Chapter 634: When Reality Fractures and Refuses to Hold

Chapter 633: When Reality Fractures and Refuses to Hold

Back at the Nightshade Pack, Orion had not moved from his place beside the bed.

The chair beneath him had long since lost any semblance of comfort, but he did not notice it anymore. His elbows rested against his knees, his hands loosely clasped, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Sophia.

She had not stirred for hours.

Her breathing was steady after everything that had happened, and yet it did nothing to ease the tightness coiled in his chest. If anything, it made it worse. It felt unnatural, like the calm that came after a storm had done too much damage.

Lysander stood a short distance away, speaking in low tones with Marta. Their voices blended into a quiet murmur, but even that could not mask the unease threaded through the room.

No one had slept.

Not truly. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

They had rested in fragments at best—brief moments stolen between watching Sophia, between waiting for something else to go wrong.

The first light of morning had only just begun to creep in through the window when the door opened again.

Ronan stepped in.

The moment he crossed the threshold, it was obvious he had not fared any better than the rest of them. There were shadows beneath his eyes, his shoulders set with a fatigue he did not bother to hide.

Orion glanced up at him briefly before leaning back into the chair, the motion slow and restrained.

"They’re back," Ronan said without preamble.

Lysander’s attention shifted immediately.

"Kairen, Helios, and Ethan," Ronan added.

Orion exhaled quietly, the breath leaving him in a controlled release as he tilted his head back slightly.

"Did they find it?" he asked.

Ronan nodded. "They did. And more than that—they brought seeds with them."

That was enough to draw a reaction, faint as it was.

Lysander straightened just slightly, his focus sharpening.

"And the garden?" Orion asked.

"Destroyed," Ronan replied. "Ethan made sure of it before they left. Said it was too dangerous to leave anything behind that someone else could stumble upon."

Orion gave a small nod at that, his gaze lowering briefly as he considered it.

"That was the right call."

There was a brief pause before he spoke again.

"How was Kairen?"

Ronan’s expression shifted, something uncertain flickering across his features.

"Cooperative," he said slowly. "According to Ethan. There was no resistance, no... hidden intentions that he could see. He followed instructions and didn’t try anything."

There was a slight edge to his tone then.

"Too cooperative, if you ask him."

Orion’s lips pressed together faintly.

"Yes," he said after a moment. "That is exactly what makes him suspicious."

Lysander frowned slightly at that, his arms folding loosely across his chest.

"You don’t trust him."

"I thought it was obvious?" Orion asked. "Though everything Kairen said was the truth, and though I kind of understand why he’s working with us... it’s too simple. He’s too willing to help us."

Ronan let out a quiet breath. "Ethan said the same thing. He couldn’t decide if Kairen was genuinely helping or just waiting for the right moment."

"What exactly did Kairen give through then?" Lysander asked, a frown on his face.

"He didn’t want to join Victoria’s warriors... not at first, I think. He only joined because he was sold by his family," Orion said.

Lysander’s gaze narrowed slightly. "He told you that?"

Orion nodded.

"When I asked about the corpse plant... he told me everything, and his only request was that I remove his cuffs so he can sleep comfortably in his cell."

"That is suspicious. He could have asked for anything else, but he only asked to have his cuffs removed?" Ronan asked with a frown.

Orion nodded. "And also, after what he told me about how he was sold off... it correlated with what Annabeth said about the West. Abuse is a common occurrence there."

Ronan nodded. "Tobias said the same thing. And Victoria herself doesn’t even care because she’s part of it."

"Have you briefed Tobias on everything?" Orion asked Ronan.

"We stayed up last night, so I told him everything," Ronan said.

Orion paused then, his brows furrowed. "You know you guys don’t have to do that, right?" he asked softly.

Ronan stilled.

"Do what?"

"Stay up all night. Sophia’s burden isn’t y—"

"I’m going to stop you right there, brother," Ronan said, interrupting him. "Sophia is like a... you know what, fuck that. She’s my sister. The same way Brynhild is a sister to me. And that alone is enough to make me worried. If I were to be in this situation, she too would stay up all night praying or doing whatever to make sure I recovered. I know very well she would hound Lysander and Marta until they gave her an answer she’s satisfied with. She’s family and... brother, we all heard the scream."

Ronan paused.

"Everyone is talking about it. Her friends approached me and Tobias just early this morning to ask if she was okay. She is family, brother. If not for everyone, then she’s my family, and so I’ll stay awake until she regains consciousness and tells me one more time not to take you along with me when I’m trying to get women. I’ll stay awake because you fucking need the support too, not just Sophia. So get that stupid thought out of your head. I’m staying and sleeping right in the lobby until my sister—"

"...our sister," Lysander chipped in.

"...our sister," Ronan said. "We will all stay awake until our sister recovers."

Orion just stared at his friends, eyes wide. He shook his head, a small smile forming on his face.

"That was quite the speech," he said to Ronan.

"Want me to give you pointers so you can make one like mine too?" Ronan asked him.

Even Marta, who had been an unexpected spectator, laughed along with Orion and his friends.

"Anyway... back to what it was that we were discussing," Ronan said, a smile on his face.