Layla and Natalie matched.
Then they smiled. All three.
Jude's heartbeat thundered in his ears. Zoey gripped his arm.
"They're not… them anymore."
They didn't wait for the ritual to end. Carefully, they crept back, retreating down the path until the chanting faded behind them and the birds dared to sing again. When they reached the edge of camp, they found Sophie waiting under the big tree near the river. Her face was pale, jaw tight.
"Susan and Grace are changing too," she said before they even spoke. "I followed them to the small cave near the blue vines. There's a symbol carved into the wall. They were tracing it with their fingers and humming. When I got too close, they both turned at the exact same time and just… stared."
Emma joined seconds later, leading Lucy by the hand. Lucy blinked at them all. "What's going on? Why are you all acting like something's wrong?"
Emma squeezed her hand. "Just listen, okay?"