Chapter 1138

Behind him, the others were slowly waking. Rose stretched like a cat beside the fire, her dress sliding dangerously up her thigh before she noticed Jude watching and offered a wink. Sophie stepped out of the treehouse barefoot, rubbing her eyes and smiling when she saw him. One by one, they joined the slow rhythm of morning, as if savoring the quiet while it lasted.

No new watchersigns. No false smiles. No second versions of themselves lingering near the trees.

Yet.

Still, Jude couldn't shake the weight of the last sign, Yours. But not forever. It wasn't a threat. It was a reminder. This moment, this fragile calm, it wouldn't last.

Natalie and Grace took to making breakfast, slicing through fruits and wild roots with ease. Layla and Susan wandered to the river to wash the clay off their legs from the night before. Lucy took Jude's arm and leaned against him, murmuring, "You look like you're waiting for the sky to fall."