Chapter 47 To pick between a bumper and a werewolf
THE NEXT MORNING
Dawn crept slowly over the quiet city, brushing pale gold light across the windows of the small apartment above the café. The world outside was just beginning to stir distant traffic, the faint hum of passing cars, the smell of roasted coffee drifting up from the shop below.
Inside, Kael stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled back, quietly arranging breakfast on the table. He moved with practiced calm, every motion deliberate slicing bread, pouring hot chocolate into ceramic mugs, setting fruit and honey in small bowls. He always did this himself. Simple rituals… the kind that made the world feel steady.
Footsteps sounded behind him. The bedroom door cracked open and Damon stepped out, stretching as he walked toward the dining space. His hair was tousled, his cloak gone, now dressed in borrowed clothes that looked strange on him, modern, unfamiliar,. but clean.
He paused, blinking at the table.
“Good morning,” Damon said brightly, curiosity flickering across his face as he stared at the unfamiliar dishes.
“Morning,” Kael replied without looking up, his tone calm but distant. “Sit.”
Damon lowered himself into the chair, leaning forward to study the food like it was some sort of magical experiment.
“What is… this?” he asked, pointing cautiously.
“Bread,” Kael answered. “And hot chocolate. It’s common here. Try it.”
Damon lifted the mug suspiciously then took a sip. His eyes widened instantly.
“This is—” He swallowed another mouthful, ignoring the steam rising off the cup. “This is incredible!”
He drank again faster as though he’d just discovered a potion of pure happiness.
Kael couldn’t help the faint hint of amusement warming his eyes.
“You’ll burn your tongue if you don’t slow down.”
Damon ignored him. For a few moments, only quiet chewing filled the room. Then Kael spoke.
“You never mentioned our parents,” he said softly. “Did they… send you to find me? Or did you not tell them?”
The warmth faded from Damon’s expression. The mug stopped halfway to his lips. His shoulders lowered. He set the cup down slowly.
Kael’s brows drew together.
“What happened?”
Damon exhaled.
“When you vanished… everything began to fall apart,” he said quietly. “The witches chose Vyrian’s side. With their magic, he became unstoppable more powerful than any ruler before him.”
He paused.
“They captured the leaders. All of them. Our parents included. The witches sealed them away somewhere… hidden beyond spells none of us can break. No one knows where they are or if they’re even still alive.”
Silence fell across the room like a cold shadow. Kael’s fingers tightened around his mug.
“So the council… the elders… everyone—”
“Gone,” Damon said, voice heavy. “Locked away. Our world lost its backbone overnight.”
The air thickened with grief. Kael swallowed hard.
“And the others?” he asked quietly. “The remaining top five?”
Damon rested back in his chair, thinking.
“Hunter and Juniper still lead the vampires,” he said. “They have a son now. Strong kid. Stubborn like both of them.”
A faint, sad smile touched Kael’s lips.
“And you?”
“I run the academy now,” Damon replied. “Echo teaches beside me. We… have a daughter too.”
Kael nodded slowly.
“And Sirena?”
“She married Xavier, Alpha of the wolf pack. They have a daughter as well.”
He hesitated before continuing.
“As for Azania… no one has seen her since the battle. Rumors say Vyrian keeps her hidden. But the child she bore…”
Damon’s voice dropped, serious.
“He’s at the academy. Cold. Powerful. Feared by everyone.”
Kael’s expression darkened.
“So much has changed.”
“Yes,” Damon said quietly. “And it will be difficult to ever make things normal again.”
He leaned forward.
“But that’s why Elara must come. She’ll be in good hands. I’ll watch her myself. Echo will train her personally. She’ll have allies friends, family. And… everyone will be glad to see you too. They’ve missed you more than you know.”
Kael stared down at the table a long moment. Then he spoke.
“I’m not coming,” he said softly.
Damon blinked.
“But Elara will go.”
Shock flickered across Damon’s face.
“You’re… sending her alone?”
“I thought all night,” Kael murmured. “And this is what’s best for her.”
Damon frowned deeply.
“Then why won’t you return? Don’t you want to come home?”
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“I will. Eventually. But not now.”
His voice lowered.
“If I go back… she becomes a target. My name still holds weight and enemies.”
He looked up, eyes firm.
“You must keep her identity hidden. No one must know who she truly is.”
Damon nodded slowly.
“I promise. I—”
The front door clicked open. Both men fell silent. Soft footsteps echoed across the hall. Elara emerged, hair messy from sleep, eyes faintly swollen from last night’s tears. She froze when she saw Damon seated at the table. Her lips parted slightly. Someone else was in their home.
Kael’s expression softened instantly.
“Good morning, Spark,” he said gently. “Come. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Elara stepped forward cautiously, curiosity and nervousness mingling in her expression. Damon rose from his chair as she approached, studying her quietly. Up close… he could see Lyra’s softness in her features and Kael’s spirit in her eyes.
“Spark,” Kael continued, “this is your uncle… Damon.”
Elara blinked in surprise. Uncle. She hesitated then bowed respectfully.
“It’s… nice to meet you, sir.”
Damon’s eyes softened, something warm breaking through his stoic posture.
“She’s so pretty,” he murmured not as a compliment, but as a quiet truth.
Elara blushed slightly and looked away.
.
.
.
Kael pushed the door open quietly and stepped into Elara’s room. The faint sound of her game filled the space, little beeps and background music echoing softly against the walls. She was sprawled on her bed, legs crossed, eyes glued to the screen as her thumbs moved rapidly over the controller.
He stood there for a moment, watching her. His daughter. His only child. The reason he was still breathing in this strange world.
A small smile touched his lips, but it faded almost immediately. Today was not an easy day.
“Spark,” he said gently.
Elara didn’t look up.
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t you going to school?” he asked.
“No,” she muttered without hesitation, still focused on defeating whatever monster was on her screen.
Kael sighed and moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. He didn’t speak for a few seconds. He was gathering strength, gathering courage he never thought he would need for this conversation.
“I have something to tell you,” he said quietly.
The tone of his voice finally made Elara pause. She slowly lowered the game pad and turned to face him. His expression wasn’t the usual calm one. His eyes looked tired… and sad.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
Kael swallowed. His fingers tightened around each other.
“We… are not from this world, Spark,” he said.
She blinked.
“What?”
“I came here when you were very young,” he continued.
Her brows knitted together. Her lips parted slightly. She knew her father had secrets, but she never imagined something like this.
“What do you mean… we’re not from this world?” she asked faintly.
Kael took a deep breath. His mind drifted back like a door opening to memories he spent years trying to bury. Back to the night everything began. Back to Lyra. Back to the woman he loved.
Lyra had been weak when the contractions started. The sky over the dark forest was covered with storm clouds, lightning cracking across the heavens like the world itself was protesting the birth that was about to happen. Her silver-blue hair was drenched in sweat, clinging to her pale cheeks. Her breathing came in short shaky gasps as Kael carried her through the ruins of the fallen city.
The war had already destroyed most of Elarion. Fires burned in the distance. Screams echoed in the wind. The witches’ magic crackled in the air like poison.
But Kael didn’t stop. He couldn’t. He had to save her. He had to save their child.
“Kael…” Lyra breathed weakly, gripping his shirt as another contraction hit.
“I’m here, Lyra. Just hold on. We’re almost safe,” he whispered, even though fear was stabbing through his chest.
They found shelter inside an abandoned stone temple hidden beneath twisted trees. The floor was cold. The walls were cracked. But it was quiet. It was hidden.
Lyra lay on the cloth Kael spread out, her hands trembling as she cried out in pain. Magic pulsed beneath her skin blue light running through her veins. The baby inside her carried ancient power. Power the witches wanted. Power Vyrian craved.
And that power was killing her.
Kael held her hand while she labored, whispering comfort, wiping tears from her face. Hours felt like years.
Then, at last, a small cry filled the room. The world stopped.
A tiny baby girl. Her hair glowed faint green under the dim light. Her little eyes fluttered open, bright emerald, shining softly like the moon against the water.
Lyra smiled weakly.
“Elara…” she whispered.
Kael’s throat tightened. As Azania wrapped the baby gently in cloth and placed her in Lyra’s arms.
“She’s beautiful,” Lyra breathed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
But her hands shook. Her breathing slowed. Her life was fading.
“Lyra… stay with me,” Kael begged, his voice breaking.
She smiled weakly and touched his face.
“You must protect her… Kael… Promise me… promise me you will take her somewhere safe… somewhere the people will never find her…”
“I promise,” he whispered, tears falling freely.
Lyra looked at the baby one last time.
“My little star…”
Her hand went still. Her eyes grew empty. And she was gone.
Kael cried silently, holding both of them, the woman he loved and the child he swore to protect.
His heart shattered that night. But he did not have time to grieve. The witches were searching. Vyrian’s soldiers were closing in.
He carried baby Elara close to his chest and Azania opened the forbidden portal, the one leading to the other world. A world without magic. A world where no one knew her face. No one knew her power. No one would hunt her.
Earth.
He stepped through the blinding light and left everything behind. His kingdom. His people. His life.
Everything… for her.
The memory burned like fire inside him as he sat beside Elara now. He finally looked up, meeting her stunned eyes.
“That… is how you were born,” he finished softly. “Your mother died protecting you. I brought you here because it was the only way to keep you safe.”
Elara stared at him, speechless. Her throat tightened. Her fingertips trembled slightly on the game pad.
He had never spoken about her mother before. Never. And now… she finally knew why.
“So… all this time… all those dreams I sometimes had… the blue-haired woman…” she whispered.
Kael nodded slowly.
“Yes. That is your mother, Lyra.”
A tear slid down her cheek before she realized she was crying. Kael moved closer and gently wiped it away.
“Now… it’s time to go back,” he said softly. “Back to our world. Back to the place where your powers belong. In this world, you feel strange… different… out of place. But there, Spark… there you will be normal. There are others like you. People who understand.”
Elara shook her head weakly.
“You can’t just expect me to leave the world I’m used to,” she whispered. “My life is here.… my school… everything I know…”
“I know,” Kael said gently. “And I won’t force you, Spark. The choice is yours.”
She looked at him in disbelief.
“Are… you coming?” she asked.
Silence.
Kael’s chest felt heavy.
“Not now,” he said quietly. “But I will. Soon.”
Her heart dropped.
“So you want me to leave you?” she said, voice cracking.
“No… that is the last thing I want. But if you stay here, it could be dangerous… and one day, someone will notice. Someone from our world may find you first. And they won’t protect you.”
Elara clenched her jaw.
“I’m not going,” she said stubbornly.
“I’m not leaving you.”
She picked up her controller again and started playing, even though her vision was blurry and her hands were shaking.
Kael watched her silently. His shoulders slumped. He stood up slowly, sadness weighing down every step as he walked out of the room.
Damon was waiting in the hallway.
“Did you tell her already?” Damon asked.
“Yes,” Kael sighed. “But she said she’s not coming.”
“So you agreed?” Damon raised a brow.
“Yes. I can’t force her,” Kael replied quietly.
“You’ve changed a lot,” Damon said softly.
“I’ll leave tomorrow morning. But first… I want to look around this strange world.”
“You can’t walk around like this. You’ll draw attention,” Kael said immediately.
He pulled Damon into his room, handed him clothes that matched the world better, and placed some money in his palm.
Damon smiled a little.
“Thank you, brother.”
He left.
Kael stood there for a moment, then inhaled deeply. He went downstairs. Opened his coffee shop.
And pretended… once again… That his heart wasn’t breaking.
.