Chapter 57

• Chapter 56: Of Shadows and Tension
• Elena moved quietly down the corridor. The morning sun warmed the marble floor. Every step felt heavy, as if the house itself carried yesterday’s violence in its bones. She clutched the small vial in her hand. A few drops of the antidote for Mia’s side effect.
• She paused outside Mia’s door. Soft light slipped beneath the frame. She took a steady breath and knocked once. “Mia,” she called. “It is Elena.”