Chapter 64 - The Echo
Athena didn't realize how tightly she was gripping the edge of the table until Silas gently pried her fingers free.
The war room continued behind them, voices lowering into strategy again, but Silas guided her out without drawing attention.
The corridor felt cooler.
Quieter.
He didn't stop walking until they reached the outer balcony overlooking the valley below. The wind met them immediately, carrying the scent of pine and cold stone.
Athena moved to the railing and braced herself against it.
Her breathing was uneven.
Silas stayed close but didn't touch her yet.
"What did you see?" he asked softly.
Athena closed her eyes.
"It wasn't a dream," she said. "It felt... real."
She swallowed.
"There was a table. Not stone. Wood. Scratched and worn from years of use."
Her fingers tightened on the railing.
"Torches. People standing around it. Speaking just like they were in there."
Her voice trembled.
"And a man."
Silas stepped closer.
"Do you know who he was?"
Athena nodded faintly.
"I think he was my father."
The word hit her harder than she expected.
Her throat tightened painfully.
"He sounded calm. Confident. Like everyone trusted him."
Her breathing hitched.
"And I remember feeling safe."
Silas's hand came to rest gently at the small of her back.
Grounding.
Present.
"There was shouting," she whispered. "And heat. I remember heat. Like fire."
Her eyes squeezed shut.
"And a woman's voice telling me to run."
Silence stretched between them.
Athena opened her eyes slowly.
She looked out across the valley like she wasn't seeing it at all.
"I wasn't just there," she said quietly.
Her voice steadier now.
"I belonged there."
Silas didn't correct her.
He didn't need to.
Because they both knew...
This was only the beginning of what she was remembering.