Riona went pale.
No. No. No. This can't be happening.
She wanted to move away from her friend, but her body wouldn't budge. She was frozen in place. A thousand words swirled in her mind, but none came out.
She wanted to shake Trudy's still body, to call her name over and over until she opened her eyes. But her voice was stuck, and her tongue wouldn't move.
Charna was in tears, sprinting toward Trudy, her voice sharp and frantic. She was shouting something—almost screaming at Riona—but the words were lost.
For Riona, the world had gone silent. All she could hear was the pounding of her own heartbeat.
In the distance, Zane stood frozen, his mouth slightly open in shock. His brow furrowed as he began moving. But he wasn't coming for Riona—his eyes were fixed on Trudy.
