Zev stumbled slightly as Thalia pulled him through the dimly lit corridors, his mind still foggy. He kept glancing over his shoulder, trying to piece together the fragments of what had just happened. His head throbbed as he tried to remember, but everything from the moment Ryan took over felt like a dark blur.
“Thalia, stop,” he finally said, pulling her to a halt. His voice was strained, eyes wide with concern. “I don’t understand. What did I do back there?”
Thalia hesitated, biting her lip as she looked into his eyes. She had never seen Zev like this—so vulnerable, so confused. His usual sharpness was gone, replaced with a kind of fear she didn’t think possible for him.
“It wasn’t you,” she said softly, her voice shaking. “It was Ryan. He… took control.” She struggled to explain, unsu
