Valor looked down at her father, her gaze sharp, emotionless. Chase was on his knees, head lowered, trembling—but not with fear. Silent tears traced down his cheeks.
The air thickened.
Valor's expression finally cracked—barely. A twitch. She stepped back, instincts flaring with unease. She had never seen him cry. Never.
Artemis's voice faltered, eyes wide with a mixture of concern and confusion. "Hey… why is he…"
Athena's brows furrowed, hand brushing her chin, contemplative. "He's crying. But he's not broken…"
"Father?" Valor asked, uncertain now. That wasn't a question she'd expected to ask.
Inside Chase, something ruptured—not physically, but deep within the soul. A restraint around his heart, forged long ago through love and moral resolve, snapped. Not in anger. Not in rage. But necessity.
