--- Despite the seeming peace, Henry’s earlier warning about the witches’ silence lingered in Bella’s mind. She shared his unease but chose not to burden Asher with her worries just yet. Instead, she threw herself into her training, determined to be ready for whatever might come next. The following weeks passed in a blur for Bella. Her pregnancy was progressing beautifully, her once-flat stomach now gently rounded. While it filled her with a sense of awe and anticipation, it also stirred a cocktail of emotions she couldn’t quite shake. She was enthusiastic yet terrified, joyful yet apprehensive. At night, her dreams grew restless, her subconscious playing out scenarios that left her unsettled. One night, she dreamed of her birth mother, a fleeting image of a woman with gentle eyes, rea

