After sharing the truth about cosmic conspiracies, artificial bloodlines, and time loops the night before, the morning brought a sense of both relief and lingering tension. The five women I loved now understood the full scope of what we were dealing with, but that knowledge came with its own weight of responsibility.
"There's something else I learned from last night's encounter with Alyssara," I said, breaking the contemplative silence that had settled over our breakfast. "Something concrete about our immediate situation."
"What kind of something?" Cecilia asked, setting down her cup with sharp attention.
"I was able to get some idea about how strong Alyssara is during our... conversation," I said, choosing my words carefully. Even thinking about that twisted garden and her casual dominance made my skin crawl.
"How strong?" Cecilia asked, leaning forward.
