-Alexia-
Finn sits on the edge of my bed, his hand cradling mine like I might break apart if he lets go. He hasn't left my side since the binding, hovering like a steady flame while everything else cracked around me.
We haven't talked much—there's a comfort in silence with him—but tonight the air feels tight, like the storm that's been brewing outside has finally seeped into the walls.
A knock sounds at the dorm door.
Finn and I exchange a glance.
I already know who it is. I feel it.
Another knock. Then Jasper's voice, low but firm: "We're not leaving until you talk to us."
Kaia, curled in the corner with a spellbook, groans and tosses the book onto the floor. "You've got to be kidding me."
I pull the door open before they can knock again.
Jasper, Soren, and Asher stand in the hallway. All three look like they've barely slept.
"Come in," I say, stepping back. My voice is flat, unfamiliar. Kaia raises an eyebrow but stays quiet.
They file in awkwardly, standing like they don't know whether to sit or kneel or just bolt. Asher leans against the wall, arms crossed. Jasper shoves his hands in his pockets. Soren meets my eyes with a quiet intensity.
"We just want to talk," Jasper starts.
"Then talk."
Finn remains beside me, silent but present.
Soren clears his throat. "Asher acted on his own, but Jasper and I were aware of the plan. We didn't know exactly how far he was going to take it—we thought it would be a gesture, a way to show the Council you weren't alone. But we never expected him to force the bond. That wasn't part of the plan."
"You didn't ask me," I say, arms crossed. "You made a choice about my body, my magic, without asking. Again."
Asher grits his teeth. "I didn't do it to control you. I just... I panicked. I thought maybe if the bond happened, it would make them back off. I didn't realize they were going to take everything."
"But they did. They took Zeus. My magic. And now I can't feel myself in my own skin."
Jasper looks away. "We should've stopped it. We thought we were helping, but we didn't stop to think what it would do to you. I didn't know what Asher was going to do in that moment, but I still let it happen. I'm sorry."
"Yeah," I whisper. "You were."
Kaia finally speaks, her tone sharp. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe what she needed was support, not more people deciding things for her?"
The boys flinch like she slapped them.
"I'm sorry," Jasper says. "We all are."
I nod, slow and quiet. "I believe you. But that doesn't fix anything."
One by one, they offer parting glances. Soren's is the last to linger. "Whatever you decide to do next... we'll be here."
When they're gone, the room feels heavier, not lighter.
Finn squeezes my hand. "You okay?"
"No."
And finally, I let myself cry.