His gaze lingered on Jesse as she stood in the center of that polished theatre, no longer the broken girl clutching her stomach under a blood-soaked moon. No longer trailing behind others. She stood at the forefront now, a weapon honed by fire and time.
And it didn't hurt to admit… she looked good there.
Proud. Composed. Dangerous.
'So, she didn't just survive.'
'She became something.'
He exhaled softly, not out of tension, but release. As if letting go of some story he hadn't realized he'd been telling himself all this time.
And perhaps that was why this reunion stung a little sweeter than expected. It wasn't fate or sentiment.
It was curiosity.
Genuine interest.
The duel hadn't begun yet, but already Lucavion's mind was spinning—not in anticipation of the clash, but in the puzzle that Jesse had become.
What had she done to get here?
Who had she become without him?
And… why did it matter?
