—Alexia—
After Kaia left for her shower, the room settled into that quiet morning hush where the world felt paused, and I could almost pretend things were simple. I finished the last of my coffee, letting the warmth anchor me, before setting the mug aside.
Zeus shifted from his spot at the foot of the bed, coming to rest his head in my lap. His eyes, warm and amber, flicked up at me as if asking, Are you here? Are you staying here?
"I'm trying," I whispered, scratching behind his ears. "I'm really trying."
A flicker of gold danced across the edge of my vision. No. Not now. The pressure in my chest spiked, that too-familiar surge of magic crawling beneath my skin like live wires. My breath caught. The air around me seemed to thicken, shimmering faintly, pulling at the loose threads of my control. Not again. Please, not again.
I closed my eyes, forcing my breathing to slow. In. Out. But the magic didn't care that I was trying to be calm, that I wanted to be normal. It roiled, a storm clawing for release, heat prickling at my fingertips. I felt it then—a zap of static between my fingers, tiny sparks that left hairline fractures of light in the air.
Zeus lifted his head, pressing his nose against my chest, right over the mark where the chaos magic had last burned me. His breath was steady, warm, grounding. His paws thumped against my legs in quiet insistence, his eyes locking with mine, unblinking. Breathe.
I tried, but the magic flared again, brighter, sharper, a flash of lightning cracking against the air before sputtering out, leaving faint singe marks on the blankets.
"Zeus—" My voice cracked, fear crawling up my spine.
He whined low, shifting closer, pressing the weight of his body against my legs, refusing to move away, refusing to let me fall into the chaos alone. Breathe. I pressed my shaking hands into his fur, fingers tangling in the warmth, letting the steady beat of his heart guide me back. The chaos buzzed, but as I buried my face into the rough fur of his neck, the storm softened, shrinking to an echo, then to a whisper. I let out a long, shuddering breath, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.
"Good boy," I whispered. "Good, good boy."
Zeus let out a satisfied huff, leaning back just enough to lick the tears off my cheek before settling down, his body a warm line against mine. The gold glow at my fingertips dimmed, the cracks of light vanishing, leaving only faint heat behind.
"Thank you," I said, pressing my forehead to his.
His tail thumped once in reply. I leaned back, looking around the room. A few stray sparks had scorched tiny black marks across Kaia's bedspread, and the air smelled faintly of ozone. Great. She's going to kill me if she notices. But for now, I was okay. I was still here, still me, the magic settling under my skin like simmering coals instead of a wildfire. Kaia returned, her hair wrapped in a towel, humming off-key, a toothbrush stuck in her mouth. She paused, eyes narrowing at the faint scent of smoke.
"Did you burn something while I was gone?" she demanded, voice muffled.
Zeus gave her an innocent look.
Kaia blinked, then sighed, pulling the toothbrush from her mouth. "You know what? I don't even want to know."
I gave her a small, tired smile. "Thanks."
She rolled her eyes, but returned the smile, now softer. "Whatever, sparky."
She grabbed her hairbrush and started fussing with her hair, launching into a rant about dorm plumbing and how she was certain the water pressure was a government conspiracy, while Zeus leaned against me, steady as ever. And me? I took another breath. Another heartbeat. Another moment of safety before the storm inside me inevitably roared again. But for now, I was here. And for now, that was enough.