A few days had passed since we returned home, and the memory of Riley's rejection lingered in my mind like a stubborn shadow. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw the anger in her gaze, heard the bitterness in her voice as she told me to stop being nice to her. It stung, more than I wanted to admit.
The castle, usually a place of warmth and comfort, now felt stifling, as if the walls themselves were closing in on me.
Ciara noticed my mood right away. She always did. My older sister had a knack for picking up on the slightest shifts in my demeanor, even when I tried to hide them. It wasn't long before she cornered me in one of the hallways, her eyes narrowing with concern.
"Seraphine, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and sisterly worry. "You've been moping around like a lost puppy since we got back."