Lyra sensed it before anyone told her.
Not a scent. Not a sound.
A gap.
She was crossing the inner path when the feeling settled—like eyes sliding over her skin without touching. She stopped, heart pounding, and the feeling vanished.
That night, Kael confronted the guards.
"One of you is feeding information," he said flatly. "The Ashen Vale knew exactly when to test the border."
No one spoke.
Too still. Too careful.
Later, Mira found Lyra in the healer's room, hands curled in her sleeves.
"You feel it, don't you?" Mira asked quietly.
Lyra nodded. "Someone keeps listening when I'm not speaking."
Mira's expression darkened. "Then trust this, child—your innocence does not make you blind. It makes you dangerous to liars."
Lyra lay awake that night, power humming softly beneath her skin, no longer just warmth—but awareness.
Someone inside Nightfang was watching her.
And this time… she felt ready to notice back.