Aurora

"Don't love someone who won't love you back."

Aurora Wildwood has spent months healing in the remote mountains of North Korea, learning to organize her trauma and control the magic that once nearly destroyed her. But when Tobias leads a desperate search team across international borders to find her, Aurora faces an impossible choice.

She could return to Bellwater Academy, to the people who love her and the community that needs her. She could rebuild the relationships her violence had shattered and reclaim her place as protector and leader. Or she could make the ultimate sacrifice-disappearing forever to protect Tobias from the one person who has hurt him most: herself.

As Aurora watches through scrying magic, she sees that Tobias has grown into the leader she always knew he could be. He's learned to love without controlling, to protect without possessing. He's built a real family with his team, based on trust instead of dependence.

Which means Aurora must decide: Is love about holding on, or is it about having the strength to let go?