CHAPTER 88

--Alyssa--

As I approached the clearing, I could feel Xavier's eyes on me, a mixture of concern and curiosity that he could barely mask. My chair, meticulously placed next to his, was a reminder of my place here, a place I wasn't sure I wanted to occupy at this moment.

Taking my seat, I glanced around, my eyes searching the crowd for a familiar face. Relief washed over me when I didn’t spot my mother. Her absence was a small mercy, sparing me from the complicated emotions her presence always stirred. I knew, though, that as a leader of her people, her presence here was inevitable.

The internal conflict gnawed at me. I wanted to see her, to feel her reassurance, yet whenever she stood before me, the desire to flee overpowered everything else. It was a bitter irony that I couldn't reconcile.

My father caught my eye from across the gathering, his gaze piercing through the crowd. I quickly looked away, not wanting him to see the turmoil in my eyes or guess at the person I was searching fo