Chapter 60
Valencia’s POV
I was standing in the nursery, the warm, golden sunlight filtering through the lace curtains. The walls were painted soft lavender, and the room was filled with laughter. Nora, my firstborn, sat in her rocking chair, her little feet kicking as she hummed a familiar tune. Orian was crawling on the floor, chasing a stuffed wolf, his giggles filling the space.
Astra, still swaddled and tiny, was cradled in my arms, her warnih radiating into me.
It was perfect. Too perfect.
A chill crept into the room, sudden and sharp. The laughter faded, replaced by an eerie silence. I looked down at Astra, her little face serene, her breaths soft and rhythmic. But when I blinked, her features turned pale, her lips blue.
That’s when the realization dawned on me that they hadn’t even been born. These weren’t my children.
“No.” I whispered, clutching her closer. “No, no, no-
Please don’t go.
A cold hand rested on my shoulder. I spun around to see Jaxon, his face twisted into a mockery of grief. “You should’ve done better,” he said, his voice lika venom.
The room shattered like glass.
I was in the training fields now, the chaos of battle surrounding me. Marcy was there, bloodied and bruised, as Marcy got shot with multiple arrows.
She fell, her eyes locking with mine one last time before the light in them dimmed.
Seven was next, his silver hair matted with blood as he was dragged to his knees. His lips moved, forming my name silent plea before the blade came down.”
And then I was alone.
Standing before a mirror.
The reflection staring back at me was horrifying. My twenty–six–year–old self, gaunt and haggard, my face lined with. despair. My hair hung in lifeless strands till my shoulder, and my eyes were sunken, void of hope.
The floor beneath me crunched. I looked down and froze.
Shards of turquoise and gold littered the ground, gleaming under the dim light. An egg-
Castor’s egg
A scream tore from my throat as I dropped to my knees, desperately gathering the broken pieces. They crumbled into dust in my hands, slipping through my fingers like sand.
“No! No, no, no!”
I woke up with a start, gasping for air. My heart raced, the echoes of the dream still clawing at my mind. “Castor!” I screamed, my voice raw.
Warm hands grabbed my shoulders, grounding me. “Vi” Dante’s voice came, low and steady. “Breathe Look at me. It’s okay.”
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Chapter 60
The familiar scent of smoke and forests enveloped me, pulling me back from the edge. My vision cleared, and 1 saw Dante sitting in front of me, his eyes filled with concern.
I clutched at my chest, still gasping. “Where is he? Where’s Castor?
“He’s fine,” Dante said, his voice firm but gentle. “He’s right here He gestured to the nearby table, where Castor’s egg rested, unbroken and glowing faintly.
Relief washed over me, but the buzzing panic still lingered in the back of my mind. My hands trembled as I tried to steady my breaths.
“You’re safe, he’s safe” Dante murmured, brushing a strand of her away from my damp forehead.
I glanced around the room, noting the absence of everyone else Where’s Marcy? And the others?”
“They’re outside.” Dante said. “It’s just us for now.”
I nodded slowly the tightness in my chest easing ever so slightly
Dante’s voice softened further. “Vi… I’m sorry.”
I looked up at him, startled by the guilt etched into his face.
“I promised you,” he said, his hand brushing against mine. “I said I’d protect you and Castor. And I failed.”
His words churned something deep inside me, I should’ve felt comforted by his apology, but instead, anger simmered beneath the surface.
“It’s okay,” I said, though the words felt hollow.“You tried your best.”
But was it okay?
I hated myself for thinking this way, for feeling this way, but the unfairness of it all gnawed at me. When Omegas failed, they were scorned, abused, discarded. But when Alphas faltered, they were met with apologies, with guilt–ridden eyes, with pats on the shoulders. And I was supposed to forgive him? I didnt want to feel this way. Even being angry at him made me guilty for some reason but…
It wasn’t fair.
1 looked down at Castor, his faint glow steady and reassuring. He was all that mattered.
I knew I couldn’t let Dante see this side of me, this pettiness, this anger. I had learned enough about the strings to know how to muille my emotions.
I envisioned the bond between us–a string taut and glowing–and pressed it between my fingers, dimming the connection
When I opened my eyes, Dante was staring at me..
His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his gaze that made my chest tighten. He looked hurt, confused, as if he knew what I was doing.
“Why?” his eyes seemed to ask.
I didn’t have an answer.
His brows furrowed, the frustration and sadness radiating from him clear despite my efforts to block him out. I couldn’t meet his gaze. My own emotions were too raw, too tangled.
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Instead, I looked down at Castor, my fingers tracing the scales on the egg. The nightmare still clung to me, vivid and
relentless.
The silence between us stretched, heavy and suffocating. From ille corner of my eye, I saw Dante turn to the table. He picked up a silver jar, presumably to pour water, but it was empty
Before he could call for someone, a soft knock sounded at the door.
Seven entered, carrying a tray laden with a pot of coffee, a pot of tea, and a small assortment of biscuits.
I turned to look at him fully this time, my gaze lirigering on his vacant eyes. They were the same as I remembered–hollow, devoid of life.
It was strange. My feelings toward him were.. complicated.
He’d caused me trouble in the past, small things like spilling tea on my dress during meetings or using salt instead of sugar. At the time, I’d thought it was incompetence, and didn’t like him but now….
Now I could only imagine what Celeste had put him through.
