Kael’s POV

The silence was the first thing that felt wrong.

Too still. Too heavy.

I pushed the nursery door wider, the soft creak scraping my nerves raw. The cradle was there, rocking faintly from a breeze through the half-open window. But it was empty.

My chest tightened instantly, the kind of tightening that steals your breath before panic even has time to take hold. I stepped closer, gripping the edge of the cradle like maybe my son had only shifted, maybe he had rolled onto his side and I hadn’t seen him.

But there was nothing.

The blanket was gone too.

“Aria?” My voice came out rough, shaking.

She...