Alice's POV
I stepped out of the room, letting the door click shut behind me. My fingers lingered on the cool wood for a moment, then trailed down to my side. Take a deep rest, Cole. You're going to need it.
Leaning back against the door, I let out a sigh that felt like it came from the depths of my soul. No matter how long I stayed in this world, I would never get used to it—the inhumanity, the way lives were traded like commodities. Slavery. The word alone made me clench my fists.
It wasn't just the system, no. It was the casual acceptance of it, as if it were as natural as breathing. My mind flicked back to someone I used to know, someone who shattered those chains, abolished them across an entire continent. A girl with an unyielding will and a heart too big for her own good. My first love. Are you still fighting out there? Are you okay?