She looked up, her breath catching in her throat. It still hurt—it all still hurt—but Alex was right. His voice had cracked through Samantha’s hopelessness. With trembling fingers, she wiped her face, took a shaky breath, and slowly rose. No, she wouldn’t let this be the end. Not yet.
Just as Samantha got up, her phone buzzed sharply against her leg. She pulled it out, bracing for more empty replies. But this time was different—a new comment had appeared under the post. Someone had found a cluster of eagle feathers. Dozens of them near the old, abandoned orchard.