CHAPTER 63: [63] FAMOUS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

Xavier’s temples throbbed in rhythm with his footsteps as he walked down the hallway. The buzz of whispers followed him like an annoying fly that wouldn’t die no matter how many times you swatted at it.

"That’s him," someone muttered.

"Can’t believe he talked to Thalia like that."

"Who does he think he is?"

Two days. It had taken exactly two days since the gate for his name to spread across campus after what people were calling "the Sinclair Incident." All because Beppo couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut about what happened in the GSC. The social media addict had posted a thirty-second clip of Xavier’s exchange with Thalia, and now half the school thought he’d insulted her while the other half thought he was hitting on her.

Neither was true. Well, not entirely.

A trio of second-years watched him pass, their glares intense enough to burn holes through his uniform. Xavier recognized them from the hallways—members of Thalia’s unofficial fan club. One of them, a broad-shouldered kid with a shaved head, even had the nerve to crack his knuckles as Xavier walked by.

Xavier almost hoped they’d try something. His head hurt, his mood was shit, and punching someone felt like exactly the release he needed right now.

"You’re smiling," Calypso said beside him. "That’s usually bad news for someone."

He glanced at her. She’d been quiet since they left for the weekend, her normally expressive face pulled into neutral lines that gave nothing away. The space between them felt wrong—too formal despite walking side by side.

"Just thinking about how many teeth that guy would lose if he actually tried anything," Xavier said.

They reached the ferry terminal, joining the afternoon crowd of students returning to the mainland for the weekend. Xavier spotted more stares, more whispers. A group of girls giggled when they saw him, one of them making a show of checking her phone before saying something to the others.

"Your fifteen minutes of fame," Calypso remarked, nodding toward them.

"Not fame. Notoriety."

"Is there a difference in your mind?"

"Fame gets you invited to parties. Notoriety gets you uninvited to funerals."

The ferry arrived, and they boarded with the crowd. Xavier chose a spot by the railing, away from the clustered groups of students inside the cabin. Calypso followed, though she kept a careful foot of distance between them as they watched Metro City grow larger across the water.

"You still haven’t answered my question a few days ago," Calypso finally said.

"Which one?"

"About Thalia. What you were trying to accomplish."

Xavier watched a seabird dive into the waves. "Making connections. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? Build Soul Bonds?"

Calypso’s knuckles whitened against the railing. "There are fifteen people in our class. Several have already shown interest in friendship. Why target someone years ahead, surrounded by admirers?"

"Because she’s interesting."

"She’s powerful," Calypso corrected. "That’s not the same thing."

"It’s both. She’s carrying the weight of an entire dead family on her shoulders. Creating electrical domain techniques that shouldn’t be possible for someone her age. And underneath all that power, she’s just... tired."

"So you felt sorry for her?"

"No. I recognized her."

Calypso turned to face him fully then. "Recognized what?"

He kept his eyes on the horizon. "Just... something."

The ferry horn sounded, announcing their approach to the mainland dock. Calypso pushed away from the railing and joined the crowd heading for the exit without waiting for his answer.

Xavier followed at a distance, watching her silver hair disappear into the throng of students and commuters. Something had shifted between them since that night, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. Or if he even should.

Yes, he’d been impressed by Thalia two days ago. Who wouldn’t be? She was everything her fan club claimed and more. But his interest wasn’t just about her beauty or power. There was something about her—a familiar loneliness behind those purple eyes. He recognized it because he’d seen it in his own reflection for most of his life.

But explaining that to Calypso seemed impossible.

When they reached their apartment, Calypso unlocked the door and headed straight for the bedroom without a word. Xavier stood in the living room for a moment, debating whether to give her space or confront the issue head-on.

Space hadn’t worked so far. The tension between them had only grown, seeping into every interaction for the past two days. If they were going to survive being bound together—let alone close seven Primordial Gates—they needed to clear the air.

Time for me to be the humble and bigger person. Man, I am so generous.

Xavier followed her to the bedroom, finding Calypso sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. Her shoulders were rigid, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Calypso."

"I’m tired, Xavier." She didn’t turn around. "Can we do this later?"

"We’ve been doing ’later’ since that night. It’s not working."

She remained silent, her back to him. Xavier crossed the room slowly, giving her time to object. When she didn’t, he sat down on the bed beside her, careful to leave space between them.

"Talk to me," he said. "What’s really bothering you?"

"Nothing’s bothering me."

"You’re a terrible liar for a goddess."

That earned him a sideways glance. "I’ve never needed to lie before. No one questions a deity."

"Well, I’m questioning one now." Xavier shifted to face her more directly. "Is this about what happened between us? Or about Thalia?"

Calypso’s shoulders tensed further. "I told you why we can’t... why that can’t happen again."

"Because gods and mortals don’t mix. I remember the saying."

"It’s not just a saying, Xavier. It’s history. Reality." She finally turned to look at him, her pink eyes troubled. "Every time a god has loved a mortal, it ends in tragedy. Always."

"Who said anything about love?" Xavier tried to keep his tone light. "It was just a kiss."

"It wasn’t just a kiss and you know it." Calypso stood abruptly, pacing to the window. "You felt it too. That’s why you’re trying to distract yourself with Thalia and Sayuri and Eliza or whatever."

The accusation stung, partly because there was a grain of truth to it. "I’m not trying to distract myself. I’m trying to complete our mission."

"And the fact that they are all beautiful has nothing to do with it?"

"Of course it does," Xavier admitted. "I’d be lying if I said otherwise. But that’s not the only reason."

Calypso hugged herself. "You don’t need to explain yourself to me."

"Apparently I do, because you’ve been acting like I betrayed you somehow." Xavier stood but didn’t approach her. "I didn’t. We’re stuck together for the foreseeable future Calypso. If we’re going to make this work, we need to be honest with each other."

"Honest?" She turned to face him, tears streaming down her face. "Fine. Yes, I’m jealous. Are you happy now? The great Calypso, Goddess of Reincarnation, reduced to feeling jealous over a mortal man."

Damn. I didn’t expect her to come out and say it.

"I’m not happy," he said quietly. "I never wanted to make you feel that way."

"It’s not your fault." Calypso’s voice softened. "It’s this situation. Being stuck in this form, with these... feelings. I don’t know how to handle them."

Xavier took a step toward her. "Neither do I. My whole life before was about keeping people at a distance. Using them. Manipulating them. I never let anyone get close enough to matter."

"And now?"

"Now I’m bound to someone I can’t manipulate or walk away from." He took another step. "Someone who knows exactly what I am and where I came from. It’s... new territory."

Calypso watched him approach, her expression guarded. "What are you doing?"

"Trying something." Xavier stopped directly in front of her. "Do you trust me?"

"That’s a complicated question."

"Give me a simple answer."

Calypso hesitated, then nodded once. "Yes. Against my better judgment."

"Then close your eyes."

Xavier slowly raised his arms and wrapped them around her, pulling her into a gentle hug. Calypso stiffened immediately, her body rigid against his.

"What are you doing?" she repeated, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Hugging you," Xavier said. "Just hugging. Nothing more."

"Why?"

"Because we both need it." He kept his embrace loose, giving her the option to pull away. "And because I want you to know that whatever happens with Thalia or anyone else, you and I are in this together."

Calypso remained stiff for several seconds. Then, gradually, the tension began to leave her body. Her arms, which had been trapped between them, slowly moved around his waist.

"This is inappropriate," she murmured, even as she relaxed into the embrace. "I’m a goddess."

"And I’m a reincarnated assassin," Xavier said. "I think we’re way beyond normal standards of appropriate."

A small laugh escaped her, vibrating against his chest. "I suppose you’re right."