77

77
Elowen Starfire.

Victor was no longer just a human child in my eyes.

He had become an unexpected, perhaps decisive, piece in this battle. Even there, dirty, his face pale, and his eyes bearing the weight of someone who had grown up amid violence, he retained what many older warriors had already lost: hope.

And courage.

My sister was still there, sitting on the floor... that black shadow around her...

I wanted to get her out of there... Looking at her like that made my heart ache. She looked at me as if I were the only one who could save her. And I wanted to be that for her.

I looked back at the boy and said.

“Do you understand the consequences of being on our side?” I asked the boy.

Was that the right thing to do? Allow him to join us?

Because if he was one hundred percent sure of that, I would have to protect him from his own family.

“I understand,” he replied without hesitation. "They will hunt me down for treason, my father... he will want to kill me with his hands.

But... I can't close my eyes anymore."

I looked at him more closely, his hair messy, his jaw clenched, and the thin scar under his eyebrow. There was too much pain in that small body, and yet he was facing all of this for Aeloria.

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my mind together; the weight of the decision hanging over us was unbearable. To free my sister, someone would have to give something in return...

“Elowen!” Aric's deep voice snapped me out of my trance. He was approaching quickly, still in his human form, his eyes scanning everything around him with a warrior's precision.

His body was tense, on alert. “We have company.”

“What are you talking about?” I frowned, instinctively placing myself between Victor and any invisible threat.

“I heard movement. They're a little far away, but wolves are coming,” he replied. “We can't risk being cornered before we save your sister.”

Ronnie and Render were already preparing, their weapons drawn and their posture rigid. Everyone around us seemed to feel time slipping through their fingers too quickly.

“I'll go with them,” Aric said, moving closer. There was something different in his gaze, an urgency, an anxiety he rarely let show. "We'll buy some time.

Do whatever it takes to get Aeloria out of here.“

”Aric..." I called, but the words stuck in my throat for a moment. I hated this part, the part where he went into danger and left me behind with silent promises.

He moved closer, very close, his eyes locked on mine. A second of silence between us, and then, an unexpected gesture.

His hands rested on my waist. I looked at his face that was so close to mine. He lowered his head, and then... it happened.

Our lips met... it was a calm and warm kiss... very warm.

A kiss that said... I'll be back soon.

But I was afraid he wouldn't return.

His lips released mine, and his arms wrapped around my body...

A warm, intense hug that set me on fire.

I pressed my hands against his back and rested my face on his chest.

His heart was beating fast; he was hot, very hot.

I closed my eyes and enjoyed that moment; I wanted it to last forever.

“Take care of her, Elowen,” he whispered in my ear.

“And you.”

I nodded, even though my throat was tight.

And then he was gone, with Ronnie, Render, and the other warriors. Bodies turning into wolves before they even disappeared through the passage that led to the tunnel. Victor watched me silently; he didn't say anything, but I understood what his eyes wanted to ask.

Do you trust me? Will you really fight with me at your side?

I didn't have all the answers, but for now, I trusted the present.

Not just the words he spoke, but the way he looked at my sister.

The way he chose to stay when it would have been easier to run away.

“You really are different from other humans,” I murmured, looking at him. “But if you want to stay here, you'll have to follow my orders,” he said firmly.

He nodded.

“I'll do everything possible to help, even if it means... facing those who created me.”

“You're strong, Victor. Not because of your lineage, but because you chose to do the right thing when no one else did.” I said, being sincere.

He lowered his eyes for a moment, and I thought he was going to remain silent; then he said:

"You know... when I was younger, I always thought heroes were big and invincible.

But now... I see that the real heroes are the ones who keep going even when everything is against them.“

Those words touched me more than they should have, perhaps because, without knowing it, he had described exactly how I felt.

”Come,“ I said, turning toward Aeloria. ”We need to find another way. If this spell requires a trade... then maybe there's a loophole. Let's do this without anyone having to sacrifice themselves.“

”Do you really think there's a way?“

”I don't know,“ I replied honestly. ”But I know I'll find out, because I'm not losing my sister, or you, or Aric. We're all getting out of here, together."

Aeloria watched me from inside the dark prison, her eyes, though weak, shining with a strength that drove me forward. It was for her and for all of us that I continued, and I would find a way.