Chapter 300

Chapter 300
Gio pov

I can’t sit still. Every time I try, my legs start bouncing or my hands fidget with whatever I can find nearby. The camp is quiet, the bears busy with their tasks, but my mind feels like it’s spinning out of control.

Ash is safe here, at least I keep telling myself that, but it doesn’t calm me down.

I glance toward the campfire where I last saw her. She’s not there anymore, probably off training again. That girl never stops. I know she can handle herself, but I can’t shake this uneasy feeling that’s been eating at me all day. Something is coming, and that something is bigger than all of us. And most of all, I hate that I don’t know what it is.

“Gio.”

I nearly jump out of my skin when Constantine’s voice cuts through the silence around me. I spin around to see him standing behind me, arms crossed in front of his chest, his sharp eyes studying me like he can see straight into my head.

“Relax,” he says and smirks. “You look like you’re about to fight a ghost.”

“Maybe I am,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck. “Sorry. I just… I don’t feel right.”

Constantine raises an eyebrow. “What’s going on?”

I hesitate. Constantine might seem rough around the edges, but he’s not as scary as he looks - at least not when he’s talking to me. Still, I’m not sure how to put what I’m feeling into words. It’s just this heavy, crawling tension, like the air before a storm.

“I don’t know,” I finally admit, shaking my head. “I’ve got this feeling, like something bad is about to happen. I can’t explain it. It’s just… there.”

Constantine nods slowly, then gestures toward a quiet spot away from the others. “Come on. Let’s walk a bit and then we can talk.”

We walk a little ways from the camp until we’re out of earshot. Constantine leans against a tree, arms crossed again, waiting for me to spill whatever’s on my mind.

“I’ve been hearing things,” I say, breaking the silence. “Before I ended up here, I heard rumors, lots of them. About rogues, hunters, even the king’s men. Everyone’s restless. Everyone’s angry. It’s like the whole world’s ready to explode at any given moment and no one can stop it.”

Constantine tilts his head. “And you think war is coming?”

“Doesn’t it feel that way?” I throw my hands up, pacing back and forth. “There are too many people itching for a fight. The hunters want to wipe us out. The rogues want revenge. The king’s playing some game no one understands. It’s all going to come crashing down sooner or later. And I’m afraid we’ll get caught in the middle.”

Constantine watches me, his expression unreadable. “You’re not wrong,” he says after a moment. “But this isn’t just your fight, Gio. If a war is coming, it’s everyone’s fight. Mine. Yours. Ash’s. All of us.”

The mention of Ash makes me stop pacing. “That’s another thing I’m worried about,” I say, turning to face him. “Ash. She’s strong, I know that, but she’s also reckless. What if she tries to join the fight? What if she puts herself in danger? I couldn’t handle it if something happened to her, damn it, neither could you or your brothers. Don’t think that I haven’t noticed how important she is to you..”

Constantine steps forward and places a firm hand on my shoulder. “If she does, let her,” he says simply.

“What?” I blink at him, confused out of my mind. “You’re just okay with that?”

“She’s stronger than most of you think,” he says, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Ash isn’t a kid, Gio. She knows what she’s doing. If she decides to fight, it’ll be because she believes she can make a difference. And honestly? I think she can.”

I stare at him, trying to process his words. He says it so casually, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. But for me, it’s not that simple. I don’t want to lose anyone else. I don’t want to see someone I care about get hurt, or worse.

“I get it,” Constantine says, as if reading my mind. “You’re worried. But holding her back won’t help. She’s got a fire in her, Gio. Let it burn.”

I look away, my jaw tight. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to-”

“I do,” he cuts me off. “I care about her too. She’s family now. And family means trusting each other, even when it’s hard.”

The weight of his words sinks in, and I feel my shoulders sag. He’s right. Of course he’s right. Ash isn’t some fragile thing that needs protecting. She’s a fighter, through and through. But that doesn’t make it any easier.

“I still don’t like it,” I mumble.

Constantine chuckles. “You don’t have to like it. You just have to trust her.”

We fall silent for a while, the sounds of the forest filling the space between us. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The unease is still there, but Constantine’s words help - just a little.

“So,” he says after a moment, his tone lighter. “What are you going to do about this bad feeling of yours?”

I glance at him, unsure. “I don’t know. Maybe I should go check it out. See if the rumors are true.”

“Not alone, you’re not,” Constantine says firmly. “If you’re going, you take someone with you. No arguments.”

I nod. “Alright. I’ll figure it out.”

“Good.” He pats my shoulder and starts heading back toward the camp. “And Gio?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop worrying so much. You’ll give yourself gray hair.”

I can’t help but laugh, the tension easing just a little. “Thanks, Constantine.”

He waves me off without looking back. “Anytime.”

Maybe I can’t stop whatever’s coming, but I can at least try to be ready for it. Constantine is right - this isn’t just my fight. It’s all of ours. And we’ll face it together.