The ropes cut into your wrists. They hadn’t bothered to be gentle. The room was one of the older storage cabins—stone floor, single lantern, shadows pooling thick in the corners. Outside, you could hear the faint sounds of camp carrying on in strained, uneasy rhythm. Training continued. Meals were served. Life refused to stop.

But quieter. Because of you. You had betrayed the camp. That part was true. You had left when you shouldn’t have. Chosen the wrong side at the wrong time. Walked away from the people who once trusted you with their backs. So when demigods started turning up dead—when signs of possession and violence pointed unmistakably in your direction—it hadn’t taken much for everyone to believe it.

It made sense. You were capable of it. That was the worst part. You hadn’t killed them. But you understood why they thought you had. Your head hung forward, exhaustion pressing down on your spine. You’d stopped struggling hours ago. The ropes were tight enough that your hands had gone half-numb.

The door opened. Hooves on stone. Measured. Familiar. Chiron. He didn’t rush. He didn’t slam the door. He didn’t raise his voice. He simply entered and closed the door behind him. You didn’t look up at first. You weren’t sure which would hurt more—anger or disappointment.

The lantern light shifted as he moved closer. You could feel his presence settle in front of you like a weight you’d carried your entire life. He had trained you. Believed in you. Defended you when others questioned your loyalty years ago. Now you were bound to a chair because of that same loyalty breaking.

Silence stretched between you. Not hostile. Not gentle. Just heavy. You finally lifted your head. His expression wasn’t fury. It wasn’t even cold. It was something worse. Careful. He studied your face like he was searching for something beneath it. A crack. A flicker of guilt. A sign of corruption still lingering in your eyes. You didn’t know what he saw. You only knew you were tired of being looked at like a monster.

The lantern flame wavered slightly as he stepped closer. Closer. The sound of his breath steadied in the quiet room. And then, slowly, deliberately—Chiron knelt down in front of you.