The night hadn't fully loosened its grip by the time my father stepped back and straightened, the weight of his words still settling heavily in my chest.
The truth felt… enormous.
Like the world had quietly shifted on its axis, and only I had noticed.
He rested a hand briefly on my shoulder—firm, grounding—before turning toward the door.
"Come," he said. "We should speak together."
My pulse quickened as he raised his voice, calm but carrying unmistakable authority.
"Misty. Xavier. Jason. Felix."
The door opened almost immediately.
They stepped back inside, one by one.
Xavier's eyes found mine first.
The concern there—raw, unhidden—made my chest ache. I gave him a small nod, silently telling him I was okay. Not whole, not unshaken… but still standing.
Misty moved straight to my side, her presence familiar and steady. Jason lingered half a step behind her, clearly trying not to stare but failing anyway. Felix leaned casually against the wall, but his eyes missed nothing.
My father surveyed them, hands clasped behind his back, his posture that of a king even in this quiet, broken space.
"You have already received my thanks," he said. "But gratitude deserves to be spoken more than once."
He inclined his head slightly.
"For standing against those who sought my daughter's life. For protecting her when I could not be here."
Jason bowed again. "We didn't do it for thanks."
Felix nodded. "She's… worth it."
My throat tightened.
Xavier didn't speak. He just met my father's gaze, unflinching.
"I know," my father said. "And that is why I trust you."
That caught all of us off guard.
"I will not pretend the danger has passed," my father continued. "It has only changed shape."
The air seemed to sharpen at his words.
"There are those who fear what Scarlett may become," he said calmly. "And fear makes cowards reckless."
My shoulders tensed instinctively, but Misty's hand slid into mine, squeezing gently.
"I have already placed eyes within the city," my father said. "Members of my pack. They will remain at a distance."
He looked directly at me.
"You will not see them. You will not feel them watching. Their duty is not to interfere, only to ensure that you are not alone should danger return."
I hesitated. "I don't want them to feel like guards."
"They won't," he assured me. "They will be shadows. Silent. Far enough that you can live freely."
I nodded slowly, relief and unease mingling in my chest.
Then he turned back to the boys.
"And you," he said evenly. "I ask that you continue what you have already begun."
Xavier's jaw set. "We will."
Jason straightened. "You don't have to ask."
Felix smirked faintly. "Honestly, sir, I don't think we'd know how to stop even if we wanted to."
For the first time that night, a faint smile touched my father's lips.
"Good," he said. "Then we are aligned."
Misty lifted her chin. "You have my word, King Zeus. I will always stand by Scarlett. No matter what."
My chest tightened painfully at her loyalty.
My father regarded her thoughtfully. "You already have."
He turned back to me then, his gaze softening.
"If at any point you feel unsafe," he said gently, "you will call me. Day or night. No hesitation."
"I will," I promised.
"And if the city becomes too heavy," he continued, "you will come home."
The word home wrapped around my heart like a memory I hadn't realized I was holding onto.
"I know you want to find your own path," he said. "And I am proud of you for it. But remember—this place will always be waiting."
Tears burned behind my eyes. "Thank you, Father."
He stepped forward and pulled me into his arms.
For a moment, I was no longer the girl bound by prophecy or fear.
I was just his daughter.
"I love you, Scarlett," he murmured. "More than this world."
"I love you too," I whispered back.
When he finally released me, he stepped away, already turning toward the door.
"This is not goodbye," he said over his shoulder. "Only… until next time."
With that, he was gone—his presence fading like a storm moving back toward the horizon, leaving the air strangely calm in its wake.
The silence that followed was different this time.
Not heavy.
Just… full.
Jason let out a breath. "Well. That was intense."
Felix chuckled softly. "Understatement of the century."
Misty squeezed my hand. "You okay?"
I nodded. "I think… I will be."
Xavier stepped closer then, his voice low. "If you're not, you don't have to pretend."
I met his eyes, something warm and steady anchoring me.
"I won't," I said honestly.
Outside, the city resumed its rhythm—cars passing, distant laughter, life continuing as if nothing monumental had just shifted beneath its surface.
But I knew better.
Because now, I wasn't just living in the city.
I was being watched over. Protected. Surrounded.
And for the first time since learning the truth, that didn't frighten me.
It comforted me.
As we prepared to leave, stepping back into the night together, one thought settled quietly in my heart:
Whatever the future held—light or darkness, power or loss—I would face it with those who had chosen to stand beside me.
And that made all the difference.