**Thalia’s POV**
Those words—*Don’t be scared, I’m here with you*—from Zev’s lips made my heart stop for a moment. The world around us was erupting into chaos, but somehow, his voice cut through it all, pulling me back from the edge of panic. I stared at him, trying to reconcile the man in front of me with the Zev I thought I knew. The same Zev who had tormented me, challenged me, pushed me to my limits. And yet, in this moment, he was someone else. Protective. Steady.
It made me wonder if I had ever really known him at all. Was this the real Zev? The one hidden beneath the sharp words and cruel games? Or was this just another mask he wore to keep everyone guessing?
Before I could dwell on it any longer, a voice from outside shattered the brief bubble between us.
"Take cover!" one of
