Milena wasn't like Selene. She didn't exude control. She didn't broadcast superiority.She just felt… detached. Not in the arrogant way. In the broken way.
"I was watching," she said. "But now you're pushing too far. You've frightened the girl." Her gaze slid past Azalea, then landed on me.
It lingered there a moment too long.
I didn't flinch, but my shoulders tightened. Something primal in me pulled back.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "Frightened? Or awakened?"
"You blur the difference too often."
Azalea stumbled back, clutching the ring with both hands. "Who... who are you?"
Milena didn't answer. Instead, she stepped between them—between Azalea and Selene—with a strange finality. Her presence wasn't commanding, but absolute.
I moved closer to Azalea, my voice low. "Don't provoke her."
Azalea trembled. "You mean she's like him?"
"No." I kept watching Milena, reading every micro-movement. "Worse."
