A leader is not measured by the strength of his roar, but by the mercy in his heart.
Quote from The Lion and the Lost Hare by Elias Marwood
~
The sharp sting of disinfectant burned against her scraped knuckles as Garrick methodically cleaned the blood from her skin. His touch was surprisingly gentle despite the power he wielded in their training session.
"You're going to break your hands if you keep hitting like that," he murmured, his eyes flicking up to hers with quiet concern.
Thana let out a short laugh, though it lacked any real amusement. "I'll take physical pain over emotional shit any day."
Garrick sighed, setting the cloth aside. "Liam?"
She swallowed hard, nodding. "I miss him. And when I see him with her it makes me sick, Garrick."
He studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "I get it. It's hard to separate her from what her mother did."
Thana scoffed. "He makes it look so easy."
"I'm sure it's not easy for him not to spend any time with you." Garrick leaned back, crossing his arms. "And for what it's worth, I know if you asked him to, he'd pull back."
"I can't ask him to do that," she said as she slowly flexed her hand. She knew that he was the best person for the job.
For a moment, they stood in silence, the sounds of cadets training around them fading into nothing. Then, unexpectedly, Garrick's voice softened. "I wish things were different."
She looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
His jaw tightened. "I wish this wasn't our fate," he said, gesturing at the relics on their arms.
A lump formed in her throat. Beneath his words lay an undeniable sorrow, one they all carried but rarely acknowledged. For so long, Thana had felt like she was alone in her grief. But here, with Garrick, she felt seen. She felt understood.
Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them and flung her arms around his neck. Before she could second-guess herself, he pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She shut her eyes and held him even tighter, a deep breath escaping herâas if she were finally exhaling for the first time in ages.
~
Hours later, Thana sat in the library, trying to focus on the textbook in front of her. Her mind wandered, but at least she wasn't brooding alone in her room. That was a win.
A familiar voice broke through the silence. "Can I sit?"
Thana glanced up, surprised to see Bodhi standing there, his usual easy grin playing on his lips. He was one of the few people who could still make her smile, even on days like today.
"Sure," she said, nodding to the seat beside her.
As he sat down, they fell into their usual rhythmâstudying and chatting in a way that felt natural. There was something about Bodhi's presence that made everything seem less heavy. For a while, it was almost like things were normal again.
"Did your parents ever ready you this?" Thana asked, holding up an old, worn leather tome.
Bodhi tilted his head, reading the title. The Lion and the Lost Hare. "No," he admitted. "What's it about?"
Thana smiled softly. "It's about a lion who has to decide whether he'll do what's easy and keep his power within his pride, or if he'll do what's right, even though it's harder."
Bodhi's expression softened, his gaze thoughtful. "Sounds like a tough choice. Does it help you feel closer to him?"
Thana nodded slowly, her fingers running along the edges of the book. "Yeah, it does," she said quietly, lost in thought.
Bodhi, always able to lighten the mood, broke the silence with a playful remark. "You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you, Thana."
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I'm sure you haven't."
"You've got this way of making everything feel... a little more interesting," he continued, his voice warm.
Their quiet conversation was interrupted by a burst of laughter from the doorway. Thana looked over, her stomach dropping when she saw Liam and Violet standing together, heads bent in whispered conversation. Violet's laughter rang out, her hand resting too comfortably on Liam's arm. Liam, despite the affection he obviously felt for her, shot a glance at Thana and gave a small, awkward wave.
Thana forced a smile, but the hollow feeling in her chest spread like poison. She wanted to scream, to ask him why he didn't resent her, why he didn't hate her very presence.
Bodhi noticed the change in her expression, his brows furrowing in concern. "Hey," he said gently, his hand resting on the table, "you ok?"
Thana turned her gaze back to him, offering a tight, unconvincing smile. "I'm fine. Just..." She trailed off, unable to articulate what she was feeling. "I'm fine."
She stole another glance at Liam and Violet, her heart sinking further as she saw the warmth in Liam's smile. He was so comfortable with her, so at ease. Thana couldn't help but feel the sharp sting of jealousy.
Bodhi, sensing her unease, leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a softer tone. "Let me walk you back to your room," he offered.
Thana shook her head, standing up abruptly. "No, it's fine. I'll walk myself."
She didn't wait for him to respond, grabbing her things and fleeing the library. The moment she stepped into the hallway, her vision blurred, the weight of her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
By the time she reached her room, the darkness closed in, swallowing her whole.
~
Thana awoke with a sharp throb in her head, the pain blinding. She could feel the cold, damp floor beneath her, and as her vision cleared, she realized she was not in her room. She was somewhere that felt far away, the walls cracked and damp, the air heavy with an unnatural chill.
And there, sitting beside her, stroking her hair with a soft, tender touch, was her mother.
Thana's breath caught in her throat as the haunting, sinister melody filled the air, her mother singing in that eerie, melodic tone she'd always used when Thana was small, when she would try to lull her to sleep. But now, the song felt wrongâtoo familiar, too unsettling.
Her mother's hollow eyes met hers, devoid of warmth, and the suffocating silence that followed was almost worse than the song.