ALEXANDER
I wrapped my arm around my mother the moment I reached her still on the ground.
For a split second, everything else faded.
The ritual. The fading glow on the floor. Even Roman and Faye’s presence in the room.
All of it dropped away the instant I saw her struggling to push herself upright.
“Mom.”
The word came out again before I even registered I had spoken.
Helen exhaled sharply, already shaking her head as if to dismiss the concern before it fully took hold.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, her voice steadier than her body looked. “Just drained. That’s all.”
I didn’t believe her at first.
My grip tightened instinctively as I helped her sit up properly, scanning her face for anything worse than exhaustion. There were faint traces of strain across her features, the kind tha
