Present Pov
Rose sat silently across from Lucian in his room, a steaming cup of coffee resting in her hands, its warmth seeping into her palms, grounding her in the present. Yet her mind was racing, her thoughts tangled with past regrets, present emotions, and a sense of purpose she hadn't felt in ages. She kept her gaze steady on Lucian, who had just stirred awake, blinking and looking slightly disoriented by her presence.
Lucian glanced at her, his confusion evident. She wasn't supposed to be here, not at this time. Why now? he thought, unease creeping in. Rose was supposed to be abroad, fully immersed in her studies, far away from home. Her sudden appearance was a disruption in the timeline he had carefully tracked, a break in the logic he had come to rely on. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling oddly unsettled.
