Liyah spotted Storm in front of the school, standing with a small cluster of girls. The pull in her chest sharpened, the same quiet tide that had brought her to this town in the first place. She wanted a real life here. She wanted real friends. Liyah lifted a hand, and Storm broke from the group and walked over. "My place. Now," Storm said. Liyah nodded and fell into step beside her. They reached the bright blue cottage, ducked past the flowered porch, and dropped onto the rug inside. Storm twisted the blue stone at her throat between two fingers, a small habit Liyah had learned to read. "So. The new girl," Storm said. Liyah tilted her head. "What about her?" Storm shrugged. "She was asking about you. Where you came from. Why you picked this town." Her voice stayed flat, but her eyes did not. Liyah's stomach tightened. She kept her face calm and laughed it off, but the air in the room had shifted. Someone was watching her now. Someone she did not know. Storm let the necklace fall and met her eyes. "Just thought you should hear it from me."