Following Lucas' sacrifice, the time passed in a blur. Avery glided among them like a ghost, her head heavy with the memories of his final words and the vacant look in his eyes as if he'd forgotten her. Every nook of Blackthorn seemed haunted by the memories they'd shared, which were now hers to keep.
She spent long hours in the quiet areas of the institution, her heart pounding and her thoughts racing with unsolved questions that had only multiplied in Lucas' absence. How should she defend everyone now that the arena is weak and she feels hollow?
Despite the silence, she felt something else—a strange, buzzing power beneath her pores and skin, a constant hum that hadn't been there before. She initially disregarded it, believing it to be a genuine aftershock of loss and ache. However, as the days passed, the feeling intensified, tugging at her like an invisible force.
