Chapter 317

• He froze mid-step, and Carlo, following closely, halted as well. The world seemed to fall silent. Even my heightened senses failed to catch the faintest sound. All that remained was the rush of blood in my ears and the relentless pounding of my heart—a rhythm anchoring me to sanity.
• “Ella,” Enrico breathed, my name slipping from his lips like a secret barely spoken. His whisper drew Carlo’s gaze to mine, and in that instant, the weight of their shock settled heavily in the room.
• They stood there, mouths agape, taking in every change they saw in me. My friends had changed in my absence, just as my home had. But then again, so had Leonardo and I. The astonishment in their eyes lingered as they took in my pointed ears, the faint, otherworldly glow on my skin that never seemed to fade. Their silence stretched, each waiting for the other to speak.