****HARPER
I held Sophie tightly, her tiny fingers clutching my sleeve like she was afraid I'd disappear if she let go. We ran through the winding alleyways, every step echoing with urgency, adrenaline, and something that almost felt like hope. Chris stayed quiet in my head, only chiming in when I almost missed a turn.
When we finally reached the quiet, weather-worn street where Aunt Samantha's safe house stood, my breath hitched. My limbs trembled—not from exhaustion, but from fear. What if she had already left? What if she wasn't ready to see Sophie?
I pushed through the gate and walked up to the door, heart pounding like a war drum. I hesitated only for a second, then knocked.
Footsteps.
The door creaked open.
Aunt Samantha stood there.
Pale. Hollow. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair a mess, her expression numb. Grief had taken residence in her bones.
And then she saw her.
Sophie.
For a moment, the silence between them was unbearable.
Sophie blinked, unsure. "Mom…?"
Aunt Samantha dropped to her knees with a sound I can only describe as a strangled sob. Sophie ran into her arms, clinging to her like a lifeline.
"Where's daddy?" Sophie asked softly.
Aunt Samantha froze.
That one question shattered her all over again.
She hugged Sophie tighter, pressing her face into her daughter's shoulder. She couldn't answer. Tears flowed freely, soaking into Sophie's dress. The moment was so raw, so painful, that I had to look away.
Luna stood behind me at a distance, watching. Her silver hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, her eyes unreadable.
I knelt down beside Aunt Samantha.
"Thank you," I said, voice hoarse. "For everything. For believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. I know… I know I messed up. Uncle Mark is gone because of this. Because of me."
She didn't look at me. She just kept her arms around her daughter like she was trying to glue together a broken world.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so sorry."
A few seconds passed before she finally said something.
"No, Harper." Her voice was cracked but steady. "I'm the one who should apologize. I blamed you when I was drowning. But the truth is… you're a good person. You've done more than I ever could have."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
She looked at me then, for real this time. "Your father… he'd be proud of you."
That broke me.
Completely.
I covered my face as the tears poured. I didn't sob—I didn't even make a sound. But the tears fell like rain from a cloud that had held them in too long.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye to Maisie," she whispered.
I reached for her hand. "Neither did I."
We both sat there, surrounded by grief and relief and sorrow and peace.
Eventually, she pulled herself together.
"I'm leaving," she said. "Sophie and I. We'll go to another city. Somewhere quieter. Somewhere we can start over."
I nodded. "You deserve that. Both of you."
She pulled me into a hug. "Thank you, Harper. Thank you for giving me back my daughter."
When I stood up and stepped back, Sophie ran into my arms one last time. "Will I see you again?"
"You will," I whispered. "When all this is over."
She smiled and waved. I watched them disappear inside the house, the door clicking softly shut behind them.
Luna walked up beside me, her expression unreadable.
"You okay?" she asked.
"No," I answered. "But I will be."
We turned and walked down the path. It felt like the end of something. I didn't know what—but it wasn't peace. Not yet.
"You know Harper, everyone has their own story"
"Yeah. I know Luna, you have yours too. I'm sure"
She instantly became quiet. Maybe she didn't feel safe enough to share it with me.
"What's next for you now Harper? As for me, I don't have anything to live for so for now, I'll go wherever you go"
"Ha! Even i don't know what I'm living for anymore. But- this is far from over. It's time for revenge"
"Revenge?"
"Yeah. Whoever killed my father had to die as well. That is the real mission I want to complete"
"You have my support Harper and while that goes on, I can teach you a few moves. You're still pretty weak. I can teach you how to make your own blade as well"
"Really?"
"Yeah"
"Thank you. Honestly, I don't know where we can go to now".
"We'll think of something".
As we turned onto the next street, I felt someone grab me from behind.
A hand slapped over my mouth.
I gasped, ready to strike, but then I saw his face.
"Elias?" I said, my voice muffled.
He looked different.
Not just in appearance—though he was paler, and his eyes seemed darker—but in energy. There was something… off about him.
He removed his hand slowly, as if unsure whether to speak or run.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, stepping back.
He didn't answer immediately. He looked at Luna, who stepped forward protectively.
"It's okay," I told her, though my voice betrayed my doubt.
He looked at me like he hadn't seen me in years.
"We need to talk," he said. "Now."