XAVIER
After my conversation with Lucas, I sat in silence for a long while. I was in an agonizing pull of pressure—one side mulling over the idea of telling Valerie the truth, the other considering a world where I ran away with her.
Of course, this couldn’t happen. But it did bring me a moment of ease to imagine. No more chaos. No more responsibility. Just the two of us, running from this face as fast as our legs would take us.
But that was a dream. Not the reality that spilled out in front of me. The truth was, I was casting her out of Orheroad, whether she liked it or not. I had no other option. And she would not be happy about this.
But she would be okay. And that was enough.
Eventually, my silent thinking came to an end when a knock rapped on the door. Before I would rise to answe
