|| ATHENA'S POV ||

I sat alone in my room, the weight of my sorrow pressing down on me like a leaden blanket. Tears streamed down my cheeks unchecked, the pain of betrayal and loss threatening to consume me whole. But just as I felt myself slipping into the abyss of despair, the door creaked open, and Sally, my loyal friend and confidante, stepped into the room.

"Athena," she said softly, her voice filled with concern as she rushed to my side. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

I sniffled, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand as I tried to compose myself. "It's nothing, Sally," I...