Lyra's POV
I'm still on the floor when the door crashes open.
No knock. No warning. Just Theron barging in like he owns the place.
Get out, I say without looking up.
Not until we talk. He closes the door behind him, locks it. The click makes my skin crawl.
I force myself to stand, wiping my face. I won't let him see me weak. Not him.
You looked confused in there, Theron says, moving closer. Too close. The god got in your head, didn't he?
He didn't
It's okay, Lyra. Theron's voice goes soft, gentle. The voice he used when we were kids and I had nightmares. Kairos is incredibly powerful. Even drained and chained, he can manipulate minds. Make you see things that aren't real. Hear things that aren't there.
I study his face. Is that what you think is happening?
What else could it be? He sits on my bed without asking. Your curse has never failed before. Suddenly this god shows up and everything stops working? That's not coincidence. That's magic.
Part of me wants to believe him. Wants this to be simple. Just a god messing with my head, not my entire life being backwards.
But I know better.
How would he manipulate me? I ask. His power is drained. The chains
Are you an expert on divine magic now? Theron's smile doesn't reach his eyes. Kairos is the God of Time, Lyra. He's ancient. Powerful. Desperate. Who knows what he's capable of?
I wait, listening carefully.
Soft music fills my ears. Like gentle rain on windows. Quiet, almost peaceful.
He's lying. Not about everything, but about something. Small lies woven into truth.
You're hiding something, I say flatly.
Theron's jaw tightens. Just for a second. Then the smile returns. I'm trying to protect you.
From what?
From making a mistake that gets you killed! He stands abruptly, running his hands through his hair. The Council expects a guilty verdict tomorrow, Lyra. They need it. If you can't deliver
What? I step closer. What happens if I can't?
Theron looks at me, and for the first time, I see real fear in his eyes. They'll assume you're compromised. That Kairos got to you somehow. And they'll... they'll replace you.
The music stops.
Pure silence.
He's telling the truth.
Ice floods my veins. I've always known that being the Council's weapon meant I was property, not a person. But I never thought about what happens when property breaks.
Replace me, I repeat slowly. You mean kill me.
Theron won't meet my eyes. The Council doesn't let their weapons retire, Lyra. You know that.
I did know that. Deep down, I always knew. I just never let myself think about it.
So that's it? My voice shakes. Condemn an innocent god or die?
He's not innocent! Theron grabs my shoulders. Look at the evidence! His energy at the crime scene. The witnesses. Fate's blood on his hands. He's guilty, Lyra. Your curse doesn't even matter. We have proof.
Then why do you need me? I challenge. If the evidence is so clear, why force me to judge at all?
Theron's grip tightens. Because executing a god requires ancient law. A truth-seeker must confirm guilt. Without you, the execution isn't legal. The other gods won't accept it.
Understanding crashes over me. So I'm not here to find truth. I'm here to make murder legal.
I'm here to make justice happen, Theron corrects. He pulls me closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. Just say he's guilty. That's all you have to do. One word, and this nightmare ends.
And if he's not guilty?
He is! Theron's losing patience now. Lyra, please. I'm trying to save your life. After tomorrow, after the trial, we can finally leave. Start fresh somewhere the Council can't reach us. Just you and me, like we always talked about.
Music erupts in my ears. Full orchestra violins, harps, drums, everything. Beautiful and sweeping and completely overwhelming.
Every word is a lie.
We never talked about leaving together. He's not trying to save me. And there's no fresh start waiting after this trial.
I jerk away from him. We never talked about that. Not once.
Of course we did. Back when we were kids, we
Stop lying to me! My voice comes out louder than I intended. I can hear it, Theron. Every single lie. You have no intention of leaving with me. You're not trying to save me. So what do you really want?
His expression changes. The fake concern melts away, replaced by something harder. Colder.
I want you to do your job, he says quietly. Before you ruin everything.
Ruin what?
Everything the Council has built! Everything we've worked for! He's angry now, pacing. Do you know what happens if Kairos isn't executed? The other gods will question the Council's authority. The system falls apart. Chaos spreads.
Or maybe justice actually gets served, I shoot back.
Theron laughs, but there's no humor in it. Justice? You think this is about justice? Lyra, you're not a judge. You're a tool. A weapon. And weapons don't question their purpose. They just... work.
The words hit like a slap.
Get out, I say quietly.
Lyra
GET OUT!
For a moment, I think he'll refuse. His hand moves toward me, and I tense, ready to fight if I have to.
But then he backs toward the door, his expression unreadable.
The Council meets at dawn, he says. They'll want your final judgment. If you refuse, or if you say he's innocent... He pauses. I won't be able to protect you. No one will.
I don't need your protection.
Yes, you do. You just don't know it yet. He unlocks the door. Think carefully tonight, Lyra. About what matters more some god you just met, or your own survival.
He leaves, closing the door softly behind him.
I stand alone in my chamber, shaking with anger and fear.
A weapon. That's all I am to them. All I've ever been.
I sink onto my bed, pressing my palms against my eyes.
What do I do? If I condemn Kairos, I might be killing an innocent being. But if I don't, the Council will kill me.
That's when I feel it again. That presence in my mind.
Not Kairos this time. Someone else.
The presence is feminine. Powerful. And completely unfamiliar.
Poor little weapon, a woman's voice purrs in my thoughts. Trapped between truth and survival. What will you choose?
Who are you? I whisper.
Someone who can help you. Someone who knows what you really are.
What I am? I'm just
You're not just anything, child. You're the key to everything. Fate made sure of that before she died.
My heart stops. Fate? You knew Fate?
I was her closest friend. And I know exactly why she died and who really killed her.
The presence grows stronger, and suddenly a figure materializes from the shadows in my room.
A woman. Beautiful and terrifying, with skin like midnight and eyes like silver moons.
Hello, Lyra, she says with a smile that promises secrets. My name is Nyx, Goddess of Shadows. And I'm here to tell you the truth about everything.
She extends her hand toward me.
The question is are you brave enough to hear it?
My whole body goes cold as I realize: Whatever she tells me next will change everything.