"No! Go back ho! Give a break!"
Lunara tried to turn Eryx around and push him back toward his car, but he wouldn’t budge.
"Listen to first..." Eryx held her hand gently. "I know you’re mad, but I can’t just leave you alone like this." His voice was soft, but he looked wrecked.
Lunara blinked in surprise. She had left him barely an hour ago, yet now he looked like soone who had lost everything, like the life had been drained out of him.
And for a mont, sothing inside her cracked. Her soul felt like it was breaking apart.
But she couldn’t afford to stall. Ti was slipping. She had to get Eryx to leave before Lucas ca back.
"Eryx," she said again, firr this ti. "You need to leave."
"I’m not going anywhere," he replied, calm but resolute. "I’m going to stay with you and explain everything, eventhough in the end you still hate —"
"I said... I am okay." She forced a laugh, trying to sound lighter than she felt. "So, whatever you are going to explain, please save it for tomorrow. Let clear my mind for a day."
"Okay, but I will stay. I will..." he paused and turned looking at his car, "I will sleep in the car."
She bit the inside of her cheek. He wasn’t giving her any option.
"No. I couldn’t even think and rest properly if you were here. Please... I needed air. And this place, this house, I loved it because it’s quiet. Okay..." She paused, slipping her hair behind her ear, "If you wanted to talk, co again in like two hours? I just needed ti to clear the ssy things that were giving a headache." Her words tumbled out too fast.
Eryx didn’t speak. He just kept looking at her. Narrowing his eyes slightly, like he could see through the hidden things she wanted to hide.
"Why won’t you just let be?" she said, voice cracking slightly. "Can’t you see I just need space?"
He reached out, brushing her hair back from her face. "Because you’re anxious," he murmured. "And I’ve never seen you like this."
Lunara’s throat closed up. Behind her, the faintest sound of the door next door being open could be heard.
Her pulse spiked.
No, no, no.
"Please, Eryx," she whispered now, stepping into him and placing both palms on his chest, as if she could physically push him away. "Just go back to your car. I swear I’ll be fine."
"Are you... hiding soone?"
The question was soft, uncertain. But it cut like a blade.
Lunara froze.
Eryx studied her. "Is there soone inside?"
She shook her head quickly. "No. No one’s inside."
Not technically a lie. No one was inside her house but not the one next door.
"Then why are you so scared?"
"I’m not scared!" she snapped, louder than intended.
Silence.
Eryx took a slow breath, his hand still holding hers. "Okay," he said finally. "I’ll go... if you promise you’ll call the mont you’re ready to talk."
Lunara blinked. Relief surged through her chest like a crashing wave. She nodded—too fast. "Yes. I promise. I just... I need a little ti."
He lingered for a mont longer, eyes still scanning her face, but then he finally stepped back.
"Okay," he repeated. "I’ll go."
And just as he turned, a voice floated to them from behind.
"Do you have a guest already?"
She stiffened.
That voice was too familiar and strange all at once.
Eryx froze mid-step. The tone, the cadence... it struck sothing deep in his mory. It had been years, but the sound echoed like it had only been yesterday.
He turned sharply.
And the mont his eyes landed on the man standing by the gate with the key in hand, he froze again. His breath hitched. His body locked in place.
Lucas stood under the slanting shadows of the early evening, casual and curious, unaware of the storm he had just stepped into.
Eryx’s eyes widened. Disbelief etched every corner of his face.
"Who are you?" The words left him before he could stop them, hoarse, almost inaudible.
"Eryx..." Lunara stepped forward, her hand wrapping around his arm. "Please." Her voice was soft, her touch trembling. She didn’t know what to say, how to soften the blow and how to give him sothing solid to hold onto as his entire world tilted.
Lucas tilted his head slightly, eyes flickering between them.
"I didn’t an to interrupt," he said slowly, carefully. "I just ca to get the spare key. Mother keeps it at my place."
Eryx’s breath caught again.
"Mother?" The word slipped from his lips in a stunned whisper.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, confused. "Hmm..." He nodded, casual. "My mother, Regina. I guess... you know her too?" He let out a soft, awkward chuckle. "Surprisingly, I’ve t a lot of people who know my mom ever since I moved here. Kinda strange, actually."
Eryx’s mouth opened, but no sound ca out. His mind was racing, heart pounding. This can’t be real.
Lunara felt his muscles tense beneath her hand. Her grip on his arm tightened.
"Eryx..." she whispered, almost pleading now, "let’s go."
But Eryx couldn’t move. His eyes were locked on Lucas, searching for an answer for this madness.
"Lucas..." he said again, his voice barely a breath. "Is that your na?"
Lucas blinked, surprised. "Yeah. Lucas—"
"Lucas Allan Grantham," Eryx cut him off, his voice tight, almost disbelieving.
Lucas’s brows drew together. He stared at Eryx, blinking rapidly, like trying to process words in a language he hadn’t heard in years. The na sounded right, but only in the way a dream feels real right before it fades.
"I’m... really sorry," Lucas said after a beat, voice lower now, tinged with uncertainty. "But... Do you know ?"
Eryx’s jaw clenched. His gaze scanned Lucas’s face as if searching for so tiny, irrefutable detail that would confirm it wasn’t just a hallucination, a cruel joke of grief.
Lunara felt the cold knot of dread twisting tighter in her stomach. She stepped closer to Eryx, grabbing his arm again, trying to anchor him. "Hey, breath... calm down." she whispered urgently.
Eryx staggered back a step, eyes wide. "No. You died. You—" He shook his head, breath shallow. "I buried you..."
Lucas looked completely lost now. "I’m sorry... what?"
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