"I'm scared, Kairos."
Aria's voice was barely a whisper, and I almost didn't hear it over the crackling of the campfire. We were sitting apart from the others, watching the stars wheel overhead, pretending we didn't know what was coming.
"Me too." Kairos's voice was raw. "I'm terrified."
"You? The great commander? The man who never shows fear?"
"I show it every day." He looked at her, and I saw the vulnerability in his eyes. "I just hide it well."
"You always have."
"It's what I was taught." He shrugged. "Commanders don't show weakness. Commanders don't—"
"Commanders are human." Aria moved closer. "Commanders feel. Commanders—"
"Commanders lose people they love." His voice cracked. "Commanders have to watch their friends die and pretend it doesn't destroy them."
"Kairos—"
"I'm no
