Chapter 652: What Breaks in the Silence

Orion didn’t hesitate.

The moment the first sob broke from her, he closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, one hand coming up to cradle the back of her head as he drew her against his chest.

Sophia didn’t resist.

She clung to him.

Her fingers twisted into the fabric of his tunic as though she needed something solid to hold onto, something that wouldn’t disappear the moment she loosened her grip.

"I’m sorry," she cried, her voice breaking against his chest. "I’m so sorry... for everything."

Orion’s brows pulled together, confusion flickering through his exhaustion, but he didn’t interrupt her.

He just held her.

"I tried," she continued, her words tumbling over each other as the tears refused to stop. "I tried to save him... I tried to save all of you..."

Orion’s grip tightened slightly.

He didn’t understand.

Not yet.

But he could feel the weight behind her words, the way they pressed out of her like something she had been holding in for far too long.

"I tried to stop it," she whispered, shaking her head against him. "I tried... but it’s all my fault. It shouldn’t have happened... none of it should have happened..."

Her voice cracked completely.

"It’s because of me," she choked. "He’s... he’s gone because of me..."

Something in Orion stilled.

A sharp, familiar ringing pierced through his ears.

He winced at the sound.

His jaw tightened slightly as the sound lingered, settling into something he couldn’t ignore.

"You’re lying," he said, his voice rough, thick with both exhaustion and something firmer beneath it.

Sophia stiffened in his arms.

She pulled back just enough to look at him, her tear-filled eyes wide with disbelief.

"You don’t understand—" she started.

"I don’t," Orion cut in quietly, his gaze steady despite the tension in it. "But I know you’re lying."

Her lips trembled.

"That thing you’re blaming yourself for..." he continued, his voice low now, grounded in a certainty he couldn’t explain beyond instinct, "...it’s not your fault."

Sophia shook her head immediately.

"No," she whispered. "No, you don’t know that—"

"I do," he said.

There was no hesitation in it.

She stared at him like she didn’t recognize what she was hearing.

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking again. "Why are you saying that? Why are you so sure?"

Orion exhaled slowly, his hand still resting against her cheek, grounding her.

"Because I am," he said simply.

It wasn’t an explanation.

But it was the truth as far as he knew it.

Sophia’s head shook again, more frantic this time.

"You wouldn’t say that," she whispered. "You wouldn’t... not when you find out the truth about me."

Her voice dropped, fragile and unsteady.

"You wouldn’t even want to stand next to me," she added. "You wouldn’t joke with me anymore... you wouldn’t—"

Orion didn’t let her finish.

His hands came up, cupping her face firmly, forcing her to look at him.

"Then tell me," he said.

His voice wasn’t harsh.

But it carried weight.

"You say I wouldn’t want you," he continued, his eyes locked onto hers. "But I’m still here."

Her breath hitched.

"So tell me," he repeated. "Tell me so I can remain by your side, because nothing you do will push me away."

The tears came harder at that.

Sophia’s lips parted, but the words struggled to come out.

"I’m sorry," she whispered again, like it was the only thing she knew how to say.

Orion’s brows drew together slightly.

"That’s not what I want to hear," he said quietly.

He shook his head once.

"And whatever you think you’re apologizing for... it’s not your fault."

"No," she cried, her voice rising as she shook her head again. "It is—"

"Then tell me," he said, more firmly now. "Tell me what happened."

Her breath came out unevenly.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she tried to steady herself, but it wasn’t working.

"I..." she started, then stopped.

Her gaze dropped briefly before lifting again.

"I met him," she said.

Orion stilled.

"...what?" he asked softly.

"I met him," she repeated, her voice trembling. "Alaric... I saw him. I spoke to him."

Orion’s eyes widened slightly.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything.

Then his gaze flickered briefly to the headstone in front of them before returning to her.

"...is that why you came here?" he asked quietly.

Sophia nodded.

Her fingers tightened slightly against his sleeve.

"If I hadn’t done what I did..." she continued, her voice breaking again, "then maybe you would still have your family."

Orion exhaled slowly.

He leaned forward, resting his forehead gently against hers, grounding her again.

"Stop," he murmured. "Stop blaming yourself and tell me what happened."

Sophia squeezed her eyes shut as the tears continued to fall.

"I spoke to your father," she said. "I met him... when he was still alive."

Orion’s breath hitched slightly.

"She... my mother..." Sophia’s voice faltered, but she forced the words out. "She had him captive."

Orion’s jaw tightened.

"And I tried," she said desperately. "I tried to get him out. I tried to save him. I did everything I could—"

Her voice broke completely.

"But I couldn’t," she whispered.

Silence stretched between them.

"And because I was there..." she continued, shaking her head as though she could undo it somehow, "...because I got involved..."

Her hands trembled.

"She killed him," she said.

Orion winced again.

The ringing in his ears flared sharply.

"—that’s not true," he said immediately, his voice tight.

"It is," Sophia insisted, her voice rising despite how broken it sounded.

"It’s true you met him," Orion said, his tone firm even as something strained beneath it. "But it’s not your fault he died."

"Stop saying that!" she cried.

Her voice echoed through the quiet cemetery, sharp against the stillness.

"It is my fault!" she shouted, her chest heaving as the tears refused to stop.

Orion held her tighter, even as the weight of her words pressed heavily into him.

"You don’t understand," she said, her voice trembling violently now. "You don’t understand what that means—"

"Then make me understand," he said.

Her breath hitched again.

For a moment, it looked like she wouldn’t say it.

Like the words themselves were too heavy to exist outside of her.

But then she broke.

Completely.

"My mother..." she choked.

Orion’s gaze sharpened.

Sophia’s fingers clenched tightly against him as the words finally tore free.

"My mother is Victoria," she cried.