Control The Uncontrollable // The Acolyte

107. Control

You reached the cave without speaking to anyone—except Serae.

He slipped from your back the moment you knelt, and you stayed there with him, fingers lifting to gently fix his hair, smoothing the soft curls back into place. You told yourself it was for him, but you knew better. It was something to do with your hands. Something familiar. Something safe. His eyes—so dark, so much like his father's—looked up at you with that quiet trust that made your chest tighten. You didn't want to let go.

Serae seemed to feel it too. Without a word, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around your neck.

Your breath caught as you folded into him, pressing your face briefly into the warmth of his shoulder. For a moment, everything else faded. His small body, solid and real, felt like a promise that whatever waited beyond this moment, you would survive it.

Then another pair of arms joined you.

Noam skidded to a stop and hugged you just as tightly, his cheek pressed against your shoulder.

"Mom... are you okay?" he asked softly.

You laughed under your breath, more breath than sound, and wrapped both boys in your arms. You kissed their foreheads, one after the other, holding them close before leaning back just enough to look at them properly.

"Mom will be alright," you said gently, nodding as if to convince them—and yourself.

Qimir joined you then, crouching beside the three of you. He didn't say anything at first. He just smiled softly and rested a steadying hand at your back, grounding you with the quiet certainty of his presence.

"Mom just needs to talk to the adults," he said calmly, resting his forehead briefly against yours. "Can you two big boys come with me and give her some space?"

The boys hesitated only a moment before nodding. Qimir rose, guiding them with a hand on each of their shoulders as he led them toward the cave entrance. As he passed the others, he met Bell's gaze and gave a small nod—an unspoken invitation. Bell followed without question.

You waited until their footsteps faded.

Until the cave felt too quiet.

Only then did you straighten, your hands settling at your hips as you finally looked up. Your lips parted—measured, restrained—though everything in you wanted to shout. To demand how they dared come here unannounced, how they had broken every promise ever made. It was reckless. It was dangerous. It was disrespectful.

And yet—nothing came out at first.

"We only wished to check on you, Master," Grand Master Gios said at last.

The word lit a spark under your skin.

You raised your hand, pointing sharply at him. "When I left the Order, I left that title behind. Don't call me that." You stepped closer, your voice firm, unyielding. "My sons don't know about the Order. They don't know about Qimir. They don't know about my past. And your presence here—this—confuses them."