"W…What in the world has gone through your mind, Septimius!"
The sharp cry of Athena's voice greeted Nathan the instant he stepped out of flower house. The heavy air that lingered within the room clung to him still, its suffocating presence refusing to dissipate even as the door closed behind him. Yet before he could take a steadying breath, Athena's words lashed against him, her expression a mixture of shock, fear, and barely restrained anger.
Nathan met her gaze with a calmness that belied the storm churning within his chest. "I was speaking with her, as you asked of me, Goddess Athena," he said evenly. His tone held no regret, only the quiet weight of survival. "And for a first time… I came out alive."
