Chapter 63

CALLISTA I walked aimlessly along Pike Place Market, carried along by the crowd of tourists and locals in unfamiliar chaos. The sounds of vendors shouting, the smell of fresh seafood, and the typical afternoon bustle of Seattle usually calmed me. But today, everything felt suffocating. One month. Those words echoed in my head like a broken record. One month they were together, and I knew nothing. I stopped in front of the famous fish market, watching the fishmongers toss salmon back and forth with theatrical flair. Tourists laughed and took photos, but I just stood there, feeling completely disconnected from the joy and excitement around me. My phone vibrated. A message from Kaelos: “Callista, please. Let's talk.” I stared at the screen for a few seconds, then turned off my phone without replying. I needed space. That's what I told them, and that's what I needed now. Space to think, space to breathe, space to understand why I felt as if my world had suddenly shifted without warning. Ev