"I know that this is not my business, but... You don't really still think that there could be something between you and Lucan, do you?" Justine asks, his voice carrying a tone of sacarsism.
Kyle doesn't immediately respond. His throat tightens at the mention of Lucan. The words feel like a weight, a question he doesn't want to answer. Not now, not ever.
And when he decides to speak, he ignores Justine's question.
"So bringing me here, what were you expecting me to do after telling me all this?" He asks.
Justine's expression doesn't change, though his gaze sharpens slightly. It's clear he's not expecting a direct answer.
"Why do I feel like we're talking about two different things?!" Justine's voice grows more insistent, frustration leaking through. "Look, the witches can help you destroy the bond between you and Lucan. You won't feel that pull toward him anymore. You won't be dragged back. He won't affect your choices. Don't be stupid Kyle, we both know the moment Lucan knows your true identity, he won't accept you. He will destroy you."
Justine's words hit harder than expected, and Kyle can feel the cold truth of them like a blade against his skin.
But despite that truth, he's not willing to entertain the idea. Not now.
He glances down at the clothes Justine had brought out with magic_ his mother's oversized skirt and sweater.
The fabric feels familiar in his hands. He can almost hear her voice in the soft whisper of the fabric.
Without a word, he begins to undress, peeling off the clothes he's been wearing, then slipping into his mother's garments.
He moves deliberately, heading towards the exit.
Justine watches him in silence, but the pause is brief. "Where do you think you're going?" he demands, his grip on Kyle's arm sudden and firm. His fingers dig into Kyle's skin, pulling him back.
Kyle doesn't flinch, but his gaze hardens. "I'm not doing any of those things you just talked about. If the witches are that powerful, Why don't they turn the wolves into puppets themselves and rule them however they want?"
Justine's face darkens, his patience fraying. "Because witches can't directly change them. They are using you because you're a link_ half wolf, half not. You're the key."
Kyle clenches his fists at his sides. "Well, that's not my problem." He pulls his arm from Justine's grasp with force. "And tell them, I'm not doing anything of the sort. In short, I'm not on their side."
Justine's eyes darkens. "You don't get it, do you? You can't run from this. It's already happening. It's been happening long before you were even born. The beast is inside of you. It's a part of you." He steps forward, his voice lowering to a near whisper, urgent. "You can try to fight it, but you'll only make things harder on yourself. If you want to survive, you have to accept it and whatever you are asked to do. Bend the wolves to your will, just like the witches want. Rule. It's that simple! Why choose the hard way?"
Kyle's lip curls slightly, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. "The easy way has never been the best. It's fake. Just like they say... Cheap is expensive." His voice holds a finality in it.
Turning away, Kyle starts walking, but just as he reaches the door, something shifts in the air.
It grows thick with tension, and he pauses.
He turns slowly, his pulse quickening as he sees figures in black, cloaked in shadows, standing in the doorway.
He can feel their power before he even sees their faces, the oppressive weight of their magic pulling at him, making his breath catch in his throat.
The figures move forward, one man leading the group. His presence is commanding, his steps calculated.
Magic swirls around them, dark and thick, and Kyle feels the beast inside him stir for the first time.
Kyle's knees weaken. His breath becomes shallow, his heart pounding in his chest as the man's voice reverberates through the room, cold and mocking. "We created you with our own hands. Do you seriously think you can just grow a little taller and think you can challenge us?"
The man's words hit Kyle like a slap, the air around him growing heavier with each syllable.
His body trembles, and for the first time, he feels completely out of control.
The pressure of the moment bears down on him, and he can feel the power of these witches, as they loom over him.
"We're not here to play games," the man continues, his voice thick with contempt.
"We were going to give you the power to control the wolves, to rule over them. But now that you're resisting, we're going to erase you. The world will forget about Kyle—the cursed boy. You will cease to exist. The beast inside you will consume you completely. You will shift into that creature and never return to your human form. You will never think the same, never be Kyle again. Not anymore. This is not up for negotiation. We gave you time to make the right choice, but you failed!"
The man immediately turns to Justine then, his gaze sharp and filled with accusation. "And you," he says, his voice low, "you failed your mission."
With a swift movement, the man raises his hand, and Justine's body jerks as if yanked by invisible strings.
Magic pulses outward from the Justine, Kyle can see the magic being drained from Justine's body.
Justine collapses to the floor with a ragged gasp, his strength draining away.
Kyle's heart races, panic seizing him. His mind is overwhelmed, his thoughts racing in every direction.
Justine stirs, struggling to rise. His movements are shaky.
The man turns back to Kyle, his hand settling heavily on Kyle's shoulder. With a flick of his wrist, the world around them shifts, and they disappear, leaving the room behind in a swirl of magic.
Somewhere in the middle of the shift, Kyle catches a familiar scent-- a sharp, distinct smell that is still fresh in his system.
Lucan.
His heart skips a beat.
Lucan hasn't stopped looking for him.
He is somewhere around here. He almost found him.