Nyxia’s POV
“We couldn’t have known, Niko,” I whispered. “We didn’t have a reason to suspect anything back then.”
He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes, guilt etched across his features. “I should have protected you, Nyx. I should have done more.”
“Stop it,” I snapped, walking over to him and grabbing his shoulders. “You did everything you could, and more. This isn’t on you, okay?”
He stared at me for a long moment before nodding, though I could still see the lingering guilt in his eyes. He was always like this—taking on more responsibility than he should. It was one of the reasons I loved him like a brother.
“You’re not alone, Niko,” I said quietly, pulling him into a hug. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
When we finally pulled away, I sat back down, the weight of everything sti
