The silence was deafening after Viktor fell to the ground, clutching at his side where blood seeped through his fingers. For a fleeting moment, it felt as though the entire world had paused, frozen in time like every breath Selene took was measured, every movement a quiet echo of the choices she had made.
Viktor wasn't dead. She knew that. He wasn't someone who would easily fall. But seeing him stagger, the shock in his eyes, was enough to make her heart race. She hadn't anticipated seeing him like this, vulnerable. For a moment, it made her wonder just how far she was willing to go to finally be free of his grasp.
Cassian's hand gripped her arm, pulling her back as he stared at Viktor. "Don't get too close," he warned, his voice low but sharp, eyes flicking back and forth, scanning for any sign of movement.
Selene didn't need reminding. She was already moving away, her heart hammering in her chest. Her pulse was a constant drumbeat, her mind still processing everything that had just happened. Had she really just slashed Viktor with a blade? Was she really free? Or was this the beginning of something far worse?
Viktor, despite the blood, began to laugh. A deep, unsettling chuckle that made Selene's skin crawl.
"You think this changes anything?" His voice was rough, but there was a dark amusement in his eyes. "You've never known true freedom, Selene. You've never known what it feels like to be completely unshackled. To truly be alone." His words sent a shiver down her spine, but she stood her ground, her expression unyielding.
"What's the point of this, Viktor?" Cassian demanded, stepping forward with his gun still raised. The barrel gleamed under the faint light, but it wasn't enough to take away the fear that lingered in his gaze. "What do you want from her? Why can't you just leave her the hell alone?"
Viktor's gaze flicked to Cassian, and the look he gave him was almost… knowing. "Leave her alone?" he echoed, his voice dripping with venom. "She's always been mine, Cassian. You can't take what's mine. Not now. Not ever."
Selene's breath caught in her throat as she processed the implications of his words. Mine. Those words had once held power over her. They had meant something—once. But now, hearing them, they felt hollow. Empty.
"No," she whispered, more to herself than to Viktor. "Not anymore. You don't own me."
Viktor's eyes narrowed, and in that moment, the world shifted. The air grew heavier. The space between them crackled with something dangerous. Something she couldn't explain but knew was about to change everything. Viktor wasn't the kind of man who would let go. He never had been.
Suddenly, Viktor's hand moved, quick as a serpent. With a guttural roar, he lunged, knocking Cassian aside and grabbing Selene by the throat, lifting her off the ground with a terrifying ease.
"Selene, you can fight all you want," he snarled, his face close to hers, eyes burning with rage. "But the truth is, you're never going to escape me. Not like this."
Her hands flew to his wrist, but she couldn't break his grip. The pressure was suffocating, cutting off her air supply, and her vision began to swim. But there was a fire inside her a fire she wasn't going to let die.
Her legs kicked out in desperation, connecting with his stomach. The shock made Viktor stumble back, and she dropped to the ground, gasping for air.
Cassian was already back on his feet, moving toward them with ferocity in his eyes, but Viktor was faster. He spun around, his fist connecting with Cassian's jaw in a brutal punch that sent him sprawling to the dirt.
"No, Cassian!" Selene screamed, pushing herself up, her hands shaking but fueled by the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Don't—don't get in his way!"
Cassian groaned, holding his face as he staggered to his feet. He shot her a look, one that was a mix of frustration and worry, before he grabbed his gun again, pointing it straight at Viktor.
But Viktor was laughing, the sound echoing around them, and for a moment, it felt like the world was being torn apart.
"Enough!" Viktor roared, his voice booming, like thunder cracking through the air. "You think you can stop me? You think you can save her? You think you're anything but a pawn in this game?"
But Viktor didn't wait for a response. He rushed at Cassian again, this time with a lethal intent. The fight was relentless. Powerful. Every strike was calculated, every move designed to break them, to destroy them. To prove that no matter what they did, no matter how much they fought, they couldn't win.
Selene wasn't sure how much longer she could watch. She wasn't sure how much longer they could hold out.
And then—just as quickly as it started—Viktor froze. His eyes widened, and his gaze shot to the horizon. Something was coming. Something that made even Viktor Kael pause.
"What the hell—?" Cassian started, but his words died in his throat when the ground beneath them rumbled.
From the distance, a low hum could be heard growing louder, closer. It was almost like the earth itself was responding, reacting to something that neither of them could control. Selene looked up to the sky, her pulse racing.
A shadow appeared in the distance, creeping closer with unnatural speed. The wind picked up, swirling the debris and ash around them. The hum grew louder, more distinct, as though something or someone was coming.
And then, a figure appeared, stepping out of the chaos.
Tall, lithe, and surrounded by an aura of power that felt… unearthly.
Selene's heart skipped a beat. It was him.
The one she had tried so hard to forget. The one who had haunted her dreams, her every waking thought. The one who had promised her everything and yet, nothing.
And he was here.
Alaric.
"Selene," the voice was a low growl, familiar and yet foreign. It sent chills down her spine. "I've come to claim what's mine."