As Athena stepped out of the room, her legs felt heavy, her body trembling from the whirlwind inside her. Her vision was blurred, not just from the lingering haze of the drug, but from the tears that had started to spill down her cheeks.
And then she saw them.
Theodore, Azrael, and Rhydric standing there, eyes fixed on her as she as soon as she opened the door. They were staring at her with concern that made her chest tightened.
For a moment, she felt completely exposed under their gaze, the weight of the past hours crashing down on her all at once. Her chest heaved, and she stumbled slightly as the tears spilled freely now, slipping down her cheeks, pooling at her collarbone.
Theodore stepped forward before anyone else could, his tall frame moving with surprising gentleness. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Shh… it's okay," he murmured, his voice soft but grounding, steadying her in a way that made her knees feel like they could finally support her.
