Emilia's eyes flew open with with a snap. It took her several blinks and eye rubs to realise what today was.

It was her birthday!

She rose from the bed and walked to stand by her window, gazing out at the rolling green hills beyond the pack house. It was a clear, calm morning—the kind of day that usually lifted her spirits. Yet, today, the peace only served to deepen the ache in her heart.

She knew what today was, and a part of her wanted to forget it entirely. Birthdays hadn’t held much meaning for her over the past few years, yet she couldn’t help but wish things were...