Athena's pov
She scoffed. "You've kept me caged. And now you come to speak in riddles again?"
He didn't answer her rage. Instead, he looked at her — truly looked. The firelight flickered against her face, casting shadows along the edges of her jaw, highlighting the storm behind her eyes.
"I offered you the truth once," he said softly. "You spat in my face. But you still haven't asked why I let you live."
Athena's jaw clenched. She turned away. "You said you wanted me to break."
"I still do," he said simply. "Because until you let go of what you think you know, you'll never see what's real."
He walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes on the cold stretch of land below. "The Moon Goddess," he said, "might die soon."
Athena froze.
