The soft beeping of the monitor filled the room like a metronome ticking to the rhythm of fate. Lysandra lay unconscious in the infirmary bed, her face pale but serene, chest rising steadily with each breath. The sterile scent of herbs and elite-enhanced medicines lingered in the air.
Carlos stood by the glass window outside, arms crossed tightly, brows drawn in thought.
Behind him, footsteps echoed gently. Alaric appeared in his usual composed silence, the heavy air between them already charged with what needed to be said.
Carlos broke the quiet.
> "Did you know her before?"
"Before she awakened as Selene?"
Alaric's crimson eyes flickered toward the door behind the glass where Lysandra lay.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then, his voice came low and deep.
> "Yes… I knew her. As Lysandra. The girl Caveen was supposed to marry."
Carlos turned his head slowly, surprise flickering in his usually unreadable eyes.
> "Supposed to?"
Alaric nodded slowly.
> "They were in love. Deeply. Desperately. The kind of love that defied bloodlines, laws, even fate."
He walked toward the window, placing one gloved hand against the glass as if touching memories only he could see.
> "She was once pregnant with his child. But the Council… they didn't approve. A hybrid and a witch from Moonwell Clan, a powerful lineage that have the power to cheat death? It broke every rule. Every boundary."
Carlos's jaw clenched as he listened.
> "The Council tried to separate them. Threats. Isolation. But they held onto each other."
Alaric's voice grew heavier, like lead dragged across the soul.
> "Then came the order—execution. They sent the black arrow."
Carlos went stiff.
> "The black arrow? That's—"
> "—meant to kill a witch instantly," Alaric finished, his tone dark. "But Caveen shielded her with his own body."
Carlos's eyes widened.
> "He died?"
Alaric shook his head, eyes distant.
> "A hybrid can't die from it. But he entered a cursed slumber. The kind you don't wake from… unless your will overpowers the curse."
Carlos took a step forward.
> "So how did he come back?"
Alaric exhaled, pain in the curl of his mouth.
> "She brought him back. Lysandra used forbidden blood magic. She sacrificed something… precious."
Carlos already knew.
> "The child," he whispered.
Alaric nodded. His crimson eyes dimmed.
> "She gave up their unborn child to revive him. When Caveen woke up… all he felt was grief. Rage. Betrayal."
Carlos lowered his gaze.
> "He blamed her."
> "He hated her," Alaric replied. "Left her. Said she chose wrong. He never forgave her, and he buried her from his heart."
Carlos's jaw twitched, his expression torn between understanding and silent fury.
> "And now? What of now?"
Alaric turned to him fully.
> "Caveen moved on. He married a human. Invited me to the wedding just last month… but I couldn't go. Seraphine awakened around the same time."
Carlos's throat tightened.
> "And Lysandra?"
> "Lived quietly in the human realm. I heard she was seeing someone… a normal man. It seemed she tried to live again."
Silence passed between them, heavy and aching.
Carlos's eyes flicked toward the woman resting behind the glass.
> "Did you know?" he asked. "That she's Selene?"
Alaric closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head.
> "No. I didn't. I never imagined… that the sister I thought we lost—Selene, the Progenitor of our line—would return through her."
He stepped back, the truth unraveling a millennium of fate.
> "I mourned Selene centuries ago. And yet… here she is. Living. Broken. Pregnant."
Carlos looked down, his fingers twitching at his sides.
> "And she's all alone."
Alaric's voice dropped to a whisper.
> "Not anymore."
And just then, a weak groan came from within the infirmary.
Carlos turned swiftly, gaze sharpening. Through the window, he saw Lysandra stirring.
Her hand moved over her stomach, instinctively cradling the life now growing inside her. A tear slid from the corner of her eye.
Lysandra stirred, lashes fluttering before her eyes slowly opened. For a moment, she lay still—lost in the haze between dream and memory. But then, the heaviness in her chest, the ache in her lower abdomen, and the inexplicable warmth… it all returned.
She blinked.
A single tear slipped down her cheek.
> "No," she whispered, her voice trembling. "It wasn't just a dream…"
Her hand reached instinctively to her stomach.
And there it was again—a flutter, so faint, but so alive.
She sobbed. A sound raw and unfiltered, echoing into the still room.
The door creaked.
Carlos entered first, followed by Alaric. Both men were composed, but beneath their calm expressions, a current of concern and protectiveness swirled.
Lysandra's breath caught in her throat.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
Carlos was the first to break the silence, his voice low and tender.
> "How are you feeling?"
Lysandra lowered her eyes, unable to answer.
Alaric stepped closer, arms crossed but gaze softened.
> "You don't have to explain anything to us," he said. "We came to make sure you're safe. That you're not alone."
Carlos glanced at Alaric, then looked back to Lysandra and took a step nearer.
> "And… you don't have to say who the father is," he added gently. "Not unless you want to. You don't owe anyone that."
Her lip quivered.
Carlos took a breath, keeping his voice light and careful, like approaching a wounded bird.
> "You're welcome to stay at Ravenshade Manor… for as long as you want. It's your home too, Lys."
That was it.
Lysandra's composure broke. Her face twisted as the tears returned, hot and silent. Her fingers clutched the sheets under her, like a child afraid to fall.
Carlos couldn't bear it any longer. He stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. She didn't resist. She collapsed into him, sobbing against his shoulder, trembling like a fragile leaf in a storm.
> "I'm sorry…" she choked between sobs. "I didn't mean… I didn't think this would happen again…"
Carlos shushed her softly, his voice cracking just slightly.
> "Hey… it's okay. You don't need to apologize. You don't need to be strong right now."
He held her tighter, rubbing gentle circles along her back like he used to when she was young and afraid of thunder.
> "You don't need to face it alone. We are always at your back, little sister."
Lysandra clung to him like a lifeline. The warmth of his embrace, the sincerity in his voice—it made the walls around her heart shatter.