Kira checked her phone and found out it was Aiden who was calling her. A small smile formed on her lips as she sat on the bed and answered."Good morning!!" She greeted sweetly, already feeling all giddy inside."Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?" Aiden asked her."Yes and no," she responded, still smiling."Why no?" Bryan, who she had not heard his voice, asked from the background of their call. "What happened?" He continued asking, his voice now closer."Give me the phone Bryan, where are you taking it too?" She heard Aiden ask Bryan.It was as if Bryan had taken the phone from Aiden and was now moving around, trying to get away from him.Kira just laughed softly at their little bickering that never seems to end. "I slept well, just missing you guys and Bryan, do you always have to get on his nerves?""Yes, I always have too, and we miss you too, love. Well… I miss you. I don't know about that other one," Bryan said with a laugh."I miss you too, my love, oh Goddess. BRYAN!"
With breakfast done, Kira headed to the sitting room and sank into the couch. She did not have much to do, and so she decided to watch a movie. The sounds from the movie she was watching filled the room, while her body settled into the couch.In no time, she laid down, enjoying her movie. She felt so relaxed after eating, being satisfied and now resting and enjoying a movie.Thirty minutes later, she was already muttering to herself, "Just a few minutes," as her eyes were fluttering shut.Her breathing started getting slowed, her body finding comfort and relaxation on the couch. It didn't take long before her body melted into the couch and she drifted off.She slept for hours and woke up with a groggy stretch later on. Blinking a few times, she picked up her phone which was with her on the couch to check the time. It was already one in the afternoon."Mmm," she groaned softly, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "That was needed, though."Her movie was still on, it seemed to have even end
Soon, the evening settled in, and dinner was served. Kira sat with Elara and Orion, enjoying the meal and feeling grateful for the new family she had found. It was not something she ever thought would have happened, but it was beautiful to have a place to call home.Dinner passed with warmth and laughter, and after they were done, they all wished each other a good night and went up to their rooms, although Kira had other plans.She had planned to visit her parents that night and was currently getting dressed in a simple trouser and sweater, before she headed out into the cool night.The night, of course, was calm, the stars twinkling and the half moon shining bright as she strolled along the quiet pack grounds, heading to their graves. Almost nearing where her parents' graves were, something caught her eyes-- a patch of Bluebells that swayed gently in the evening breeze.Kira's steps slowed, her gaze locking on the beautiful, delicate flowers. She blinked in surprise, a smile creeping
Bryan was about to ask her what was wrong when the call suddenly ended, increasing his panic."Kira?" He called out, his eyes widening as he stared at Aiden's phone. "Kira!""What's happening?" Aiden asked, "Did you hear that? You heard her call for help, right? I wasn't the only one."Immediately, Aiden dialed her number again, but the line was switched off, it could not connect."What the hell is going on?" Bryan got up, pacing around the room. "I will call Ryker.""Yes, do that." Aiden agreed. Bryan unlocked his phone, fingers moving fast to find Ryker's number and call. Holding the phone to his ear, it rang, but Ryker was not picking either. It rang once…twice… thrice…still no response."Where exactly is he?" Bryan muttered under his breath, "Pick up already," he sighed and switched the phone to his other hand. "Come on."He was even starting to get worried with the way Ryker was also not picking up. They just wanted to know if everything was okay with Kira.Aiden, on the other h
As they arrived at Keflavík Airport, the Gulfstream G650 was already sitting, waiting on the private runway.Aiden eased the car to a stop beside the jet's terminal entrance, a crew of airport personnel and handlers already waiting nearby. As soon as Bryan and Aiden stepped out, the staff rushed to assist them, opening doors, and unloading their bags, swiftly and professionally.Aiden tossed the keys of their car to the staff member, and ordered without looking back, "Park it in a secure area, someone will come get it.""Yes, Sir." The attendant nodded quickly, sliding into the driver's seat to move the car.Aiden moved slightly ahead, his stride confident, and Bryan walking beside him, exuding the same confidence. As they reached the base of the jet's stairs, the flight attendant greeted them with a welcomed smile. "Welcome, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Aiden." She said, giving a polite nod to each of them. "Your flight is ready, and we will depart as soon as you are seated.""Thank you," Bryan a
His smile was unsettling, almost gentle, yet had something dark all over. The way he looked at her while he strolled in, balancing a silver tray with breakfast in his hand, made Kira's stomach twist. If there was anything she hated the most, it was the look in his eyes and that smile.Kira sat propped up against the headboard of the bed she had woken up on, her wrists and ankles tightly tied with ropes. She was forced into a seated position with the way she was tied. She squirmed in place, trying to see if there was a way to break free."What are you doing?" She demanded, forcing herself to remain calm. "Let me go. Let me go right now."Dave chuckled as he moved closer to her. "Now, now, my sweet," he said in a sickly sweet tone. "I went through all this trouble to make you comfortable. You deserve all this comfort, and this is how you treat me? I even made you breakfast, see?" He told her, pouting as he showed her the tray.Then he sat down beside her on the bed, moving closer and le
Kira blinked, taken aback by his response. She had not expected such a response, such a cold reply from him. It sent chill running through her body the way he responded and looked at her while responding."Alright, two can play this game," she said in her mind and thought quickly of what to do next. When she finally got an idea, she softened her expression and spoke in a very gentle and sweet tone. "Please?" She murmured, her voice adorable and sweet. "I-I won't run," she stuttered, making it seem like she was very terrified. "I couldn't even if I tried. I know you would stop being nice to me if I did, and I like when you are nice to me and when you don't hurt me or get upset."Kira then winced for more effect, glancing down sadly at the ropes. "It's just… my hands really hurt, and my legs too. I know I can be stubborn, but I would really feel better if you could take things slow with me as I am still in shock. Maybe make me understand what's happening.""And…" She continued, sighing
After Ryker finally said the name, "Dave," Bryan and Aiden stood still, letting the name settle. They were trying to put a face to the name but could not."Do we know this person?" Aiden asked Ryker, still thinking."Maybe," Ryker responded, unsure. "You might know him, but have just forgotten. So, this is all I have so far. He is not in the pack, no one knows where he is." He told them as another heavy silence fell, frustration clear as they had no lead on finding Kira."I think I have an idea, while you both and the rest keep looking for leads," Aiden said, breaking the silence after some minutes. "I will go to Morane," he informed them. "If anyone can help us find Kira, it's her. Maybe she will have a way or an idea that could give us the upper hand.""That's right!" Bryan and Ryker agreed, immediately after exchanging looks. "That is a solid idea," Bryan uttered, feeling somewhat hopeful. "If anyone can assist us, it's Morane. You go; don't worry about things here, we will handle
Once again, the silence fell heavily on them after Lucinda was done talking, and Kira closed her eyes for a little moment, taking in a deep breath and letting it all out.Her chest rose and fell slowly as she absorbed everything, right from the pain she saw in Lucinda's eyes, the loss, her bloodline, and everything else. She didn't rush to speak. Instead, she let the silence stretch a few more seconds as she grounded herself and also wanted to find a way to reason with Lucinda.After the few seconds passed, she opened her eyes, her gaze locked onto Lucinda's, who was currently watching her with a blank expression. As for Kira, her eyes had no anger, just calm, and a deep, aching empathy.She couldn't lie, she understood why Lucinda was doing what she was doing, but for Bryan and Aiden to suffer for it also didn't seem fair to them."I am truly sorry that you both had to go through all this," she started, her voice warm and gentle. "I know my words aren't enough to heal you from that
Kira's face, which initially had the expression that she had guessed right, twisted to shock and from shock to visible confusion, her brows drawing together and her eyes darting over Lucinda's form as though she was trying to put the pieces together.There was a long stretch of silence between them, which Kira broke as she asked a question slowly and unsure. "I don't understand. Her twin sister?""Yes," Lucinda answered simply, watching Kira's confused state.Kira gave a short, humorless smile, not one out of amusement, but the one that was more like one of those reactions when something becomes too complicated to make sense."Even though you are her twin sister," she said. "I still do not understand how you are here. What exactly is going on? And why are you here?""I know that you know the answer to that question, and what you are thinking is right," Lucinda confirmed. "This is my revenge for my sister."For a good three minutes, Kira didn't say anything and just stared. Then she
At the first light of dawn, Kira's eyes opened, and she got up from her bed.The night before, after leaving the living room, she had headed upstairs, but then remembered she had to go get her weapons, and so, she made a quiet detour and went out to go see her horse."Hey," she whispered as she brushed her hand along his mane, smiling gently while looking at him.Kai responded with a low grunt and nudged her shoulder, happy to see his rider.Tied to his saddle, was a dark leather roll—her weapons pack.A warhorse like Kai didn't just carry a rider; he was also trained to carry a small arsenal for her, and Kira was genuinely grateful that no one had touched her stuff, as she rubbed Kai's mane for a little longer before taking what she needed.The leather roll was fastened to the side of his saddle, just behind the stirrup. It contained her bag of knives, her quiver of arrows, and her sword.Kira unhooked them carefully, one by one, checking each with her hands in the dim, stable light.
Kira folded the small paper and slipped it into her trouser pocket before she took one last glance around the marketplace, which was now busy again.Everything and Everyone had returned to normal, and with nothing much to do there, she walked, leaving the place.The boutique door swung open, the chime sounding above as she stepped inside, her eyes looking for Elara, who she finally saw near a display of long coats, holding up a deep burgundy one and checking herself in the mirror."There you are!" Elara called when she turned at the sound of the door and saw that it was Kira. "I almost went looking for you," she said, half laughing and half worried.Kira smiled and walked toward her, leaning in as she gently pecked Elara's cheek, a soft, affectionate gesture."I'm sorry, Mum," she said sweetly, brushing Elara's arm. "I'll explain everything later. Promise.""That's alright," Elara nodded, although she was clearly curious. "As long as you're okay.""I am," Kira assured her. "Now let's
The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores. It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought. Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head—the gentle breeze needed.She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the
Kira, who was already done with her meal and was taking the last bite, paused, her expression shifting."He's dead," she said, setting her fork down."But how?" Aiden inquired. "He was old but didn't seem like someone who could be easily killed.""Well, he was killed. Easily," Kira chuckled sadly and then went on to tell them everything from when she first met Baba Razz to how he died, how he was nice to her, and his role in her meeting the elves."I felt strangely comfortable around him," she admitted. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but I don't know. His death was painful, and I did blame myself, but I knew he wouldn't want me to do that, so… yeah.""I'm sorry," Aiden muttered as he and Bryan leaned in on each side and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head."May his soul rest in peace," Elara added quietly. "And I'm sure he will be very proud of who you are today."Blowing Elara a kiss, Kira agreed and decided to change the topic, not wanting their happy moments to be sour.
Stepping out of the room after getting dressed, Kira felt very comfortable in the oversized clothes Bryan had given her.She had also noticed the difference in the clothes—how the shirt smelled like Bryan, while the shorts were definitely Aiden's.She wondered if they had debated over if she would wear Bryan's clothes or Aiden's before coming to the conclusion of mixing them and giving it to her.The thought was so funny that she couldn't help but giggle as she made her way down the stairs, her hair packed in a messy bun."Sorry for keeping you all waiting," she said when she walked into the dining room, everyone already in their seats waiting for her."Oh, nonsense, sweetheart," Elara said, waving for her to join them. "It's completely fine.""Yeah, it's not like we were starving or anything," Aiden added with a smile.Bryan gave him a look and just smiled while shaking his head before turning back to Kira. "Come on, sit. Quit acting like a stranger.""I am not acting like a stranger
Kira, Bryan, and Aiden walked through the pack lands, accessing the pack to ensure that everyone was safe and everything was still intact or not too bad. It had been years since she had set foot around the pack, and as they moved, they could hear the whispers from the pack members. Elders, warriors, and even children stared at her in surprise before approaching."Luna Kira, child, how have you been?" An elderly woman with gray hair that was braided neatly asked, placing a gentle hand on Kira's arm. "It is so good to see you again.""I'm very well, thank you," Kira answered while smiling, her tone soft and warm. "And how about you? How have you been holding up? Are you okay?""Yes. Yes," the woman answered, smiling back at Kira as she patted Kira's arm. "And we thank Goddess for you coming today. Everyone has heard of how you helped. We are truly grateful, Luna.""Oh, please, you don't have to thank me. It is my duty as Luna," Kira said sincerely and rubbed the old woman's hand. "Take
As the elves disappeared into the portal, Kira turned to face Bryan, Aiden, and Ryker, giving them a small smile. She was going to miss El'fiannor, Lythari, the friends she had made, the trees, every single thing, but she was also happy to be back home."So...this is Kai, my horse," she announced as if she was introducing an old friend. "Say hi," she urged them."Oh yes, hi," Bryan said quickly, laughing softly right after. "Hi Kai, very fitting name," Aiden added, laughing as well. "You suit... your rider too."Ryker, however, eyed the horse, thinking about something. "Well, he will need a proper home," he said. "I'll take him to his new place. There's a building we can turn into a stable for him.""That sounds perfect," Kira accepted and extended the reins to Ryker, who took them with ease before leading the horse away.Watching as Ryker left, Aiden turned back to Kira with a warm, eager expression. "Come on," he said, "I'm sure Mum and Dad would be very happy to see you.""As w