Eryx stood still for a few monts before stepping back and turning to leave the room.
"Eryx..." Regina called after him, hurrying to follow. But Eryx’s strides were long and quick, his silence heavier than anything he could’ve said.
She stopped at the doorway, only then realizing, they hadn’t been alone.
Everyone had been listening.
Naomi stood nearby, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Lunara was beside her, eyes wide as the pieces started to fall into place.
Naomi took a step toward the room and stopped at the threshold. "So... you pretended to lose your mories?" she asked, her gaze locked on Lucas, who stood frozen where he was.
Lunara, anwhile, turned without a word. Her breath caught as realization dawned, and she rushed down the stairs, her only thought was to catch up to Eryx.
Eryx gripped the wheel tightly, the engine already humming beneath his fingers. The headlights cut through the dusk of the garage as he shifted into reverse, eyes fixed ahead on anything but the house he was desperate to escape.
But before he could move, a figure darted out of the shadows.
He hit the brakes with a jolt.
Lunara stood directly in front of the car, both hands braced against the hood, her breath fogging up the cool air. Her eyes locked with his through the windshield, wide, burning, confused. And hurt.
He stared at her, unmoving, a war waging behind his eyes.
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t move.
Instead, she mouthed the words, "Don’t go."
Eryx exhaled sharply, then leaned over and rolled the window down just enough for his voice to reach her.
"Lunara," he said, trying to keep his tone calm, "move."
She shook her head, her hands still firmly on the hood.
"Not until you promise," she said. Her voice trembled, but her stance was unyielding. "Wherever you’re going tonight... I’m going with you."
He blinked at her, taken aback.
"You don’t even know where I’m going."
"I don’t care," she said, her eyes eting him through the narrow slit of glass. "You want to leave? Fine. Then take with you. Otherwise, you’re not getting past ."
A beat passed. The engine idled between them, like a breath held too long.
Eryx looked away, jaw tightening. "I need ti to think. To clear my head."
"I’ll help you clear your head," Lunara said firmly, her eyes never leaving his. "You didn’t leave alone when I needed to do the sa."
Eryx let out a quiet scoff, barely a breath. "This is different."
"No," she replied, stepping even closer, her voice unwavering. "It’s exactly the sa. You stayed for . So now, I’m staying for you."
The silence that followed was no longer heavy.
Eryx exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. His eyes flickered up to her, frustrated and conflicted.
"You don’t understand," he murmured. "If you co with , I can’t promise you anything."
"Who asked for promises?" Lunara’s voice softened but didn’t waver. "I just want the seat beside you. We can drive in circles till sunrise if that’s what you need. But you’re not doing it alone."
Eryx shut his eyes, shoulders sinking. For a long mont he didn’t move. Then, with a resigned breath, he leaned over and unlocked the passenger door.
"Get in," he said, voice rough.
Lunara didn’t hesitate. She circled the hood, opened the door, and slid inside.
The garage lights washed over them as Eryx shifted into gear.
"Are you okay?" Lunara asked gently, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them.
Eryx didn’t answer right away. He just shot her a sideways glance, sharp, exhausted, edged with disbelief.
"Do I look okay to you?" he muttered, voice clipped. "I just ripped open wounds that took years to pretend didn’t exist."
Lunara looked down at her hands folded in her lap, then back at him. "You didn’t have to pretend with ."
He let out a bitter breath, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "That’s the problem. I never knew how not to."
Eryx’s jaw clenched as he turned onto the empty road, the night swallowing them in silence again. His knuckles whitened against the steering wheel, and the muscle in his jaw ticked.
Lunara watched him quietly, letting the hum of the tires fill the space between them before she spoke again.
"You don’t have to fight too," she said softly.
"I’m not—" he cut himself off with a sharp breath. "I’m not fighting you, Lunara. I’m fighting everything. And I’m tired."
"I know," she whispered. "That’s why I’m here."
His eyes stayed locked on the road ahead, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease. He was angry—at himself, at the years he lost, at the way everything had unravelled tonight. And yet... when she slowly reached over and placed her hand over his, he didn’t pull away.
Her touch was light, steady. Anchoring.
"I’m not asking for answers," she said. "Just let sit with you in the dark. Until the storm inside you passes."
Eryx’s eyes flickered toward her.
Just a glance but it was enough.
Sothing inside him cracked.
His lips parted like he wanted to say sothing to her, sothing to push her away again but nothing ca out. He knew he couldn’t do it. She was his anchor, soone to keep him sane for now. His breath hitched, the weight of everything he’d buried finally pressing too hard against his chest.
He slowed the car, pulling over to the side of the quiet road. The engine humd into stillness.
"I tried," he whispered, voice raw. "I tried to hold it all together. I thought if I kept going, if I kept moving forward... maybe I won’t fall apart."
He turned toward her fully, the anguish finally bleeding through his guarded expression.
"But I did," he choked. "I already did."
Lunara didn’t say anything. She simply unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned across the console, wrapping her arms around him, gently, firmly, like she was gathering up every broken piece of him.
Eryx didn’t resist.
His head dropped against her shoulder, breath shaking. And in the quiet cocoon of the car, with no one watching and nothing left to hide behind, Eryx finally let himself break.
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