Ariana hadn't expected to see Dorian again so soon. After their conversation in the old library, she had returned home with more questions than answers, her mind whirling with the revelation that her world was far more complex than she had imagined. The mention of the Gateways and the Other Side had shaken her to her core, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable in ways she hadn't before.

But the strangest part? She hadn't felt alone in this. Despite Dorian's arrogance and cryptic words, he seemed to know things—things that only someone who understood this hidden world could know. For now, she needed him, even if she didn't like it.