Threadless : A growing novel

As they left the stairwell, neither said goodbye.

They just walked, in separate directions, heads heavy with the same unspoken weight.

Aro passed the courtyard fountain.

Something shimmered near the base.

She paused. Stepped closer.

A single red marble sat on the concrete.

Not rolling. Not hidden.

Just... there.

This time, when she reached for it, it didn't disappear.

It let her pick it up.

And in her hand, it pulsed once. Like a heartbeat.

She slipped it into her pocket, not knowing why. Only that she had to.