Pearl’s POV
The morning air was still and heavy, the kind that carried unspoken words and held back emotions. I stood in front of the small mirror, adjusting the final fold of my boy’s robes, ‘Perin’s robe’ as Cecil stood silently behind me, her fingers tightly gripping the fabric of her apron.
“You don’t have to go back yet,” she said suddenly, her voice quiet but firm. “You can stay a few more days. It’s still early.”
I met her gaze through the mirror. “The break is over, Cecil. If I don’t return now, questions will rise.”
“I don’t care about their questions,” she snapped, stepping closer. “I care about you. You’ve barely rested. Your body’s still sore and… and danger lingers around you like a shadow. You’re marked by something bigger than either of us.”
I turned, placing a hand gen
