I blinked, stunned by his words. "You and Athena… you go a long way?"
He nodded, his eyes distant, swirling with emotions that seemed too raw to contain. "We met long before Lucius did. Before she became his master."
I frowned, trying to piece it together. "What are you saying?"
"Actually, she was my master first," he said bitterly, his voice tightening. "She was mine in every way—every damn way—before…" His words trailed off, but the weight of them lingered.
"Before what?" I pressed cautiously.
He let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "Before she met Lucius. Before she decided I wasn't worth it. She claimed I was a bad student, all because I killed…"
"Killed?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper.
"A spirit," he said flatly. "A powerful one called Nihil. Stronger than all the others. Even the spirits bow to it. It possessed a woman's body, and I figured it out. I killed it."