Chapter 181

• Freya‘s pov.
• The valley was too quiet. Even the air seemed to hold its breath, heavy with questions none of us wanted to answer. Arius had drifted away from the circle, standing with his back to us, shoulders like stone. Selene sat cross-legged a few paces off, eyes distant, lips pressed tight as if she were biting down on every thought that wanted to escape. And me—I felt caught in the middle, pulled in every direction, helpless.
• “I never thought it would be this complicated,” I whispered, more to myself than to either of them.