"Do you know who I am?" Calliope asked, gesturing toward herself, then to Portia. "What about her?"


    "What are you talking about? Of course I know you! You''re my best friends, how could I ever forget you?" Mavis frowned, her tone almost fierce. "Even if I died, I''d never forget you two!"


    Calliope and Portia shared another nce, a touch of sympathy flickering between them. Both also noticed the hint of jealousy in Uriah''s eyes.


    "Mavis, it''s me-Uriah! I''m your mentor," Uriah insisted.


    "Mavis, don''t you really remember me?"


    "Mavis, listen, it''s me-you got hurt because of me!"


    "Don''t you remember?"


    "I''ve been ming myself every single day, waiting for you to wake up!" Uriah pleaded, desperate and anxious.


    But Mavis looked right past him, her face set in stubborn denial. "I don''t know you. Mentor? You''re making that up. I''ve never had a mentor like you."


    She turned to Calliope, her tone intive. "Callie, can you make him leave? I don''t like him. He''s annoying."


    Calliope shot Uriah a nce, then nodded quickly. “Okay, I''ll ask him to go. Just stay calm, don''t stress yourself."


    She approached Uriah, who looked every bit a man on the verge of panic, his gaze darting between Mavis and Calliope. "How can she not know who I am? She remembers you both-why not me?"


    “Callie, please—help me! Do you know what''s going on with her?"


    "You must know the reason, right?"


    "Callie, you can fix this, can''t you?" He looked at Calliope with wild desperation. "How does it make senge for her to remember you two, but not me?" He looked utterly frantic, barely holding it together.


    Calliope gave him a sorrowful look. “Mavis was badly hurt, Uriah. It''s possible the trauma took a toll on her memory."


    "She''s only just woken up. If she doesn''t want to see you, maybe it''s best you give her some space for now."


    "It took her so long just to regain consciousness let''s not upset her, okay?"


    "Didn''t you say you''d do anything, as long as she got better? That you''d make any sacrifice for her?"


    "So... let her have some time. Let her adjust."


    "Maybe one day she''ll remember you. Or maybe... maybe she never will."


    "But that isn''t what matters now.


    The important thing is-she''s alive, she''s healing. Isn''t that what you


    wanted? Calliope met his agonized bra gaze, her eyes solemn. "Uriah,


    wasn''t it always your wish for Mavis to stop holding onto you?"


    "Now she''s forgotten you. Maybe it''s for the best—she won''t be tied to you anymore."


    "And it''se just as herst assignment is done. She can finally walk away from all this."


    "Let me handle whates next. I''ll help her find a new path forward."


    Uriah''s brow tightened, pain etching


    e2


    deep lines on his face. Every word from Calliopended like a blow straight to his heart cutting him with the implication that Maxis no longer needed him-that he wasn''t part of her future.


    A sudden, aching emptiness opened inside him.


    He stared helplessly at Calliope, his voice barely above a whisper. “But... I''m her mentor..."