Lyla

Lyla POV

The garden was an enigmatic blend of serenity and unrest, much like my own thoughts. Here, the roses bloomed fiercely, their reds, pinks, and whites vibrant against the green foliage. And just like me, they stood on a battlefield—beauty surrounded by thorns. I'd been standing here for Goddess knows how long, staring at the fountain in the center, its water droplets catching sunlight like diamonds as they danced through the air.

I lifted my hand, my fingers brushing against the tender flesh at the side of my neck where Noah's mark pulsed like a second heartbeat. A wave of emotion washed over me: warmth, possessiveness, but also a sharp jab of... something. Something like disquiet or discord, lurking at the edge of my consciousness.

According to Noah, the ceremony—about which my memory is mysteriously foggy—bound us as mates. He kidnapped me in the chaos of the attack on the academy, claiming I was brainwashed there, misled by others. Misled by Cameron and Samuel, who, as Noah