I had never been this far from home.
Or maybe… I was finally heading back.
The train cut through the mist like a blade, its windows fogged from the inside. My reflection stared back at me, faint and blurred. The sky outside looked bruised—gray with veins of purple, like the storm was holding its breath.
My ticket read: Velgrave Academy.
I hadn't heard that name in years. Not since everything fell apart.
And yet, here I was—returning to the place I was never supposed to remember.
I curled my fingers around the edge of the seat, trying to ignore the ache on my back. The mark had been quiet for months, but today it felt… restless. Like it knew I was getting close. Like it was waiting.
The carriage jolted slightly. A chill crept through the seams of the windows and settled on my skin. I wasn't afraid. Not really. Just... aware. Of how everything was about to change.
And then, between one heartbeat and the next, I felt it:
That unbearable pull in my chest.
He's here.
I didn't know how I knew.
I just did.