"Now you're free."
"Now I'm lost." He laughed bitterly. "Freedom is terrifying when you don't know what to do with it."
I understood that more than he knew.
"What do you want to do?"
"I want to understand what's really happening. The cycles. The Council. The League. All of it." He leaned forward. "You know more than you've told me."
"Suspected."
"You prepared. Had contingencies, backup plans." His eyes were sharp despite the exhaustion. "You're not just a talented student. You're something else."
I considered how much to reveal. How much he could handle.
"I'm someone who learned the truth early. About the cycles. About predetermined roles. About how the world really works."
"How?"
"That's complicated." I met his gaze. "But I can tell you this. You were meant to be the hero. I was meant to be the villain you defeated. That was the script. The Council wrote it. The League rebelled against it. And now we're caught between them."
"So what are you?"
