Chapter 43 - The Spell
Silas didn't answer her question immediately.
He watched her carefully, like he was choosing how much truth to place in her hands at once.
Athena's chest felt tight.
"What did they do to me?" she repeated.
Silas exhaled slowly.
"They used a suppression spell."
The word settled heavily between them.
"A spell?" she whispered.
"Yes."
She shook her head slightly. "Like... magic?"
"Yes."
Her mind tried to reject it.
Tried to rationalize it.
But too many things had happened for her to pretend this wasn't real anymore.
"What does that mean?" she asked quietly.
Silas's voice softened.
"It means parts of you were locked away. Hidden. Buried so deeply you couldn't feel them."
Her throat tightened.
"That's why I don't remember anything before I was five."
He nodded.
"Yes."
Her breathing became uneven.
"That's why I feel like I'm waking up now."
"Yes."
Athena's hands trembled slightly.
"And being here... with you... is making it weaker?"
Silas didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
She stared at the floor, her thoughts racing.
"This wasn't an accident," she said slowly. "Someone did this to me on purpose."
Silas nodded.
"Yes."
Her voice cracked.
"Why?"
Silas's expression tightened.
"I don't know."
She looked up at him, surprised.
"You don't?"
"No," he said calmly. "I only know what I can sense. That powerful mage magic was used to suppress you. That it has been there for a long time. And that it is weakening now."
Tears burned in her eyes.
She felt violated in a way she didn't know how to describe.
Like her entire life had been edited without her knowing.
"Can it be undone?" she whispered.
Silas held her gaze.
"Yes."