POV: Aphrodite
I return to camp after my walk to find the twins standing with Lyra, all three of them looking tense and worried. The moment they see me emerge from the trees, relief floods their faces in waves I can feel even without the bond fully open.
"Where were you?" Draco asks, his voice tight with concern.
"Walking," I answer simply. "Thinking. I needed space after everything that happened."
"You were gone for over twenty minutes," Lucen says, and I hear the barely controlled panic underneath his words. "We couldn't sense you through the bond."
"I was suppressing them," I admit. "I needed quiet in my own head for a few minutes."
The twins exchange a glance that speaks volumes about their worry and frustration, but neither of them pushes further. They're learning. Slowly. That I need autonomy even when it scares them.
Lyra approaches and touches my arm gently. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I assure her. "Just needed to process everything alone for a bit."
