Chapter 34: The Storm Within

The rain poured relentlessly, drumming against the cabin roof and cascading down in silver streams that blurred the world outside. Inside, the air was thick with tension. Aura sat at the small kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. The warmth seeped into her palms, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her.

Logan leaned against the counter, his arms crossed as he studied her. His earlier frustration had faded into concern, but the silence between them had grown heavy, stretching thin over the unresolved truths they were avoiding.

"You're quiet," he said finally, his voice soft but probing.

Aura's gaze didn't lift from the mug. "I have a lot on my mind."

"About Marcus?"

Her grip on the mug tightened at the mention of his name. "He's just a symptom of a bigger problem."