Bella held Chloe tight for a long time. Neither of them wanted to let go. The grey forest was still there, quiet and waiting, but for now they just held on to each other.Finally Chloe pulled back. Her face was wet. "How did you find me? How are you here?"Bella wiped her own eyes. "It's a long story. But the short version is... you're in a coma back home. In a hospital. Leo's in jail. They arrested him for what happened to you."Chloe's face went white. "What? No. That's crazy. He was trying to save me. It wasn't his fault.""I know. We know. But the police don't believe us. They have the spear. They have witnesses. They took him away." Bella's voice shook. "Iden and I, we've been trying to figure out what to do. Then you had that seizure, and your eyes went white, and Iden knew you were somewhere else. Somewhere we couldn't reach.""So how did you get here?"Bella took a breath. "I'm a Dreamer. That's what they call it. I can walk in dreams. Iden found a ritual. It put me in a deep

Bella's apartment was small but felt like a castle after the hospital. Chloe sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, still shaky but alive. Real alive. Bella brought her water and made her drink it slow.Iden had carried the nurse in. He put her in a kitchen chair and tied her up with rope he found in a closet. The woman's head hung forward, still out cold.Chloe watched her. The tingling in her hand hadn't gone away. It was like a low hum under her skin. Waiting."Okay," Bella said, sitting down across from her. "Now tell us. Everything."Chloe took a breath. She told them about waking up in the grey forest. About walking for days with no way out. About the little girl who attacked her. About the woman, Sera, who led her to the temple."A temple?" Iden asked. His eyes were sharp."Big white place. Lots of girls in white dresses. They called me 'Mother.'" Chloe shook her head. "It was crazy."Bella leaned forward. "Mother?""Sera said I'm the last of some old line. The first white wit

The hotel room was small but clean. Two beds, a TV, a window that looked out at the parking lot. It wasn't home but it was safe. For now.Chloe lay on one of the beds, her head resting on Leo's chest. His fingers moved slow through her hair, working out the tangles gentle so he didn't hurt her. She could hear his heart beating under her ear. Steady. Real."So let me get this straight," Leo said. His voice was tired but warm. "You got turned into a rock monster. Then you got stuck in a nightmare forest. Then you found out you're a witch. A white witch."Chloe nodded against his chest. "That about covers it."He was quiet for a second. Then he chuckled. The sound rumbled through his chest. "My baby is a white witch."She smacked his arm light. "Shut up.""I'm serious. That's the coolest thing ever." He kept playing with her hair. "My girlfriend can throw people across rooms with her mind.""I don't know if I can do it again. It just... happened.""Doesn't matter. You're still a witch."

Their lips met in a rush. Iden's mouth crashed onto Bella's, hungry and desperate. It had been centuries for him—lifetimes without this kind of touch. For her, years of loneliness after bad breakups. The kiss was raw, teeth clashing, tongues fighting for more. Her hands grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer. His arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her up from the chair. The towel slipped to the floor, forgotten.She was naked now. Her body pressed against his clothes, warm and soft. He could feel her breasts against his chest, her nipples hard already. The kiss deepened. He sucked on her bottom lip, biting gently. She moaned into his mouth, her fingers digging into his back.Iden broke the kiss, breathing hard. His eyes roamed over her. "You're beautiful," he whispered. His voice was rough, like gravel.Bella blushed but didn't cover herself. She reached for his shirt, tugging it up. "Take this off."He helped her, pulling it over his head. His chest was broad, muscles tight from y

The sky was grey. The streets were empty. Leo made sure the cab driver drove fast. Chloe sat beside him, staring out the window. Her hand tingled. That feeling was back.they parked the cab near the address Maria gave them. It was a quiet street. Old houses. Big trees. The kind of place where kids played outside and neighbors knew each other.Not today.Police tape was stretched across a small front yard. A few officers stood around looking sick. Maria waited by the tape, her face pale.Chloe got out first. Then Leo. They ducked under the tape and walked toward her."What happened?" Leo asked.Maria didn't answer. She just pointed toward the back of the house.They walked around. In the backyard, under a big oak tree, a small shape lay covered with a white sheet.Chloe's stomach dropped.Maria pulled the sheet back just enough to show the face. A boy. Maybe eight years old. His eyes were closed. His skin was gray. Not the gray of death. A different gray. Like something had drained the