Chapter 1129

Emma looked from face to face. "So what now? Do we pretend everything's fine? Sleep next to each other and wonder who's next?"

"No," Sophie said. "We watch each other. We hold each other accountable. We trust, but we verify. We survive."

Natalie leaned in. "And if she tries again?"

Susan answered. "Then this time, we bind her. Not just with watcherscript, but with what she can't understand. Our choice."

That night, they made a plan.

Two would keep watch at all times. No one would wander into the forest alone. No one would follow singing or whispers. The watchersigns would be mapped and monitored daily. They would pair off for tasks, always with someone who hadn't been touched by her influence. And Jude would remain at the center of it all, not as a leader, but as an anchor.

For the first time in days, they felt something close to control.