-Finn-
She won't talk to me.
Not really.
Every time I try to ask how she's doing, she smiles-tight, polite-and finds a reason to leave. Her laughter has gone quiet. Her fire feels buried. The bond between us thrums low and tight in my chest - unsteady, like it's trying to carry both our weight at once. It's not just distance anymore. It's pain, confusion, fear and it's seeping through the link we share, no matter how hard she tries to block it.
She's slipping through my fingers. And I won't let her fall.
I caught her just outside Magical Theory. Zeus trails at her heels, alert. She startles when she sees me, stopping mid-step like she's debating whether to bolt or lie.
"Lex," I say gently, stepping into her path.
"Finn." Her voice is light. Too light.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." The smile she gives me is brief and brittle. "Just tired."
The bond flickers in protest, a pulse of sorrow and tension crackling under my skin. She's lying. Not out of malice-out of survival.
"No, you're not," I say quietly.
She blinks, caught.
I step closer, lowering my voice. "I can feel it, remember? Through the bond. You're not okay."
Her breath hitches. "Finn-"
"Talk to me," I plead. "Don't shut me out."
She lifts her weight, eyes darting away. "I don't know what to say."
"Start with the truth."
Her lips press into a line, and for a second, I think she'll walk away again.
But then her voice cracks. "It's like everything's unraveling. I'm scared all of the time. Of them. Of myself. I don't know who to trust anymore."
My heart fractures with every word.
"You can trust me," I say, stepping close enough to brush my fingers against hers. "You always can."
She looks up, eyes glassy, and for a moment, the bond burns steady - hopeful.
But then she pulls back.
"I need space," she whispers. "I just…I need to think."
Zeus nudges her hand gently as if he disagrees, but she turns, walking away with shoulders tight and head bowed.
I stand there, watching her go, the bond between us tugging like a tether caught on a jagged edge.
That night, I pace outside the dorms until Soren joins me.
"She talked to you?" he asks.
I nod slowly. "Said she's scared. Said she doesn't know who to trust."
Soren's face darkens. "She didn't name them, but we both know."
"Yeah." I run a hand through my hair. "And if she's right…if Asher and Jasper are planning something-"
"We stop them," he says, tone flat.
"We protect her," I correct, voice firm. "Even if we have to go through them to do it."
Soren nods, once, shadows swirling at his feet.
And I know we're on the same side.
Hers
Always.