The stars above the cottage shimmered like spilled silver. Elizabeth leaned into Gen's warmth, her cheek against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe it was steady enough to hold her together.
But when she looked up, she caught it hesitation flickering across his face. His hand lingered at her back, yet his eyes darted away, as though there were words he wouldn't allow himself to say. "Gen," she murmured, "do you even know what you want?"He froze. For a long moment, silence stretched between them, filled only by the distant call of nightbirds. His fingers tightened slightly, then loosened as he stepped back.
"I want you safe," he said at last. "Everything else… I don't know if I can give." The words struck sharper than any blade. Elizabeth swallowed, nodding even as her chest tightened. Gen's presence was an anchor, but anchors could weigh you down as much as they could steady you.Before she could answer, movement caught her eye two figures approaching along the lantern-lit path toward the cottage.The first was Milo.
He carried himself with quiet strength, shoulders squared, every step deliberate. His dark eyes so like his mother's met Elizabeth's steadily. There was no grief in them now, only resolve. "You gave my mother peace," he said softly. "Something even gods could not. Because of that, I will walk with you, wherever your path leads. Not out of debt but because I believe in what you are trying to do."
Elizabeth studied him for a long moment. There was no hunger in his gaze, no desire to claim her, only the sincerity of someone who understood the cost of curses and the rare gift of mercy. "Then I'll be glad to have you," she replied, her voice warm. "But know this, Milo my path isn't safe."His lips curved faintly, almost a smile. "Neither was my mother's life. I'll manage." Beside him walked Leo.
Where Milo was quiet steel, Leo was fire tempered by years of burden. His sun-browned skin seemed to hold a glow even in the moonlight, and the golden clasp at his cloak bore the royal seal of his mother's lineage an Egyptian princess who had once been beloved, before the curse.He bowed his head slightly, though his eyes never left hers. "Elizabeth. I won't waste words on flattery. Yes, I find you… striking. But that's not why I'm here." His voice was strong, but beneath it throbbed something darker resentment tempered by pride.
"The gods cursed me and my family unjustly," he continued, stepping closer. "We were accused of crimes we did not commit our bloodline marked, our name scorned. Every dawn I rise beneath the sun, and every dawn it burns me, reminding me of their judgment. You've crossed paths with legends and curses before. If you would carry me in your quest, I will help you carry yours. Together, we can end what they've done to us."
For a moment, his gaze softened, the fire dimming. "This isn't a plea. It's a deal. You need me as much as I need you."Elizabeth felt the air grow heavy. Three men, three different truths: Gen, who held her like he was afraid of losing her but too uncertain to reach for more. Milo, steady and loyal, offering his strength because she had offered mercy.
Leo, burdened by divine injustice, his attraction tempered by the hunger for justice and a bargain he was determined to see fulfilled.Her hand brushed the obsidian pendant at her throat, its weight like a reminder of the choices ahead."Then we'll stand together," she said at last, her voice firm. "But know this: my path is not for bargains. It's for survival."
Leo's lips curved, not in arrogance but in grim acknowledgment. "Then survival will be our first victory."And from the unseen dark, the cloaked figure's whisper echoed like a thread pulled tight:"Three hearts bound to one flame. Let it burn, and see which one survives the fire."