Unbind me

chapter 18

Another knock, more patient this time.

"Seraphina?" Kenji's voice. "You decent?"

I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. "Yeah."

The door opens, and Kenji steps inside, Castle right behind him.

Castle studies me for a moment, his dark eyes calm but observant, like he's assessing every inch of me in mere seconds.

"Good evening," he says, his voice smooth, measured. "I trust you were able to rest?"

I nod, though it doesn't feel entirely true. I might've slept, but rest? That's something else entirely.

Castle doesn't push. "I imagine you still have many questions."

I do. More than I can even begin to voice.

"You've met some of our people now," Castle continues. "You've seen a glimpse of what we do here. But I want to make something clear to you, Seraphina—we are not your enemies."

I tense slightly at his words. It's the kind of thing someone would say if they were the enemy. But there's something in the way he says it, in the way he carries himself, that makes me pause.

Kenji leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Castle wants to talk to you about what happens next."

My fingers curl into the blanket still draped over my lap. "What happens next?" I echo.

Castle nods. "We want you to stay here with us. You're free to go if you wish, but I believe you will find that Omega Point offers more than just safety."

I hesitate. "You mean training."

Castle's lips twitch, almost like he's pleased I caught on so quickly. "Yes. You have a gift, Seraphina. One that I suspect you have struggled with your entire life. We can help you learn to control it, to understand it. But the choice is yours."

A choice.

It's been so long since I've had one.

I glance at Kenji, who's watching me carefully, then back at Castle. "And if I say no?"

Castle inclines his head. "Then we will ensure you are safely escorted elsewhere. We do not force anyone to stay."

It's not the answer I expected. Not that I know what I expected.

I exhale slowly, my mind racing with possibilities, doubts, fears.

Castle doesn't push. He just nods. "Take your time to think it over. But know this—whatever you decide, you are not alone."

With that, he turns, giving Kenji a short nod before stepping out of the room.

Kenji lingers for a moment, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"You okay?" he finally asks.

I don't know how to answer that. So I just nod.

Kenji doesn't leave.

He stays leaning against the doorframe, arms still crossed, watching me carefully. I don't know what he's looking for—maybe some sign that I'm about to break, or run, or do something reckless.

Instead, I glance down at his uniform, at the small emblem stitched onto the fabric near his chest. A symbol I've seen before but never really thought about until now.

"What does that mean?" I ask, nodding toward it.

Kenji follows my gaze before letting out a small breath. "It's the last letter of the Greek alphabet," he says. "It represents the end. The final stage of something. The last in a sequence."