A Dance Of Crowns & Thrones | Book I

Chapter 145 | December 24th | Christmas Eve 🍆

Timeline - December 24th | ( 12 Days later)

Eko took the final bite of her sandwich, the cafeteria's hum bringing a rare sense of comfort amidst the upheaval of recent weeks. The familiar sounds—the clatter of trays, soft murmurs of students—felt like a brief oasis of normalcy, a small reprieve from the chaos that had taken over since Matthew's surgery. The weight of everything that had happened still sat heavily on her, but here, for just a moment, things felt almost... ordinary.

Toni had been by her side for most of the day, his presence constant. Ever since the surgery, he hadn't let Matthew out of his sight, guilt and worry gnawing at him visibly. He seemed to feel responsible for all that had happened, his protective instincts sharpened, though they both knew he couldn't have changed what had unfolded.

Matthew, however, had needed his own space to breathe—a difficult reality that had come to light after a heated argument between the three of them. It was clear he'd felt suffocated by their constant watchfulness, their shared worry chaining him down in ways he wasn't ready to accept. And so, they'd come to an unspoken truce to step back, even if loosening those reins didn't come easily to either of them. But despite their best intentions, they couldn't shake the lingering fear that, left unchecked for even a moment, something would happen to him.

That was why Richie, sensing their relentless worry, had insisted on giving Matthew space, encouraging Eko and Toni to step back for a day. "He's not alone," Richie assured them, arranging for Jesse to stay by Matthew's side while they attended a crucial board meeting. The meeting addressed escalating tensions across the academies—tensions that had erupted in Matthew's absence, demanding his steady leadership to calm the storm.

And so, Toni was with Eko now, in the cafeteria, almost as if he were babysitting her. He understood her better than anyone else, knew how her mind spun in anxious cycles, and when the weight of everything began to overwhelm her. Toni was the only person, aside from Matthew, who could calm her, who could pull her back from the edge when it felt like too much. He was attuned to her in a way only someone who shared her experience could be. Perhaps it was because they shared the same pain, the same intense need for Matthew. They both carried that burden—that deep, unyielding love and the equally relentless fear of losing him again.

The truth was, they were both struggling with it—especially as they watched Matthew return to work less than a week after his surgery. That moment had marked a turning point for everyone. Despite the gravity of his condition and the high-risk nature of his heart transplant, his recovery had been nothing short of miraculous. Eko knew that the crystal had accelerated his healing, but even the doctors were stunned. His heart was stronger, faster, and more resilient than it had ever been. Dr. Keaton had explained that, without the genetic disorder weighing him down, Matthew's physical potential had reached its prime.

Eko had seen the change in him firsthand. Watching him on the training grounds just days after the operation had been surreal. He moved with a swiftness and power that seemed almost otherworldly, a man finally unleashed from invisible shackles. Pride swelled in her at his resilience, at the strength he now wielded. But, beneath that pride, a new fear had taken root.

For all the power he now commanded, she knew better than anyone that Matthew was not invincible.

Then the first time Matthew left her sight after the surgery, something inside Eko broke, unraveling into a full-blown panic attack. She hadn't seen it coming, hadn't realized just how tightly wound her emotions had become. But the moment he was gone, her magic spiraled violently, lashing out in all directions, her breathing became erratic, her chest tightening painfully. It felt as though her body was rejecting the very idea of his absence, as if his presence was the only thing anchoring her to reality, keeping her grounded.