**LYRA’S POV**
The mornings began early, though “morning” had little meaning where we were. Light filtered in through the canopy in shades of gold and orange, but it never truly signaled the start of a day or the end of one. Time felt different here, slippery, like water slipping through your fingers. I hated it.
Every day, we trained, until our bodies ached and our magic hummed in our veins like live wires. I had never been patient, but patience was the only thing keeping me alive long enough to see my baby again. I missed him more than I thought possible. Just thinking of his small hands curling around mine made my chest ache. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined him toddling across the living room, a stumble turning into a giggle, and my heart twisted with guilt. I couldn’t lose an
