Marking

(Chapter 98)

(Vincenzo's POV)

The night air was cold against my skin, but I welcomed it.

Inside, the weight of everything threatened to crush me. A god. Callidus. The constant battle to survive. I needed a moment to breathe, to clear my thoughts before they consumed me.

I leaned against a broken pillar, staring out into the endless forest. The moon barely peeked through the clouds, casting shadows over the ruins.

Footsteps behind me. Light, hesitant—but familiar.

Selene.

"I figured you'd be out here," she said softly, stepping beside me.

I didn't answer. I didn't need to. She always had a way of finding me when I least expected it.

She wrapped her arms around herself, exhaling. "You've been quiet."

I glanced at her. The flickering torchlight from inside the watchtower played across her face, highlighting the bruises on her jaw, the cut on her cheek. She was tired. We all were.