CHAPTER 4 When the Past Knocks
"Who are you?" Keira asked.
Not to Daniel.
To Alaric.
Alaric looked at her—and did not answer.
There was no explanation. Only a gaze too full to be unraveled.
That silence… hurt more than any words.
Daniel grew more irritated.
"If you're not going to explain, get out."
Alaric remained silent.
But before the tension could explode—
Cassian moved swiftly. And without asking his king's permission, he stepped past Daniel, his movement too fast to be stopped.
And in one second, he pulled Keira into an embrace.
Tight.
As if, if he let go, the world would steal her again.
Keira froze. Her body stiff.
Daniel immediately yanked Cassian away roughly. "Hey! Let go!"
Kael moved on instinct, but Lucien stopped him with a light touch.
"Don't," Lucien whispered. "He's not a threat."
Cassian didn't fight Daniel.
He only looked at Keira from very close.
His eyes were red.
"You're alive…" his voice broke. "You're really alive."
Keira did not return the embrace.
Her hands hung at her sides.
She did not know this man.
But…
Her chest ached. As if an empty space had suddenly been touched.
"I don't know you," she said softly.
Cassian gave a faint smile. A broken smile.
"I know."
And that hurt more than rejection.
The monitor inside the room suddenly beeped faster.
Beep-beep-beep-beep.
Keira immediately ran to the bed and checked it.
Lucien turned sharply.
"Your Majesty," his voice more tense than before. "The portal."
The air in the hallway began to tremble.
Daniel stepped back. "What now?"
Behind Alaric, space began to crack.
A ring of dark light opened. But it was unstable—and not large.
The fractures trembled.
Their time was almost gone.
Kael immediately readied himself. "We cannot wait any longer."
Daniel stood in front of Keira again. "No one is going anywhere!"
For the first time, Alaric moved.
Not toward Keira.
Toward the portal.
He looked at it briefly. Then looked at Keira once more.
And still did not explain who he was.
Only one sentence left his lips.
"Forgive me."
Then everything happened too fast.
A magic circle appeared.
The hotel walls trembled softly. The lights flickered.
Daniel gripped Keira's hand tightly. "Keira, step back!"
But Kael had already moved.
With one swift motion, he pulled Keira.
Daniel instantly pulled her back.
"Let go!"
The force of it created a small vortex in the air.
Lucien raised his hand, trying to stabilize the portal that was on the verge of collapsing.
"We're running out of time!"
Cassian didn't want to hurt her.
But if the portal closed, he would never see his sister again.
"Sorry," he whispered.
And he pulled too.
Keira stumbled. Her foot touched the edge of the magic circle.
And the world changed temperature.
Cold.
Empty.
Daniel did not let go.
"KEIRA!"
He pulled her with all his strength.
The portal shook violently.
Lucien shouted, "Only those bound to the timeline can pass!"
Too late.
Daniel didn't care about the laws of time.
He only cared about Keira.
And when Kael pulled again, Daniel was dragged with them.
Alaric turned sharply. "What are you doing?!"
Lucien went pale. "He is not part of the balance—"
The portal narrowed drastically.
Light exploded.
Keira screamed.
Daniel was still holding her hand.
And in the final fraction of a second before the circle closed—
Two worlds collided.
Then total darkness.