Emma's fingers hovered over the device, but her eyes stayed locked on Rivena.
The silence stretched until Rivena finally moved.
Rivena's movements turned unnaturally rigid. She started to kneel, one knee bending almost mechanically before her body locked in place. Her head tilted forward but stopped halfway, as though someone had interrupted the command. For a long moment, she remained frozen between standing and kneeling, her fingers twitching at her sides while her vacant eyes stared ahead, silently struggling against a voice only she could hear.
"My Queen Luna…" Rivena said softly. "There's something you should…"
Her voice faltered. She stopped mid-sentence, her throat working as though she were struggling to breathe.
Brandon's expression hardened at once. "Rivena…"
She didn't acknowledge him.
Her eyes remained fixed on Emma, unblinking.
