Theo pointed at me immediately from where he sat upright on the bed, looking deeply and personally offended by the mere suggestion that any of us had dared question his priorities.
"They made us run laps after surviving literal death," he said dramatically, gesturing with both hands for emphasis. "Of course I collapsed. My stomach gave up before the rest of me did. It was a protest. A full-body rebellion."
Kaden burst into another loud, genuine laugh that filled the room, while Lyra let out a long, tired breath that sounded halfway between overwhelming relief and lingering disbelief.
I just stared at Theo for a long moment, processing everything, before slowly shaking my head.
"You know," I muttered, a tired smile tugging at my lips, "for one beautiful, terrifying second, I genuinely thought you were dying."
Theo blinked at me with exaggerated innocence. "I was."
"You were hungry."
"Exactly. Same thing."
The tension in the room loosened slightly after that.
Not fully.
