“We don’t even know how it works, really,” her father added. “Or how it gets… activated. Sometimes it takes trauma. Or a deep emotional trigger. Sometimes, it’s proximity to someone whose aura is so volatile it forces your senses to wake.”
River looked down at her hands. They trembled slightly.
“Is it… dangerous?”
Mariana’s face turned somber. “It can be. Empaths are rare, River, and not always understood. To some, they’re blessings. To others… threats. So, it would be better to try to keep this piece of information for yourself only.”
“It’s a gift,” her father said carefully. “But it can be a heavy one.”
River stayed quiet for a long moment, her thoughts reeling through memories—of Heiko’s sudden pauses around her, the strange connection she couldn’t explain, the flickers of insight
