Octavia's Point of View
Alec and Trevor are already heading back towards the school, their voices low as they talk between themselves. Rafael lingers a moment longer, his eyes flicking to me.
“You coming?” he asks, his voice unreadable.
I shake my head. “No. I just… need a moment.”
Something flickers in his gaze, hesitation, maybe even frustration, but he does not press. He only gives a short nod of his head and turns to follow the others, his shoulders tight as he walks away.
Silence settles around me, broken only by the distant hum of campus life. The training field feels wider now, emptier, the quiet pressing in like a blanket. But when I glance to my side, Kai has not moved.
“You do not have to stay with me,” I murmur.
“I know,” he says softly, his eyes fixed on me. “But I want
