Von nodded slowly, his gaze never leaving hers.
Lyra's face fell, eyes darkening with fear. "Eryn will find out, Von. You know how he is—he has eyes and ears everywhere. He'll kill you this ti, no hesitation." She gripped her arms tightly, her hands trembling as she spoke.
Von chuckled lightly, brushing off her concern with his usual reckless air. "He can't do anything. The rules of the competition forbid interference—rember? The oath protects us."
Lyra's worry deepened as she shook her head, her voice a whisper. "You don't understand, Von. He doesn't need to break the rules himself. Eryn has connections, powerful ones. He'll send soone else to do the dirty work." Find exclusive stories on empire
Von only laughed again, but this ti it was hollow, laced with the weight of a man who had stared death in the face far too many tis.
Lyra's worry grew; she knew Von had always been careless, always gambling with his life like it was nothing more than a coin to be tossed. He had never truly feared the consequences.
When Von was cursed and exiled, he laughed in the face of it all, treating it like nothing more than a cosmic joke. His life had always been a ga of twisted fate, and this? Just another roll of the dice.
He shrugged off the scorn, the isolation, as if it were a passing inconvenience rather than a life-altering punishnt. With his signature grin, he embraced the uncertainty, making his exile seem like a grand adventure rather than a tragedy.
But that was Von.
Those who knew him well understood that beneath that lighthearted facade, his strength lay in his willingness to endure anything—absolutely anything—if it ant protecting the ones he love.
For Lyralithra, he would have let the world crumble around him. The curses, the banishnt, the weight of a crown he never wanted—none of it mattered. Not if it kept her safe.
In his mind, fate was just another ga, and he'd already decided how he would play it. If sacrificing his na, his title, and his very freedom ant sparing her from harm, he would bear it all without hesitation.
Because for Von, it was never about the curse—it was about her. It always had been.
And that, more than anything, made Lyra's heart constricted with pain and guilt.
"That's why I'm here," Von said, his voice suddenly hardening, his playful deanor fading as a determined look settled on his face. He took a step closer, eyes locking with Lyra's. "Lyra, I have to win this contest."
Lyra's heart sank. She knew what this ant. She knew what he was truly after, and it tore at her.
Her throat tightened as she stepped away from him, moving toward the window, shaking her head.
"No . . . no, Von," she whispered, almost to herself. Her voice was thick with sorrow, each word dragging as if it hurt to say.
"Why do you have to do this? You don't need this. You can go back to a normal life—just leave all this behind. Forget about the contest. If it's money you need, I'll give it to you in secret. Please .
. . just please live your life in peace." Her voice broke as she looked back at him with pleading eyes.
Von stood firm, unmoved. His expression was resolute. "Lyra, I've been in exile for years. Our kind has hunted like a beast ever since. Not just them. I've spent my life running, never knowing where I could safely rest my head.
Do you really think I have a ho to return to and leave a life of peace?" His voice was low, filled with hidden pain. "I'm cursed, Lyra. My own people exiled . Do you think other race will accept ? There's no ho for soone like ."
Lyra's face contorted with guilt, her lips trembling. "It's because of . . . because of what I did . .
."
Von stepped forward, shaking his head. "No. This was my choice. I made it so you wouldn't have to. And I don't regret it. I would do it again if I had to.
But this ti, Lyra . . . this ti, I think I've finally found sothing that feels like ho."
Lyra paused, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Ho? You've . . . found friends?" she asked hesitantly.
A soft chuckle escaped Von's lips as he thought of Horizon and their ragtag group. "In a way, yes. I don't think he knows the full truth about yet, but I'm sure he senses sothing's off. I an, everyone who dabbles in blood magic is cursed, right?" He laughed quietly. "But he wasn't afraid of . He wanted us to build sothing together—a place we can call our own."
Lyra looked at him with disbelief. "You speak of this person with such fondness."
Von t her gaze. "Well, he isn't that hard to like."
"I see . . ." Lyra said softly, her eyes filled with conflicted emotions. "But building a ho . . .
can't you do that without entering the competition? Why take this risk? Is it because of the huge prize money?"
Von sighed, his gaze dropping for a mont before he looked up at her again. "It's not just about building a ho, Lyra. It's about winning. We want to win the contest to be recognized, to beco sothing more than just outcasts. A guild, a future."
Lyra's heart ached, hearing the desperation in his voice. She had known Von for so long, hearing him drift from place to place without ever really settling. He had always been a wanderer, cursed to roam with no place to truly call his own.
But now . . . now it seed he had found sothing worth fighting for.
"Von . . . must you really do this?" Her voice was soft, filled with worry.
Von's expression hardened once again. "I have to, Lyra. I thought I could co back to you soday . . . that we could be together again if things cald down.
But we both know that isn't going to happen anymore, do we?"
Lyra's lips trembled, tears threatening to fall again, but she couldn't speak. She knew he was right.
Von stepped forward, his hand outstretched. His voice was soft but firm. "It's ti, Lyra. You need to give back my heart."
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