*Zeke*
Mira stood there, and for the first time, she didn't seem like her usual energetic, confident self. My Shadow Guards had already informed me that she had been hiding in the tree earlier, but I chose not to call her out. She had secrets, but I'd rather she come forward with them willingly.
She stared into me, a whirl of emotions in her eyes, but meanwhile her gaze was distant and unfocused. It had only been a few days since I last saw her, yet she looked thinner, more fragile—like something had drained the fire from her.
She stayed silent, head lowered. Her abnormally pink cheeks stood out against her paler than usual complexion.
I watched as she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing two faint scars at the base of her neck. I remembered feeling them that night dur
