Luna’s mother collapsed before they reached the manor. One moment she walked between Luna and Darius, her steps uneven but determined, as if sheer will alone was holding her upright. The next, her knees gave out as though something inside her had simply been cut loose. “Mom!” Luna caught her arm, but the weight of her was wrong—too heavy, too sudden, like a body that had been carrying invisible chains for too long. Darius moved instantly, sliding under her other side before she hit the ground. The iron cuffs around her wrists struck his chest with a dull, ringing impact. “Don’t let him take me,” her mother whispered, voice raw, barely more than breath. “He won’t,” Luna said too quickly, too sharply, as if speed could make it true. Her mother’s fingers tightened around Luna’s sleeve with surprising strength. “He always comes back,” she rasped. “He always finds the thread.” Darius lifted her fully into his arms. “Not tonight,” he said, but there was something strained beneath his
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2026-07-28
