The tension snapped.
Without warning
Alpha Varik moved.
Fast.
Brutal.
His fist came straight for Lira with full Alpha force no hesitation, no mercy.
Gasps erupted from the guards.
But Lira
Didn't step back.
Didn't dodge.
At the last second
She raised her hand.
And caught it.
Again.
Effortless.
The impact cracked the ground beneath their feet.
A visible shockwave pushed outward, forcing nearby guards to stumble back.
Varik's eyes darkened.
"You're confident," he growled.
Lira's grip tightened slightly.
"You're predictable."
With a sharp movement
She pushed him back.
Varik slid several steps before regaining his balance.
This time
He didn't smile.
His aura flared again, stronger, heavier, pressing against everything around him.
"You think stopping one attack proves anything?" he said.
Lira took a slow step forward.
"No."
Her silver eyes glowed brighter.
"But this will."
Suddenly
The wind around her shifted violently.
Not outward
Inward.
Everything began pulling toward her.
Energy.
Air.
Even the pressure Varik released.
"What… are you doing?" one of the guards whispered.
Ronan watched, eyes wide.
"She's not just resisting…"
"She's taking it."
Varik felt it instantly.
His power
Being pulled.
Absorbed.
Controlled.
His expression tightened.
"That's impossible."
Lira's voice echoed softly.
"Nothing about me is possible."
With a sudden motion
She released it.
A wave of compressed force slammed into Varik, sending him crashing backward into the ground.
Dust exploded into the air.
The guards shouted in shock.
"Alpha!"
Ronan let out a low breath.
"Yeah… he's in trouble."
Varik rose slowly from the ground, brushing dust from his shoulder.
Now
There was no arrogance left.
Only focus.
"You're not just strong…" he said.
"You're something else."
Lira didn't deny it.
Instead—
She stepped closer.
Her presence now overwhelming the entire area.
"You already knew that," she said quietly.
Varik's gaze hardened.
"Yes," he admitted.
"And that's exactly why you were killed."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Lira's eyes darkened.
"Careful," she said.
But Varik didn't stop.
"You were too powerful for the system we built," he continued. "Too unpredictable. Too uncontrollable."
Ronan frowned behind her.
"What is he talking about…?"
Lira's voice dropped lower.
"You helped destroy me."
Varik met her gaze.
"Yes."
No hesitation.
No regret.
That was the final line.
The air snapped.
Lira moved.
Faster than before.
She appeared in front of him in an instant—her hand gripping his throat.
Lifting him slightly off the ground.
Gasps filled the area.
The guards froze.
Unsure whether to attack… or run.
"You don't deserve to stand in front of me," Lira said, her voice cold and layered.
Varik didn't struggle immediately.
Instead
He smiled faintly.
"You still hesitate," he said.
That made her grip tighten.
"You hesitate to kill."
Lira's eyes flared.
"Don't test me."
"Then do it," he said.
Silence.
Tense.
Sharp.
But Lira didn't move.
Didn't finish it.
After a few seconds
She released him.
Varik dropped to the ground, coughing slightly but alive.
The guards looked confused.
Shocked.
Ronan watched carefully.
"You had him…" he said quietly.
"I know," Lira replied.
Varik straightened slowly, catching his breath.
"That's your weakness," he said.
Lira turned to him.
"No."
Her gaze was steady.
"It's my choice."
A pause.
Then she stepped closer again.
"But don't mistake that for mercy."
The wind swirled around her again, calmer now but still powerful.
"You're going to tell me everything," she said.
"Who else was involved… what really happened… and who is hunting me now."
Varik studied her for a long moment.
Then
He exhaled.
"You've already stirred the wrong forces," he said.
"Speaking won't save me."
Lira tilted her head slightly.
"Staying silent won't either."
Another silence.
Then
Varik gave a small, humorless laugh.
"Fair enough."
He looked at her directly.
"You weren't destroyed by one Alpha," he said.
"You were taken down by a council."
Lira's eyes narrowed.
"A council of Alphas… and something else."
Ronan stepped forward slightly.
"What do you mean something else?"
Varik's expression darkened.
"There were beings older than us… hidden behind the power you saw."
Lira's gaze sharpened.
"The one watching me…"
Varik nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The air grew heavier.
"They were there the night you fell."
Lira's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Then they're the ones I should be hunting."
Varik shook his head slightly.
"You don't understand."
His eyes locked onto hers.
"They're not just enemies."
A pause.
"They're the reason your power exists."
Silence.
Deep.
Unsettling.
Ronan frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"No," Varik said.
"It doesn't."
Lira stood still.
Thinking.
Processing.
Then
A faint, dangerous calm settled over her.
"Then I'll make it make sense."
She turned away from him.
The confrontation was over.
But the war
Had just expanded.
Behind her, Varik watched silently.
And for the first time,
There was no pride in his gaze.
Only concern.
Because he knew something Lira didn't fully understand yet.
The deeper she went…
The more dangerous it would become.