“ZARA’S” POV
I hadn’t seen Lucian in days.
At first, I told myself it didn’t mean anything.
He was always busy. Always moving, always planning. Always carrying something heavier than he ever let anyone else see.
Even when he was with me, sometimes his attention drifted. His eyes went distant, like he was listening to something only he could hear.
But this felt different.
Because even when he wasn’t there, I could feel him.
Or at least…I used to.
Now, that connection felt thinner. Fainter. Like a thread stretched too far, fraying at the edges in ways I didn’t understand and couldn’t fix, no matter how tightly I tried to hold on.
We had spoken a few times—short calls, careful words. His voice was quieter than I remembered, flatter, like something had been pressed down on it.
“Are you alright?” I had asked the last time.
A pause—just long enough to make unease stir inside me.
“I’m fine,” he had said.
I knew he wasn’t.
