My lips parted.
“What do you mean—”
The question almost left my mouth.
But it didn’t.
Too many thoughts rushed in at once. Too many questions tangled together, heavy and confusing.
My mind felt crowded, like a storm had suddenly taken over.
My mother?
How?
Why didn’t I know?
Is it true?
I needed answers.
I needed her to explain.
But before I could speak Ryder stepped in.
“Doris,” he said, his voice firm but gentle at the same time.
I turned to him.
His eyes were steady, grounding me.
“You need to change,” he continued quietly. “It’s almost time for Luna's match.”
The words pulled me back.
Back to reality.
Back to now.
The fight.
Right.
I swallowed slowly and nodded.
There was no time.
Ryder didn’t say anything else. He simply reached for my hand, and I held onto it
