Darkness.
Complete darkness, even though the sounds came from everywhere. Even though the sounds were loud and clear, no images were constructed in Celeste's mind. The rain began to pour outside the hospital, adding more sound to Celeste's surroundings. There were many noises around her. Yet, her eyes still could only see the darkness. Maybe this was it. The ending of the Blind Bandit. She would just be grounded in her home, using the walking stick to get her around, and depended on someone to proceed with her daily life.
How did it all end up this way?
Celeste clenched onto her hospital gown. She hated it. The feeling she had right now, she hated it. It began to degrade her to the lowest pit of despair and devoured her inside out. Without her eyesight, she couldn't do anything. It made her feel weak and helpless.
She hated it so much.
Shadow betrayed her and Leto. Celeste still
Leto came out of his room and froze as he felt someone else's presence in the apartment. He put the duffel bag containing Celeste's clothes and essentials on the floor before walking down the hallway to the living room."What are you doing here?" Leto asked when he saw Shadow was standing by the patio's door with his back facing him. "Wasn't it enough that you've tampered with the diamonds?""There's no room for weakness in this world. Have you forgotten that?" Shadow asked, glancing over his shoulder with his menacing eyes."So what? Should we put aside our feelings and go on like a robot? You've played us. You played Celeste, who looked up to you. You were everything to both of us. But for you, we're just mere pawns."Seeing Celeste getting hurt and angered by Shadow's betrayal took a toll on Leto. He had vowed to keep her protected and safe, yet he had failed it. Celeste got hurt and betrayed to t
# Clavier's memory,He glanced to the door as he heard light footsteps coming from outside before the door was pushed open, and Stefano stood there. The Daemon High Lord only visited him in the hospital when he was out of reach. Clavier worked tirelessly to improve the research data that he knew would be a breakthrough in the medical field. He holed up in his lab in the hospital ever since one of the nurses who assisted him was kidnapped by a vampire. After her return, Clavier let her take a few weeks to recuperate."I must've forgotten to bring my phone," Clavier said apologetically before resuming to look at the specimen underneath the microscope. "What brought you here?""There have been shapeshifters' sightings in the fourth realm," Stefano said."That's where Mira and the others are. I'm sure one or two shapeshifters wouldn't be a problem for the demon wolf. Brandon is doing well in his mission.
Brandon could tell Leto had some questions about the people standing in the waiting room, like some gangsters waiting for their leader to come out of the surgery. Clavier sprawled on the couch, looking drained out after doing too much thinking, and spoke about his past."You can ask questions later," Brandon said to Leto. "Just know that I'm not Dante but Brandon Kane, Gamma of the Southern Werewolves Pack.""Oi, what would do you if he ends up betraying you?" Liam asked, crossing his arms while glaring at Leto."I've told Cohen before. I'll take all the responsibility," Brandon replied."What about the other guy?" Leto asked. "The one named Elijah?""Vincent Hale," Vincent said as he entered the waiting room. "You guys could have chosen a better place to meet. Luckily, there aren't many patients on this wing."Liam turned to Brandon. "Cohen had given the ord
"Dante..." Celeste bit her lips. "I mean, Brandon."Brandon turned around. "Are you alright?""It seemed you have the knacks of finding explosives everywhere."Brandon didn't know whether he was complimented or insulted to some degree. He just knew he had a talent for finding something that wasn't there in the first place, just like how he found the explosives in Kennedy Strauss' nightclubs and now, in the hospital. Brandon thought he could make Lucien spit some information if he delayed rescuing Clavier, who might have been directly impacted by the explosion."Well, I'm okay," Celeste added, looking away. "It's just I still couldn't see anything. It's weird.""There's no casualty. We managed to evacuate everyone in time," Liam said, approaching the two awkward people who seemed couldn't tolerate each other's presence at the moment.Liam still didn't know wha
Clavier sneered at Leto before flickering his fingers. The scenery changed, and they were teleported into some buildings. Leto looked bewildered by the sudden change, but the werewolves had gotten used to Clavier suddenly transporting them elsewhere.The large room they arrived in was one of the halls in the Council's main building."It is over for Shadow?" Clavier repeated the words Leto said earlier but more amusement in his tone. "It's funny that you've forgotten something. I'm the only one who knows where the Princess is, and you think I keep her safe and sound? You're wrong about that. She's dying after I injected a lethal virus into her body. The only person who knows how to make the cure is me.""Doctor, you're going to kill the Princess?" Celeste stepped in, stopping the eye contact competition between Clavier and Leto.Clavier shrugged his shoulders. "I have no use of the Princess, and her l
The silence in the hospital's room was deafening. Celeste had yet to speak a word after leaving the hall earlier. Even with the bandage covering her eyes, Brandon could tell that she was staring blankly. With Leto's betray combined with Shadow's, it took a toll on Celeste's mental health. Clavier's revelation about having the Princess sent the final blow. Now, Celeste was too angry to do or say anything. Her anger might not show on her face, but Brandon could feel it radiating from her presence.He was as angry as her when he found out Leto tampered with her mating bond and that he had been feeding information to Lucien about everything. That was something that Brandon could never forgive. How dare Leto do this to her? He wanted to protect her, but the method he used was wrong. He endangered Celeste's life by working with Lucien.
It had been two days since they came there. Celeste looked out of the window while sitting on the bed. Brandon had been busy briefing his Alpha about what he knew. Celeste underwent several treatments to remove the spell Shadow used to tamper with the diamonds. She could feel the effect gradually lessened, and her mind became clearer.Nobody mentioned Leto or how he was doing. Celeste still refused to believe that Leto worked for Lucien, the source of their current suffering. What she knew was that Brandon had been overseeing Leto's interrogation from time to time, although Leto didn't say much of anything. Celeste knew it would take a miracle to hear Leto's confession. He was trained to withstand any interrogation or any kind of torture methods. He was good at it. But Celeste doubted Brandon's people subjected Leto to torture to make him talk."Good morning," Brandon said, walking into the room with a tray of breakfast and setting it on the
Shadow watched as Celeste was carried by her mate, running into the woods to flee their pursuers."You shouldn't have come here," Leto said, holding a knife against Shadow's neck.The hunters spun around, pointing their guns at them. At last, Leto did something. He knew what he did these past few days was wrong. All he wanted to do was protect Celeste. She was all he had left, the only person he considered as his family. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't know what to do in his life if he lost her. She was like his sister.Shadow quickly turned the situation, pinning Leto against the wall with his hands bent on his back. The elite assassin signaled the hunters to continue their task while he handled Leto on his own. Compared to what he was capable of, Leto was just an ant.Leto struggled to get himself freed. He wanted nothing else other than mauling Shadow into pieces for sending those men to kill Ce