(Rachelle's POV)
Hazel is quiet the rest of the visit, but she doesn’t push me away.
She watches. Listens. And when I say I should get going, she stands and walks me to the door.
“Will you come back tomorrow?” she asks, voice light.
I blink, surprised. “If you’d like me to.”
She nods slowly. “I think I would.”
And just like that, I win a sliver of trust. Or so I think.
The next day, I return with more treats—berry tarts this time, and a little charm I enchanted myself, something subtle. A protection token. Fake, of course, but believable enough for a child.
Hazel accepts it without a word. But when I sit across from her, I notice something... off.
She’s smiling.
It’s small. Barely there. But it’s a real smile. And it’s not for me—it’s for herself.
“Do you like riddles?” she asks
