The next few days passed in a strange haze. Luna tried to act normal—go to class, answer messages, eat—but her thoughts kept circling back to him. Gideon. The name alone had weight now.
She remembered his expression when he admitted the truth. Not cold. Not proud. Just… resigned. Like someone who had carried guilt so long it no longer felt heavy.
Eventually, the need to see him again pulled her back to the woods.
She didn't have to search. He was already there, leaning against a tree like he knew she'd come.
"I thought you'd keep your distance," he said.
"I tried. Didn't work."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it didn't reach his eyes.
They walked side by side beneath the trees, and she noticed how quiet the forest became when he was near. No birds. No wind. Just silence.
"Why did it happen?" she asked finally. "Why did people have to die?"
Gideon looked down. "Because sometimes the choice is between two evils. I picked the one I could live with."
"Could you really live with it?"
He didn't answer.
"I want to understand," Luna said. "But you're not making it easy."
"That's because I don't want to make it easy. If you get too close, you won't be able to leave."
"Maybe I don't want to leave."
He turned to face her, eyes darker than usual. "That's what I'm afraid of."
And for the first time, Luna realized he wasn't just protecting her from the truth.
He was protecting her from himself.