The message lingered in the air like smoke, curling around his thoughts and clouding them with silent weight.
Alex stared at the projection, frozen. His fists clenched at his sides, but not in rage—confusion. Deep, gnawing confusion sat like a stone in his stomach.
The mind of a villain…?
Why would she say that?
The silence grew longer, heavier, until the video shifted again. His mother was still there—her figure slightly glitching as the recorded hologram continued. She didn't acknowledge the pause, but it was as if she'd expected his thoughts, his turmoil.
"I know you'll understand me better later," she said softly, her voice almost soothing now. "So I won't dwell too much on it."
She exhaled deeply, a slow, grounding breath. The kind you take when about to let go of something heavy. Her fingers brushed back a stray strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear with that same habitual grace Alex remembered from his childhood.
Then her expression shifted.
