PHOENIX returned home in tears, her sobs echoing down the hall. As soon as her parents heard the news, they rushed to her side immediately.

“Phoenix! What happened? Why are you crying?” her mother demanded, kneeling beside her chair.

“It’s… it’s Xanthos,” Phoenix stammered, her voice breaking. “He… he—”

Her father’s hands clenched into fists as his gaze fixed on the wall ahead. A storm brewed in his expression, silent yet unmistakable. Her mother pressed her lips ...