated anyone touching the stack of books on his desk.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Her fists clenched.
Not again.
Her throat tightened, and her vision blurred. She took a shaky step forward…
"Emerald!"
Nessa skidded into the room, nearly tripping over herself. "Stop. Stop, look at me."
Emerald didn't.
She stared at the bed like it would change if she just looked hard enough. Like maybe Darius would suddenly appear, stretch, yawn, and tell her she was being dramatic.
But the silence stayed.
