MAXIMUS’ POV

The night air was cold enough to sting my lungs.

I stood at the edge of the forest, arms folded, staring into nothing. The moon hung low above the trees, pale and hollow, like it was watching me fall apart in silence. My breath came out in white puffs, sharp and uneven, disappearing as quickly as they formed.

I’d been out here for hours. Maybe longer. I’d lost track of time.

All my life, I’d known how to control chaos. I’d mastered it—ruled it—bent it to my will. But tonight, everything inside me was slipping through my fingers.

This wasn’t like the battles I’d fought before. It wasn’t...