Thriexa’s POV

  The air was thick with anticipation, and I could feel the weight of countless gazes pressing against me. The crowd before me was a mixture of curiosity, uncertainty, and, in some cases, open hostility. I had expected this. Even as I answered questions and explained the Eova’s intentions, I could feel the undercurrent of doubt rippling through those gathered.

  I stood on a raised platform in the heart of Washington, D.C., a public forum designed for open discussion between myself and the American people. Security surrounded me on all sides—human and Eova alike. Trenal stood to my left, his presence a quiet but undeniable warning to anyone who might consider acting out. To my right, Sam stood as a grounding presence, representing the trust that had begun to build between our species. Jace and Tocci remained a short distance away, close enough to act but far enough to avoid interfering in the delicate balance of this moment.

  The people before me were not a singular voice. Some asked genuine questions, seeking understanding. Others accused, their skepticism thick with fear. I answered them all the same, carefully, patiently. But beneath the words exchanged, I could sense something deeper simmering within the crowd.

  I let my ability stretch outward, reading the intentions that swirled among the people before me. Most were wary but willing to listen. Others were frightened, their thoughts shifting between skepticism and reluctant acceptance. But then, at the back of the gathering, I felt something more dangerous.

  Hostility. Contempt. The intent to incite.

  A small group had positioned themselves near the rear of the crowd, their intentions crackling like embers ready to ignite into something uncontrollable. They weren’t here to listen. They were here to disrupt, to rile up those already unsure, to turn this meeting into something violent. I stretched my awareness further, letting my ability sink into their presence, threading through the emotions they were feeding off. And that was when I saw it—this wasn’t just chaos waiting to happen. It was orchestrated.

  These people had come prepared. They had planned this, stoking the crowd before they even arrived, placing themselves in key positions where their words would spread quickly. If left unchecked, this would not just be an argument—it would turn into a full-scale riot.

  I saw Jace and the other agents tense as they, too, sensed the shift in the atmosphere. Their hands hovered near their weapons, their postures bracing for confrontation. They were ready to forcibly remove the troublemakers.

  But I couldn’t allow that. Not here. Not like this.

  I exhaled slowly, hating what I knew had to be done. I turned slightly, meeting Tocci’s gaze. She felt it too—the growing instability, the brewing chaos. Without needing to speak, we acted in unison.

  I reached out with my ability, subtly threading calm into the space where anger had begun to take root. Tocci wove her emotions through the crowd, gentle but firm, soothing the fear and quieting the hostility. It was not force, not manipulation, but a careful redirection—dissipating the fire before it could catch.

  The murmurs of dissent softened. People who had been shouting a moment ago faltered, their words losing their heat. The group at the back, the ones who had sought to incite, looked momentarily dazed, as if their purpose had been quietly unraveled before they could fully grasp it. One by one, they began to drift away, their agitation dissolving into uncertainty, then resignation.

  The danger had passed.

  Jace’s POV

  Something was wrong.

  I had been preparing for the moment things turned violent, my body primed to step in if necessary. I had seen this kind of thing before—one bad spark in the wrong crowd, and suddenly, you had a riot on your hands. I was expecting shouting, a scuffle, maybe even a fight breaking out. But that wasn’t what happened.

  Instead, the tension simply… vanished.

  The people who had been raising their voices, fueling the anger, suddenly hesitated. Confusion flickered across their faces, their rage dulling, their bodies shifting as if they weren’t entirely sure why they had been so worked up in the first place. Even the instigators in the back—who I had been sure would push things over the edge—simply lost their momentum and started to leave, like embers being smothered before they could spark into a blaze.

  At first, I thought it was just luck, some strange coincidence that the moment of escalation had fizzled out before it could take hold. But then I looked at Thriexa.

  And I knew.

  She and Tocci stood quietly, their expressions unreadable, but I had seen the look they had exchanged before it happened. They had done this.

  A chill crawled up my spine as I realized just how much influence they held. The other Eova had abilities that made them powerful—enhanced strength, speed, intelligence—but this? This was something else entirely.

  This was control.

  The thought sent a sick feeling twisting in my stomach. How useful it was, I thought at first. How easily they had stopped something that could have turned dangerous. But then another thought followed—they had taken away those people’s free will.

  It hadn’t been obvious, hadn’t been forceful, but it had happened all the same. They had felt anger, felt passion, and it had simply… faded away. Not because they had chosen to let it go, but because it had been taken from them.

  I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. I had been around the Eova long enough to know they weren’t like humans, that their way of thinking, their way of being, was different. But Thriexa and Tocci’s abilities—they weren’t just different. They were terrifying.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  And for the first time since hearing Thriexa’s story, I wasn’t sure if I feared them… or if I feared what would happen if they ever decided to use that power against us.

  The public event was over, but its weight still lingered in my mind. The quiet hum of preparation for tomorrow’s meeting with the United Nations should have been grounding, but instead, it only made everything feel heavier. The world wasn’t done with Thriexa, and neither was I.

  I found her standing near one of the balconies, the city lights of Washington flickering in the distance. For a moment, I just watched her. She stood tall, poised as always, but there was something in the way she held herself—a stillness that made me wonder if she was as exhausted as I was.

  I stepped closer. “That was dangerous.”

  Thriexa turned her head slightly, acknowledging me but not looking away from the skyline. “Yes. But it was necessary.”

  I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. “Necessary? Thriexa, what you and Tocci did—it wasn’t just calming people down. You took something from them. Their emotions, their anger, their intent. You rewrote the entire outcome of that situation.”

  She finally looked at me, her violet eyes searching mine. “Would you have preferred violence? Would you have preferred a riot that ended with your security forces dragging people away, injuring them?” Her voice was calm, but there was something else beneath it. Something resolute.

  I shook my head. “No. Of course not. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a problem with what happened. You didn’t give them a chance to make their own decisions. You just… guided them toward the one you wanted.”

  “I guided them away from bloodshed.” Her tone was firm, but there was no arrogance behind it. “I understand why you are troubled, Jace. I expected you would be. But you must also understand that we do not see our abilities as you do. We do not use them to dominate. We use them to protect.”

  I wanted to argue, but the words felt tangled in my throat. Because part of me knew she believed that. Part of me knew that in her mind, she had done the right thing.

  And part of me still wasn’t sure if I agreed.

  The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken thoughts. Then, she sighed, turning back to the view before us. “Tomorrow, I will stand before the United Nations. I will be judged not just for who I am, but for what my people are. There will be those who listen, those who fear, and those who will already have decided they want nothing to do with us. That is the reality I must face.”

  I stepped beside her, leaning on the railing. “And how do you feel about that?”

  She hesitated, and that hesitation alone surprised me. Finally, she spoke. “I have seen many worlds. I have stood before many leaders. But I will not pretend this is easy.”

  I glanced at her, studying her expression. “You mean you’re nervous.”

  She let out a small breath, almost a laugh. “Perhaps.”

  That single moment of vulnerability struck something deep inside me. The Thriexa I had come to know was always composed, always controlled. But now, standing here, she was allowing me to see something few others had.

  I reached out instinctively, my fingers brushing against hers on the railing. She didn’t pull away, but she didn’t move closer either. Just the smallest point of contact. Just enough to tell me she understood what I was trying to say.

  “Whatever happens tomorrow,” I said softly, “you won’t be facing it alone.”

  She turned her hand slightly, our fingers nearly intertwining before she pulled back, the moment ending as quickly as it had come.

  “I know,” she said, her voice quieter now. “And for that, I am grateful.”

  Tomorrow, the world would judge her. But tonight, we stood together, unspoken fears lingering between us.

  Sleep came uneasily that night. Even as exhaustion weighed on me, my thoughts churned, replaying the events of the day. But when sleep finally took me, it was not a dreamless rest.

  I found myself in a place that was both alien and strangely familiar. The air was thick and heavy, dense with moisture, the sky a murky teal with thick clouds stretching endlessly above. Beneath me, the terrain shifted like a slow-moving current, waves of color rippling across a landscape that didn’t feel entirely solid. Structures, or perhaps organisms, loomed in the distance, their shapes shifting as if breathing.

  Then I saw her.

  Thriexa—but not as I knew her now.

  She moved through the chaotic scene, her form unrecognizable except for the unmistakable grace and command in the way she carried herself. Her body was elongated and fluid, her limbs extending like tendrils, her sleek violet skin glistening under the strange sky. I recognized her immediately from the painting she had shown me—this was her form on this world.

  Beside her, Xilta and Tocci were locked in a desperate effort, their forms moving in tandem, their abilities weaving through the air as they struggled to control the frenzied crowd surrounding them. This was no peaceful negotiation—this was chaos.

  A riot had begun.

  The gathered beings were surging forward, their anger palpable even in this dream state. I saw the desperation in Thriexa’s movements, in the way she and Xilta used their voices, their presence, their abilities to prevent the worst. Tocci was there too, trying to soothe the raw, volatile emotions swirling around them.

  I wanted to step forward, to intervene, but my body felt weightless, distant—a mere observer in this memory.

  Thriexa, Xilta, and Tocci clasped hands, their energies intertwining as they focused their efforts. Slowly, the chaotic surge of the crowd began to settle. Anger gave way to hesitation, and voices that had risen in fury softened into uncertain murmurs. Their combined strength rippled through the frenzied mass, reaching those still caught in their emotions. This time, no more were harmed.

  Then, just as quickly as the chaos had begun, the vision shifted.

  A presence emerged beside me. A Jaret.

  Like before, they stood calmly, their robes flowing in an unseen wind. Their face was unreadable, but their voice—silent yet resounding within my mind—spoke with certainty.

  “Now you see.”

  I turned to them, my breath still short from witnessing the scene. “She only uses her abilities to protect.”

  “Yes. It may seem frightening, but it works. And we trust her to make the decision when and where to use her abilities.”

  I swallowed, trying to process the weight of those words. The Jaret trusted her. Entire worlds had trusted her. Could I?

  Before I could ask anything more, the Jaret’s form flickered and faded, and the world dissolved around me.

  I woke with a sharp inhale, the stillness of my apartment pressing down on me. My heartbeat was steady but fast, my mind still reeling from what I had just seen.

  It wasn’t just a dream.

  It was a message.

  The Jaret were powerful. The Jaret were mysterious.

  And they had chosen to speak to me. They had felt the need to show me what could have happened today—how quickly things could have spiraled beyond control. The comparison was impossible to ignore. Even though Thriexa, Xilta, and Tocci had done everything they could, people had still been hurt in that memory. It made me realize just how thin the line was between peace and destruction, how fragile control really was.

  I was still unsettled, maybe even a little terrified, not just of Thriexa’s abilities, but now the Jaret’s as well. Their reach extended beyond the waking world, into thoughts and memories, shaping understanding in ways I hadn’t even considered. And what unsettled me most was that all of the Jaret were still on the island. I was in D.C., hundreds of miles away, yet their abilities had still reached me. I hadn’t realized they could stretch so far, influence my dreams from a distance. Their power was greater than I had imagined.

  But despite that, one thing stood firm in my mind.

  I trusted Thriexa.