Chapter 163
Winter gently pulled away from Leo’s small embrace, ruffling the boy’s dark curls before standing. He could still feel the warmth of those tiny arms around his neck, the brief moment of innocence grounding him, if only for a second. But then—reality.
He turned to Zara, immediately noticing the tightness in her posture. Arms crossed, jaw set, her usual steady calm was replaced by something else. Anxiety.
"Zara?" His voice was low, careful.
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at Leo, who was still clinging to Winter’s sleeve, as if sensing the shift in the room. Winter sighed, crouching to the boy’s level.
"Hey, buddy. Why don’t you go play for a bit?"
Leo looked up at him with wide eyes, hesitant, but after a small nudge from Zara, he nodded and toddled toward the pile of makeshift toys in the corner.
Only when he was a safe distance away did Zara finally speak.
"I saw something while you were gone."
Winter felt a cold knot tighten in his chest. Zara’s visions were never meaningless.
"Tell me," he said.
She exhaled sharply, her fingers flexing like she wanted to grab onto something solid. "It started like the others. Dark. Shifting. I couldn’t see clearly at first, just shadows moving—figures blurred together."