❝You have ice powers?❞ Adam asked shocked.
Taelyn turned around, laughing as she looked back at her hand. She looked at him, confused. ❝What? You've never seen a girl with ice powers before?❞
Leo is an ordinary teenager who has moved into a high...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The winding road stretched endlessly before them, the car's tires crunching softly against the gravel as they descended the mountain. Leo kept his eyes on the road, his knuckles white as they gripped the steering wheel. The usual chatter was absent, replaced by a heavy silence that filled the space between them like a thick fog.
Cadence sat in the back, staring out the window, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on the glass. She could feel the tension, the unspoken weight of what they had all experienced, hanging in the air. Her lips pressed into a thin line, as if even breathing too loudly might shatter the fragile quiet between them.
Next to Leo, Taelyn shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't dare glance at either of them. Whatever she had found—whatever was still gnawing at her insides—was too much to voice, and the silence felt safer than trying to explain. Even so, every bump in the road felt like a reminder of what they were all keeping hidden.
The mountain loomed behind them, its shadow stretching long over the car as they moved further away, but none of them felt like they had truly left it behind.
Leo's jaw tightened as he finally broke the silence, though his voice was barely more than a whisper. "We'll figure it out when we get back. Right?"
Neither Cadence nor Taelyn answered. The weight of what they couldn't say hung in the car, heavier than ever.
. . .
They had barely set their bags down when Cadence stopped in her tracks, eyes narrowing at the large, fluffy teddy bear sitting on the living room couch. Its presence was unexpected, out of place even. She tilted her head, wondering aloud, "Where did this come from?"
The others gathered around, curiosity flickering in their expressions. Steven gave it a cautious poke while Mimi examined it, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "It's cute, but who brought it?"
Leo shrugged, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, glancing over at Taelyn, who had remained quiet since they got home. Her brow furrowed as she moved closer to the bear, her fingers brushing over its soft fur. Something about it felt strangely familiar.
"Wait," Taelyn murmured, a sense of déjà vu creeping in. She spotted a small tag hanging from the bear's neck and reached for it, flipping it over. Her eyes widened slightly as she read the name written there. "It's mine."
The room fell silent for a moment, everyone exchanging confused looks.
"Yours?" Chase asked, raising an eyebrow as he stood beside Bree and Adam, who seemed just as puzzled. "But where did it come from?"
Taelyn didn't answer immediately. Instead, she blinked, her mind racing back through memories she hadn't touched in years. It wasn't just any teddy bear—it was the teddy bear, one she hadn't seen in ages. Her breath caught when she saw the familiar handwriting on the tag. "It's from my Aunt Gwen."
