Hi all, I wanted to post and sincerely apologize for the long hiatus. Life has been happening much more than usual, and I haven't had any time or mental space to write. I keep telling myself "next week," but a lot of "next weeks" have already passed. This story is all plotted out, and I'm planning to go back and rewrite the first chapters to make them stronger before moving forward with the plot. This will happen during the next couple months. Just wanted to provide a brief update & explanation.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

To everyone who read, commented, or reviewed so far: Thank you so much. You might not be aware how much it means that you read this story and connected with it. I've always written and then deleted things because of anxiety. This was the first time I actually put something out there. I'm grateful you took the time to read and follow the story. Thank you! I'm sorry it's been taking so long to move forward.