~ Elara’s POVI got right up in Rufus's face or maybe more like his chest and he nearly shoved me off! He looked super jumpy, all jittery and on edge. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him and why he was so nervous."Rufus, are you seriously okay?" I asked him, totally freaking out 'cause he seemed so freaked.Rufus snapped a curt "I'm good" at me and bolted out of the room faster than a greased cheetah. I chased after him, but poof, he was gone like a magician's trick. My brain went into overdrive. Did I say or do something wrong? I wracked my head but came up with nothing.The room felt like it was closing in on me. Every creak of the floorboards sounded like Rufus returning, but he wasn’t. Time seemed to crawl as I paced back and forth. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I checked the clock – it was way past dinner time. Panic started to gnaw at me. Grabbing my phone, I switched on the flashlight and, completely forgetting it was dark out, I charged out into the forest to

~ Rufus’s POV I was silent for a while when I heard Elara’s question and then I recalled how I had unintentionally killed a friend of mine with my powers at the hospital some years ago. It was another excruciating feeling I had after Dolph’s incident and I wasn’t over it yet. Richard was my best friend when I was in medical school. We were roommates and we did most of our things together. We attended lectures, seminars and even did our assignments together. We were so close that some people even joked we were a couple. It wasn't like that, though. I was definitely ahead of him in school, always explaining the tough stuff he didn't quite grasp. He came from a rich family, but he wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves and work part-time with me to help make ends meet. That's the kind of friend he was. We were like brothers, really. Even though I was older, Richard reminded me a lot of my own younger brother. He had that same spark of curiosity, always wanting to learn and explore. It ma

~ Rufus’s POVRichard and I watched in shock as the patient grabbed a scalpel; a sharp knife used in surgery right off a nurse. He waved it around wildly and shouted, "Get me a doctor now, or someone's gonna get hurt!" Fear was etched on his face, and his voice trembled. It seemed clear he was desperate and terrified, probably confused too.“I need to get out of here!”The woman who came with the guy cautiously approached him, her voice laced with soothing concern. "Hey, hey, it's alright. See, right there? The doctor you wanted, they're coming. They'll take good care of you, just put that thing down, okay?"But her words seemed to have the opposite effect. The man's fear turned into anger. His grip tightened on the scalpel. "Don't you tell me what to do!" he roared. "You got me all messed up in this mess, and now you think you can just boss me around? No way!"The situation escalated further. The man's shout boomed through the room, "Adulterer!" Panic surged through everyone as he wi

~ Rufus’s POVThe heavy weight of Richard's absence pressed down on me. Everywhere I looked, it felt like a memory of him. Drained and overwhelmed, I collapsed onto the bed, tears finally spilling over like a dam breaking. I cried until sleep, a restless escape, finally took hold.For the next three days, it became a dreadful routine. Each morning, I would wake up only to be swallowed by fresh waves of grief. The tears wouldn't stop, a constant ache in my chest. I couldn't even bring myself to get out of bed. Food and water held no interest, my body weak but clinging to a sliver of life. The once comforting space I shared with Richard now felt suffocating, reminding of what I had lost. I was trapped in a web of despair, unable to see a way out.I stared at my phone which felt like a lead weight in my hand. Just the thought of dialing a number, of hearing someone confirm Richard's death, was paralyzing. The suffocating weight of guilt threatened to crush me. “How could this be happeni

~ Hazel’s POVLooking around the whole environment, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The environment was neat and beautiful. I stared at Beta Boris waiting for the response to my question. He cleared his throat and then explained to me that Daciana Lupe was actually from a poor background. But Rayel, in a move that surprised everyone, gave him some amount of money to get them a comfortable place before she was taken to the palace."And he was behaving as if he doesn't care," I muttered to myself, clenching my fists. How could he be so nonchalant after doing this?” I muttered to myself when I heard what Rayel did.“ He actually did that not out of indifference, but to compensate her mother," Boris explained.With a curt nod to Boris, I said, "Lead the way." He followed silently. The heavy oak door swung open with a groan, revealing a warmly lit interior. A woman, her face lined with the passage of time but her eyes sparkling with a youthful vibrancy, stood at the center of the room. It wa