218: So Help 218: So Help The air in Axel’s apartnt was thick with the scent of aged paper and ink.
The small space was dimly lit, the only source of illumination coming from a desk lamp that flickered slightly.
The table in front of him was a chaotic ss—books stacked high, their pages flipped open to various sections, old texts covered in dust, notes scribbled on loose sheets that were haphazardly scattered.
The faint rustling of pages accompanied the steady tap of his fingers against the wooden surface, an unconscious rhythm that mirrored his restless thoughts.
He hadn’t slept.
He hadn’t eaten much either.
His mind was consud by one thing—Raelynn.
Or, more specifically, her pregnancy.
Axel exhaled sharply, rubbing a tired hand down his face.
His fingers pressed against his temples as he leaned back against the creaky chair, tilting his head toward the ceiling as if the answer to his questions would be written there.
But there was nothing.
Just the faint hum of the outside world bleeding through his walls, distant and irrelevant.
Why was he obsessing over this?
It wasn’t his problem.
It shouldn’t be his problem.
But it was.
And he knew exactly why.
Because Elion wouldn’t leave her alone.
A scowl tightened Axel’s expression as he leaned forward again, eyes flicking between the words sprawled across the pages before him.
Mythical creatures.
Legends.
Forbidden bloodlines.
He had read most of these before—hell, he worked in a library full of knowledge, and yet he felt like he was missing sothing crucial.
Sothing buried in the words, sothing he had overlooked.
His fingers traced a passage from an ancient text, but his focus wavered.
He reached for another book, flipping through the brittle pages with a growing sense of frustration.
He wasn’t getting anywhere.
He needed more.
More information.
More clarity.
Sothing to tell him why this pregnancy felt… unnatural.
Minutes blurred into hours.
The lamp above him buzzed faintly, and his vision grew slightly blurred.
The strain of reading for so long had begun to weigh on him, but he didn’t stop.
He couldn’t stop.
Not to ntion… he couldn’t even reach Raelynn anymore.
His jaw tightened.
He had tried, multiple tis, to send her a ssage.
Just sothing—anything.
But every attempt failed.
Calls wouldn’t connect.
Texts wouldn’t go through.
It was as if so invisible force had severed the line between them, leaving him grasping at nothing.
And for so reason, his brain wanted to connect everything.
The pregnancy.
The unnatural feeling it carried.
The silence.
The lack of communication.
He knew better than to believe in coincidences.
Axel leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as thoughts swirled in his mind like an endless storm.
He hated this feeling—the gnawing unease that sothing was slipping beyond his control.
He needed to figure this out.
At so point, he pulled off his glasses and rubbed his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
His fingers massaged his tired eyes before he leaned back in his chair, tilting his head toward the ceiling once more.
This was getting him nowhere.
With a slow exhale, Axel reached for his phone, tapping the screen without hesitation.
Axel hesitated for a brief second, his thumb hovering over the screen.
He had been thinking about this for a while now, running through every possible option, every possible solution.
And though, at first, he hadn’t wanted to resort to this—he was left with no choice.
His fingers hovered over the contact list for a mont before he made his decision and pressed the call button.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then a click, followed by a familiar voice.
“Alex, my man,” the voice greeted smoothly, amusent lacing every word.
“It’s been a while.
Didn’t think I’d hear from you anyti soon.” Axel’s grip tightened around the phone, his gaze dark and unwavering as he stared at the ss of books before him.
“I need to see you.” A low chuckle ca from the other end.
“Oh?
Did you miss ?
I’m flattered.” Axel didn’t humor him with a response, his silence heavy.
The other man continued, his tone light, almost teasing.
“I’m cool with that, but I’m out on a mission right now.
Should be back in a few days.
Let’s grab a drink at that new bar that just opened—heard it’s nice.” “I don’t want to drink,” Axel said flatly.
“I need your help.” For the first ti, there was a pause.
Then, a slow whistle.
“Help, huh?
Now that’s interesting.” The man on the other end of the line let out a low chuckle.
“You know, I gotta ask—why not just ask your sister for help?” Axel shook his head instinctively, even though the other couldn’t see it.
His grip on the phone tightened.
“I don’t want Thalia involved in this.” There was a pause.
A considering silence.
Then, in a lazier drawl, the man said, “That so?” Axel exhaled sharply.
“Listen.
I need you to promise sothing.” Another pause.
“Depends on what it is.” “If you ever cross paths with Thalia,” Axel said, his voice firm, “don’t ntion that you’re eting .
No matter what.
Not a word about it.” A beat of silence stretched between them before the other man humd.
“Okay?
But why?” Axel set his jaw.
“Just do as I say.” The other man let out a low whistle again, clearly amused.
“Alright, alright.
No need to get all intense on .
You have my word—I won’t say a thing.” Axel didn’t respond imdiately.
He had expected more pushback, but the easy agreent only made him warier.
After a mont, the man laughed.
“Man, this must be serious.
You never ask for help.” Axel sighed.
“I don’t.” Axel’s expression remained stoic, his fingers curling into a fist against the table.
His jaw tensed, the muscles in his shoulders stiff.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
And he had a feeling it was only going to get harder.
His voice dropped lower, colder.
“It’s just…
this mission isn’t easy this ti.” And with that, the call ended.
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