Ivy's heart thundered inside her chest so loudly she was certain the very walls must hear it. The silence hanging in the room felt unbearably heavy, a thick, suffocating weight pressing down on every breath she took. Lucianna's words still echoed sharply and cruelly, slicing into her skin like invisible daggers with every passing second.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to turn slowly toward Kael. Her voice trembled but remained stubbornly firm. "Take me back to my cottage. Now."
Kael's eyes locked onto hers wide, searching, the tension tightening every line of his expression as if the words themselves caused him pain. "Ivy…"
She cut him off, the resolve in her voice hardening like steel. "There's no reason for me to stay any longer." She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, as if trying to shield her fragile heart from the unbearable weight pressing down on it. "You've done enough."
His body stiffened, every muscle taut as if bracing against a storm he could neither stop nor control. "What are you saying?" His voice was sharp, nearly desperate.
"I shouldn't be here," she said, voice rising with a mixture of pain and frustration. "You brought me here, Kael—without my consent—into a world where I'm nothing but a trespasser. A place where I'm not wanted. I didn't ask for any of this."
Kael took an agonized step closer, the desperation breaking through his usual stoicism. "Ivy, I couldn't leave you there. I… I didn't know what else to do. I thought… I thought you'd be safe here."
Ivy let out a hollow, bitter laugh that echoed through the tense room, shaking her head slowly. "Safe? Safe, Kael? In your kingdom?" She gestured toward the door, her eyes sharp as they followed the furious exit Lucianna had made just moments before. "Where even your wife wants me gone? Where I don't belong?"
Her breath hitched, raw emotion crashing over her like relentless waves. "Did you even stop to think about what this would mean for me? What this life would do to me?"
Kael's hand reached out toward her, trembling. But she recoiled instinctively, taking a cautious step back. "Ivy, please." His voice was raw, strained with fear and pleading.
She looked up at him, eyes glossy with unshed tears shimmering like fragile glass. "I don't belong in your world, Kael. And you… you don't belong in mine."
The words landed like a physical blow. His shoulders sagged, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Ivy, don't do this."
From the shadows, Lysara stepped forward, her expression unreadable but her voice cutting through the charged silence. "Ivy…" she began cautiously.
But Ivy shook her head, brushing off even the faintest offer of comfort. "I don't want to be part of this war between you and your father. I don't want to be the cause of Lucianna's pain, or your shameful secret." Her voice cracked on the last words, revealing how deeply this tore at her.
Kael's hands trembled at his sides, voice barely above a whisper. "That's not what you are."
She pressed her lips together, whispering almost inaudibly, "Take me back to my cottage. Now."
Kael's breath hitched, shallow and uneven, as his mind raced with everything he wanted to say, everything he longed to do. His instincts screamed to hold her, to refuse, to fight anything to keep her here. But the haunted look in her eyes, the way she was already saying goodbye, terrified him more than any enemy ever could.
Lysara sighed softly, her gaze flickering between the two with a knowing finality. "You need to decide now, Kael."
He looked at Ivy his entire world teetering on the edge of collapse.
A deep, guttural growl of frustration rumbled low in his chest, but he forced himself to close the distance. Ivy stiffened, bracing herself, but he didn't give her a chance to pull away.
"Hold on to me," he said, voice low, rough, and almost pleading.
She hesitated, hands trembling at her sides like fragile leaves caught in a storm.
"Ivy, please." His voice cracked, raw and desperate.
Ivy exhaled shakily, lips pressed into a thin, fragile line. She said nothing more but placed a tentative hand on his arm, barely gripping him as if any more contact might shatter her completely.
Kael's jaw tightened, resolve hardening like tempered steel. He slid an arm around her waist, holding her as if letting go would mean losing her to the wind. Then, with a sharp, controlled breath, he summoned his power.
An unnatural chill swept through the room, a cold breeze skittering across Ivy's skin, raising goosebumps along her arms.
Suddenly, the world shifted.
They were back.
Ivy gasped, bare feet landing softly on familiar earth. The scent of damp soil, wildflowers, and the gentle warmth of her small cottage wrapped around her like a protective cloak.
Without hesitation, she pulled away the moment they landed, putting as much distance between them as she could. It was as if sharing the same air now was unbearable.
Kael's chest tightened painfully. He had never felt so powerless.
Ivy turned to face him again, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Thank you," she said quietly, voice devoid of warmth or gratitude.
Kael's eyes darkened with unshed pain. "Don't do this, Ivy."
"There's nothing left to do, Kael." She swallowed hard, throat tight. "You made your choice. Now it's time I make mine."
His breath came quick and shallow, mind screaming to find the right words, anything to make her stay. But deep down, he knew he had dragged her into enough darkness.
A muscle in his jaw twitched with bitter defeat. Slowly, he took a step back, never breaking eye contact. "I'll come back."
Ivy's eyes flashed with something fierce and unreadable. "Don't."
Kael's heart clenched as if squeezed in an invisible vice. But he didn't argue. Didn't fight. Not this time.
With one last lingering look, heavy with sorrow and longing, he vanished into the night, leaving Ivy standing alone in the place she'd always called home.
Yet for the first time, it didn't feel like home at all.
---
Kael materialized silently in his chambers. Darkness swallowed him whole the cold quiet wrapping around his skin like a cloak. But this silence did nothing to soothe the storm raging inside him.
His hands twitched at his sides, fists clenched so tight he could feel the strain in his fingers. The air still smelled faintly like her—soft, sweet, and achingly close. He could almost hear her voice, trembling and broken, telling him not to return.
His fingers curled, claws threatening to tear through his skin. The raw edge of fury and helplessness mingled inside him, coiling tighter and tighter.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
Soft. Hesitant.
The door creaked open, and two armored demon guards stepped inside, their faces taut with tension.
"My lord," the older one began, voice calm but urgent. "The King requests your presence in the throne hall."
Kael didn't move, didn't turn. "Not interested."
The guards exchanged glances, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.
"My lord… this is a direct summon. He insists it be now."
Kael's shoulders tensed, voice cold as ice. "Then he can insist until he's dust."
The room fell heavy with silence before the younger guard's tone shifted, firmer now. "My prince, you must understand this is not a request. It is a command from the King himself."
Kael turned slowly, eyes shadowed and hard. "I don't care what he calls it. I'm not going."
The older guard stepped forward, sword drawn slowly but firmly. "We are under strict orders. If you refuse, we are to bring you by force."
Kael's gaze flicked to them, deadly calm, a flicker of savage power igniting in his golden eyes. "Try."
That was his last warning.
The younger guard's hand went to his sword, trembling but determined. The older one mirrored him, more cautious but resolute.
"Forgive us, Prince Kael," the elder said, voice laced with regret. "But we cannot leave without you."
The younger guard stepped forward, blade halfway drawn.
Kael watched silently, unreadable, eyes shifting into blood red. His claws slid out from his fingertips like gleaming blades.
In a blur, Kael's hand shot out, grabbing the sword arm mid-air before the blade could rise. He crushed it with a sickening squeeze.
The soldier screamed in pain, but Kael didn't relent. His clawed hand pierced through the demon's chest.
Flesh tore.
Heart shattered.
The guard crumpled to the floor, lifeless.
Silence engulfed the room again broken only by the heavy, ragged breathing of the surviving soldier.
The older guard stood frozen, sword raised but eyes betraying fear beneath his rigid pride.
Kael stepped forward, voice a low growl. "Still think you can drag me?"
The man's hands shook slightly on the hilt, but he held firm.
"You murdered your own soldier…" he muttered, voice trembling.
Kael smirked coldly as he closed the distance, towering over the man. "He drew first."
They clashed.
The guard was skilled ducking low, slashing upward, blade grazing Kael's side. But Kael didn't falter. Pain was nothing. The wound healed almost instantly.
With a brutal shove, Kael slammed the guard into the stone wall. The impact cracked through the chamber, blood splattering as the guard coughed violently. His sword clattered to the floor.
Kael grabbed him by the collar, lifting him with one hand.
He leaned in close, voice low and dangerous. "Tell the King… I don't take orders from anyone. If he wants me, let him come himself."
He shoved the guard away, letting him collapse in a broken heap beside his fallen companion.
Kael turned toward the window and stared out into the black night. The wind whispered secrets through the glass, but he said nothing.
Finally, without turning, he spoke quietly. "Bring me Levi."
---
Minutes later, the door opened with a soft creak, and a tall demon with sharp, calculating eyes stepped inside. He bowed his head immediately upon seeing Kael.
"My lord," Levi said, voice steady, controlled.
Kael didn't glance at him. "Clean this up."
Levi's gaze shifted to the bloodied floor, the lifeless bodies sprawled across the stone. No surprise crossed his face. No questions.
"As you command."
Kael finally turned, face calm but dangerous.
"Burn the bodies. Leave nothing behind. And warn the guards outside if another dares enter this room without my summons, I'll rip out their tongues before they can speak."
"Yes, my lord," Levi answered promptly, already moving to obey.
Kael passed by without another word. Beneath the surface, he could feel his demon threatening to come out. But for now, he held it tightly leashed.