In that moment, I understood that Astoria hadn’t gone mad. She had simply seen the truth before any of us. She had known that he wasn’t truly resting in that coffin, and perhaps, in her way, she was guiding me toward understanding that death is not always the end.

As the sky darkened with approaching clouds, I reached out to Astoria, feeling the warmth of her breath against my skin. Together, we would find the answers. Together, we would honor his memory, not with tears of grief, but with the courage to face whatever lay ahead.