Chapter 660: The Fate She Broke

Sophia didn’t speak immediately after that.

For a moment, she just sat there, her hands resting in her lap, her fingers loosely intertwined as if holding onto something fragile that she wasn’t entirely sure how to let go of.

The room stayed quiet.

Then she inhaled slowly, her shoulders lifting slightly with the breath before easing again as she let it out. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

And when she finally began to speak, her voice wasn’t unsteady.

But it wasn’t untouched either, and she told them everything the goddess had told her. About the Nightshade Pack, about how none of them should have existed if Sophia had not interfered with fate.

How she had tried to save all of them in the pack, how she had tried to do something and should have done better to prevent their pain.

How Victoria was never meant to be the person she now was but took a turn from what was designated for her. How it was all her fault that they suffered even more than they were supposed to. How the goddess had planned to punish the Nightshade Pack members because of their connection to Dolion, even if indirectly.

How their fates had been different, how things were supposed to turn out, who the successor of the night was and who it was supposed to be—everything except for who Noctis was and what the mark on her back was.

And when she was done, the room was quiet again. No one said a word.

One could hear a pin drop in the room.

Even the faint crackle from the fire seemed quieter somehow, like it knew better than to interrupt.

They all just stared at her, and she felt panic because she didn’t know what that silence meant.

Until Ronan let out a low whistle.

"...well," he said, leaning back slightly where he stood, "that’s some shit the goddess had planned for us."

Sophia blinked.

Then stared at him.

Not quite expecting that to be the first response.

But before she could say anything, Lysander leaned forward slightly from where he sat, his arms resting lightly against his knees, his gaze steady on her.

"So," he said calmly, "what you’re saying is..."

He paused briefly, choosing his words carefully.

"If you hadn’t interfered..."

His gaze flickered briefly to the others before returning to her.

"...none of this would exist? None of us would exist?"

Sophia didn’t speak.

But she nodded.

Lysander leaned back slightly after that, exhaling under his breath.

Then, unexpectedly, he chuckled softly.

"I can’t even be mad about that," he said.

Sophia stilled slightly.

Lysander’s gaze shifted briefly across the room.

"To be honest," he continued, "if what you’re saying is true..."

He let out a small breath.

"Then it’s because of you that I have the life I do now."

Sophia blinked.

Lysander’s lips curved faintly, not quite a smile but close enough.

"It’s because of you I have a daughter with the woman I love," he said simply.

The words were steady.

"It’s because of you I have these idiots as brothers," he added, glancing briefly at Ronan, Orion, and Tobias.

"And it’s because of you..." Lysander finished, his gaze returning to Sophia, "that most of us are even alive."

Tobias nodded slightly at that, though his expression shifted in a way that didn’t quite match the lightness of Lysander’s tone.

"Yeah," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "Imagine if you hadn’t done anything..."

He let out a small laugh.

But it didn’t quite hold.

"Then they wouldn’t even have gotten the chance to carry me around when I was a kid," he added, like he was trying to make it sound like a joke.

Ronan snorted.

"That’s what you’re worried about?"

Tobias huffed.

"I’m making a point."

But even as he said it, his voice wavered slightly.

And then he laughed again.

Only this time, it broke just a little.

His hand came up briefly to wipe at his face before dropping again.

"I wouldn’t exist," he said, more quietly now.

The room stilled again.

"I wouldn’t know any of you," he added, his voice uneven despite the faint smile he tried to keep.

Then he let out another short laugh as a tear rolled from his eyes.

"This isn’t even something to cry about," he muttered. "I don’t even know why I’m..."

He stopped.

Then shook his head slightly.

"...why I’m fucking crying."

Ronan watched him for a second.

Then chuckled softly.

"It’s because you can’t imagine a life without us," he said.

Tobias didn’t argue with that, because it was true. He’d been following after them since he was a child, and now he was finding out they were not even supposed to be alive... that he wasn’t even supposed to exist with them.

Brynhild’s hand moved then, gently finding Sophia’s.

Her fingers wrapped around hers, warm and steady.

"I’ve never been more grateful for someone interfering with fate," she said softly.

Sophia’s gaze shifted to her.

Brynhild’s expression was calm.

"You’re not at fault for this," she continued. "If anything... it’s because of you that we have a life to live at all."

Sophia’s throat tightened slightly.

"But fate will still try to take it back," she said quietly. "Selene said it would try to correct itself."

Her fingers tightened slightly in Brynhild’s grasp.

"It will come for you," she added. "For all of you."

Brynhild’s grip only tightened slightly.

"Then we’ll fight it," she said simply. "Besides, we’ve been fighting for most of our lives. What’s one more thing trying to kill us?"

Sophia stared at her.

Then at the others.

"...why aren’t you guys angry?" she asked.

The question came out before she could stop it.

"Why aren’t any of you reacting?" she continued, her voice tightening slightly. "Why aren’t you—"

She stopped herself.

Then shook her head.

"Why aren’t you crashing out?" she asked instead. "Why are you all just... accepting this?"

Her hands tightened in her lap.

"You should be angry," she said. "You should be doing something, not just accepting this."