ALEX
I stood there, rooted to the tarmac, the chaos of the crashed plane still flickering on every screen, every breath of air laced with the stench of smoke and fear. My heart was caught in the vice grip of indecision, pulsing erratically as though it too couldn’t choose which direction to beat.
The message played on loop in my head:
“This is your final warning. If you don’t return now, you’ll lose your place—and your father’s life.”
I gritted my teeth, feeling the acidic burn of helplessness rise in my throat. My vision blurred—not from the smoke—but from the weight of everything.
Arrde.
Mira.
Percy.
My father.
I was being split open from the inside out, carved into pieces by loyalty, guilt, and an ever-thickening cloud of doubt.
“I need a sign,” I whispered, voice cracked and
