LOGINThe crowd continued to applaud as Thea took one final bow before exiting the stage. The moment she was out of sight, Elijah grabbed my hand.“Come on,” he said, already pulling me toward the aisle. “Let’s get backstage before everyone else.”We made our way through the crowd, accepting congratulatio
AgnesEight years had passed by.The concert hall was packed to capacity, not a single empty seat in sight. My spine ached like hell from sitting on the hard wooden chair for the past two hours, and my pregnant belly made it impossible to find a comfortable position. Elijah kept rubbing his neck and
“Mom?” Thea’s voice called. “Everyone’s waiting. Are you ready?”I took one last look in the mirror, adjusted the mask slightly, and turned toward the door.“Ready,” I said, opening it to find my daughter standing there in a midnight blue dress that she had designed herself. Her own mask, shaped lik
AgnesOne year later.I stood in front of my mirror, hardly recognizing the woman staring back at me. Two years. It had been two years since I met Elijah—not counting that foggy night we conceived Thea seven years before that, a night neither of us could fully remember thanks to whatever drugs had b
Initially, I resisted. The thought of sharing my pain with a stranger when I had spent so many years being treated like a madwoman for my trauma scared the hell out of me. But Elijah was persistent, reminding me that we all carried burdens that were too heavy to bear alone.And so, twice a week, we
AgnesThe weeks following the destruction of the Lunaris Stone passed in a blur.Elemental Enterprises, of course, was immediately shut down by the authorities. Every known international law enforcement agency descended on Richard’s territory, working alongside Richard and us to document the crimes
AgnesI jumped back, my heart racing.“I-I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I heard coughing and wanted to make sure everything was alright.”Richard nodded and took a step back, putting some much-needed space between us. “Of course. You were just being considerate.” He glanced at the closed door. “I hope El
I found myself looking directly into her eyes, searching for… I wasn’t sure what. Connection, maybe. Understanding. And as our gazes met, I braced myself for the now-familiar rush of heat that had preceded my last few fire incidents.But nothing happened. No fire building in my veins, no dangerous w
AgnesI made my way through the crowded banquet hall, searching for Elijah. The room was beautifully decorated with tasteful floral arrangements and twinkling lights, lending the entire space a warm glow. Richard had clearly spared no expense for this celebration of our partnership.I finally spotte
Elijah stepped in smoothly before I could stammer out a response. “Just a bit careless with a cigar,” he said with a rueful smile. “Nothing serious.”Richard raised an eyebrow. “Smoking in bed? That’s a dangerous habit, Elijah.”“Hence the small fire,” Elijah replied with a self-deprecating shrug. “







