CLARA

A week had passed since that day in the hospital, and the weight of my father's death still hung heavily in the air. My mother had been discharged, but I could see the shadows of grief etched on her face. She had returned to the palace, a place that once felt like home but now more like a prison.

I decided to move in with her just to keep her company, but I wasn't so sure if it was a good idea. I didn't help much, to be honest, but she claimed it was nice to have me around after so long.

I would have preferred we stayed over...