The night air still shimmered with residual magic as Maika stood before Lucille—her presence still cloaked in Nyra Moirel's body. But the room had calmed. The black flames had subsided, curling back into Lucille's core like a sleeping ember.
Maika's heart thundered in her chest. Everything she thought she knew about devils, about Lucille, about the Council… had been shattered.
And yet, as she looked into Lucille's eyes—wise, tired, but resolute—Maika knew exactly what she had to do.
---
A Choice of Mercy
Maika slowly walked forward and knelt before Lucille.
> "You don't deserve to be hunted," she said softly. "You deserve to breathe. To live. To feel sunlight without fear."
Lucille's breath caught.
> "You believe me?"
Maika nodded, firm now.
> "I believe you. I saw it. I felt it."
She stood up, her voice steadier.
> "Which is why I'm not going to report you to the Council. I'm going to protect you."
Lucille's eyes widened in disbelief.
> "Why?"
> "Because," Maika said, placing a hand over her heart, "I know what it's like to be used. To have your truth erased. And I know the Council's hands are not as clean as they pretend."
---
Terms of Freedom
Maika turned to the Matriarch of the Moirel clan, who stood silently in the doorway, having overheard everything. The old woman bowed her head slightly—respecting Maika's choice, though troubled.
> "Let her stay here," Maika told her. "Don't call her Lucille. Let her be Nyra. Let her live as a witch of your clan, in peace."
The Matriarch nodded.
> "I will guard her secret, as long as she does not endanger us."
Maika turned to Lucille.
> "You'll need to lie low. No surges of power. No revealing who you are. Promise me that."
Lucille stared at her for a long moment… then nodded, placing a hand over her chest.
> "I swear it on my blood. I will not chase vengeance. I just… want to be free."
---
A Quiet Farewell
By dawn, Maika had packed her things and prepared to leave the estate. Before she departed, Lucille met her at the garden gate—now dressed plainly, her power sealed once again, appearing like any ordinary young witch.
> "Thank you, Maika," she said. "For giving me what the world took away."
Maika placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
> "Don't waste it."
And with that, she turned and vanished into the morning fog.
---
The Return to Carl
The journey back to the Lycan territories was swift. Maika flew across enchanted terrain, her mind heavy with the truth she now carried.
The moment Maika stepped into the outer court of the Landon stronghold, her boots dusted with earth and her robes heavy with the scent of forest and fire, a presence stirred above.
Carl was already there.
He'd been waiting. The breeze tousled his dark hair, the fading sun casting golden light over his broad shoulders as he leaned on the stone balcony above.
The moment his eyes locked onto hers—his breath caught.
> "Maika…"
She barely had time to blink before he was descending the stairs two at a time.
And then he was in front of her.
No words.
Just arms wrapping around her—tightly, fiercely—as if afraid she might vanish again if he didn't hold her this very second.
> "I missed you," Carl whispered into her hair. His voice was rough, thick with longing. "Gods, I missed you so much."
Maika's chest tightened. The world had been spinning—flames, memories, secrets of blood and war—but here, in Carl's arms, she found something solid. Something real.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him, her hands clutching the back of his tunic.
> "I'm here now," she breathed, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I didn't mean to be gone so long."
He pulled back slightly, just enough to look at her face. His hand cupped her cheek, calloused fingers brushing a stray lock of hair away.
> "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
His golden eyes searched hers, concern etched into every line of his face. She could see how much he'd worried. The slight darkening beneath his eyes. The stiff way he held himself, like a beast barely kept on a leash.
> "You didn't answer the mirror for days, Maika. I thought—"
"I know," she interrupted softly, touching his chest. "I'm sorry. I had to keep quiet. The place I went to—it was… dangerous."
> "More dangerous than you expected?" he asked, brow furrowed.
She nodded.
> "Far more."
He drew her back into his arms again, holding her even tighter this time.
> "You're home now," he murmured. "Whatever you found, whatever you faced, you don't have to carry it alone."
Maika exhaled, a shiver of warmth passing through her spine. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed him, too.
> "There's a lot I need to tell you," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "About Lucille. About Nyra. About the truth behind the Council's lies."
Carl didn't flinch.
> "Then tell me. We'll face it together."
Maika looked up, and for a moment, all the weight of her journey—the secrets she now carried—felt bearable.
Because Carl was here. And she wasn't alone anymore.