I woke to silence.
Not the kind that brings peace. But the kind that hangs heavy, like ash after fire. My body ached. My skin was cold. And when I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me wasn't the forest or the sky. It was marble.
Smooth. Polished. Familiar.
I sat up slowly, a gasp catching in my throat.
No...
This place. These walls, this air
It wasn't cold, it didn't give out scent of horror.
It was different it was Ukraine.
Not the war-torn fragments, but the hidden heart of it. The private corridors. The haunting stillness. The cold elegance of Luthor's mansion.
But Why..?
I swung my legs off the bed and stood on shaky feet, my heart thudding as I stepped toward the window. Outside, the pine trees loomed tall, and in the distance, I could see the valley where mountains stood tall just as I remembered.
I'd been here before. Many nights, many arguments. Many silences.
I remembered the heavy doors. The scent of pinewood and steel. The way the chandeliers never swayed.
But I never thought I'd see it again.
The door creaked open behind me. I turned, breath catching.
He stepped in.
Luthor.
Tall, composed, unreadable. His black cloak still dusted with ash, eyes just as sharp and strange as I remembered—one red, one gold.
"Luthor …?" My voice trembled. In surprise.
"Welcome home," he said simply, and the word shattered something in me.
Home..?
But that wasn't true. That world didn't belong to me anymore.
I stepped back. "Jareth—he… he died, didn't he?"
Luthor's jaw clenched. "Lucien's men are dead," he said, voice flat. "I killed them. But it was too late for him. Jareth."
The air left my lungs.
A sob clawed its way up my throat, but I swallowed it. I didn't want to cry. No, not here. Not in front of him.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, eyes stinging. "I ran from you. I didn't mean to I just…"
"Don't," he interrupted, crossing the room. He didn't touch me, not yet, but I could feel his presence like a current. "It's not your fault, Elira. It's Lucien. That's what he does. He twists people, makes them think they have no other choice."
I looked up at him, and for a moment, all the silence between us melted away.
I saw it then, what I hadn't before. The subtle ache behind his eyes. The way he looked at me like I wasn't just a burden or a mission.
Like I mattered.
His hand reached up, slow and hesitant, brushing a strand of hair from my face. I didn't move. Couldn't.
It wasn't love. Not yet.
But it was warmth.
And in this hollow place of grief, I clung to it.
Then came his words that gave me confront
"You're safe for now," he said softly. "But not for long. The world knows what you are, Elira. That there's a living Alpha. Every hand, every kingdom, every cursed bloodline will come for you."
My breath hitched. "Why?"
He didn't answer. His eyes darted away.
Still, then he moved and drew closer to me, his hands on my shoulder then he look at me.
"Don't worry I will protect you with my life this word was suppose to bring me confront. I was supposed to feel safe but I didn't.
Then silence fell between us
Quite yet was loud. Too loud.
I turned from him, pacing. My fists clenched at my sides. "No one else is dying for me. Not again."
"Elira.."
"No!" My voice cracked. "You don't get to decide anymore. I have power now. I feel it… burning inside me. Teach me. Help me control it."
He exhaled sharply, his expression hardening. "No."
"What?"
"I won't," he said, turning away. "You're not ready."
"I have to be ready!" I shouted, stepping in front of him. "Jareth died. My parents. My village. And I don't even know why I survived. You brought me here, you say you'll protect me. But you won't even tell me why!"
He didn't flinch. But something flickered in his eyes.
I backed away, fury twisting into pain. "If you won't help me, then I'll learn on my own."
"Elira."
"No. I'm done being everyone's broken little secret."
He stared at me, and for a second I thought he'd argue. But he didn't.
He just looked at me like I was becoming something new. Something he could predict nor define.
And maybe I was.
Because I wasn't the same girl who cried over setvastl. Cried over Kas, Cried over Jereth. Now I was different
I was more.
And I would not let anyone else die because I was too weak to fight.
Not again.