"You won't face it alone." That was the last thing he said, and something about it snapped. A quiet laugh escaped me—not angry, not amused, just empty. "Alone?" I repeated softly, and before he could respond, the air shifted again. That same pressure returned, heavier this time, closer. The shadows appeared without warning, not forming, not rising—just there, watching. "Perfect timing," I muttered, lifting my hand. The light came instantly, sharp and unstable, spilling past my fingers. "Elara—stop." "No." My voice didn't shake. "I finally get it." The light flared brighter, threatening to break loose. "You trained me for this, right? Then let me finish it." The shadows didn't attack. They didn't move. They just waited—and that was enough to break something in me.
Lucien stepped forward then, calm in a way that only made it worse. "Leave." The word wasn't loud, but it carried. The shadows froze, then slowly stepped back—obedient—and vanished. Just like that. Silence followed. The light in my hand flickered and died. I stared at the empty space for a second before turning to him. "You could do that?" I asked quietly. He didn't answer. He didn't need to. I nodded slowly, something hollow settling deep in my chest. "So all this time…" I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "you could've just made them leave." "Elara—" "No." I shook my head. "This was never about them." The realization didn't hit all at once—it sank, slow and heavy. "You're not training me for the shadows." His silence confirmed it. That was enough.
Something inside me didn't shatter—it just… gave way. I let out a slow breath. "So that's it," I said quietly. "I'm going to die." "Elara." There was no fear in it, no panic—just a calm acceptance that felt worse than either. "Not today," I added softly. "Not tomorrow. But eventually." He stepped closer, tension in his voice now. "That's not—" "I know," I cut in, my tone steady. "I don't need the full explanation. I understand enough." I looked at him, and for the first time, there was nothing behind my expression. "I get stronger… they find me. And whatever 'they' are… they're not something I win against." Silence answered me. I nodded once. "Okay."
"That's not how this works," he said. "I'm done." The words came easily—that was the problem. "I'll stop training." His expression shifted immediately. "Elara—" "I won't use it," I continued, cutting him off. "Not for you. Not for this. Not for anything." His gaze sharpened. "You don't get to decide that." "I just did." The silence that followed turned sharp. "You think ignoring it will change anything?" he asked. "No," I said simply. "I just don't care anymore." That landed harder than anything else. He didn't respond immediately this time.
"I had a life," I said quietly. "It wasn't perfect. It wasn't easy. But it was mine." My fingers curled slightly at my sides. "And now it's just… this." I shook my head faintly. "I don't want it." The honesty in that hung heavy between us. He stepped closer. "Elara." I didn't move. Didn't look at him. "Take me back," I said. A pause. "…Now." For a moment, it felt like he might refuse. Then the world shifted. The ground disappeared, the cold faded—and I was back. Everything looked the same. Nothing had changed. Except something inside me had gone quiet. And this time… I wasn't trying to fix it.