And where bonds were acknowledged.
Revna exhales beside me. “It still feels the same.”
It does. Too much the same.
The chamber is vast, with arched ceilings that seem to stretch beyond reality, shimmering with threads of magic from realms long since lost. Shadows flicker along the walls, but they aren’t just shadows.
They’re memories.
Echoes of the past.
Faint figures drift in and out of sight, remnants of those who stood here before us. Valkyries. Their companions. Their warriors.
The energy here is alive, waiting.
Revna places a hand against one of the glowing runes. “Once she enters, she won’t be able to deny it.”
I nod, the weight of it settling in my chest.
The Hall will show her the truth.
And I’m not sure any of us are ready for what comes after.
Chapter 19
Kaia
Kaia
Breakfast is quiet, but not in a peaceful way.
It’s the kind of quiet that feels too careful, too forced. Like everyone’s pretending things are normal when they absolutely aren’t. The weight of what we learned about the bond sits heavy between us, unspoken but impossible to ignore.
Finn is the only one keeping things from falling into full-blown awkward silence, mostly by shoveling food into his mouth and making dramatic noises about how “deprived” he was last night.
Malrik just drinks his coffee, watching him like he’s debating whether to hex him into silence or let him continue.
Aspen and Torric, on the other hand, are not watching anything.
Torric hasn’t said a word all morning, which isn’t entirely out of character, but it’s the kind of silence that feels heavier than usual. Like something is sitting on his chest and he’s refusing to acknowledge it. Aspen is worse. He’s just picking at his food, barely eating, shoulders stiff with tension I can almost see rippling beneath his skin.
I don’t like it.
My shadows don’t either.
Bob drifts closer to Aspen and Torric, hovering over them with unmistakable suspicion, his shadowy form almost military in its posture. Patricia’s usual frantic note-taking slows as if even she’s taking inventory of the tension. Finnick bounces anxiously between all of us, his usual chaotic energy subdued into nervous movement. Walter just hovers near the ceiling, pulsing with that strange purplish light.
Finn is the first to crack under the weight of it. He leans forward, lazily spearing a piece of fruit from my plate. “So, what’s the plan today?”
Malrik doesn’t look up. “Survive.”
Finn hums like he’s considering that answer. “Not really my strong suit.”
Torric exhales through his nose, but still doesn’t speak. Aspen just blinks down at his food like he’s waiting for it to say something first.
I set my fork down with more force than necessary, the sound of metal against ceramic making Aspen flinch. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Aspen doesn’t react, but Torric glances at me. “Nothing.”
