The night was thick, heavy with unspoken truths. Aisha sat surrounded by shadows, the USB clutched in her hand—an offering from Ibrahim, filled with truths sharp enough to slice through years of lies.
Each folder unraveled a new horror: the danger her mother Zaira was in, the monstrous reality of the beast-man Sanathiel, whose blood had triggered this entire conflict.
And still, Ibrahim's words echoed in her mind:"Zaira is just the bait. The truth hides in what is born."A warning disguised as provocation—now she understood its weight. Hidden alliances with the Snova family, the looming threat of the Velona, Darían's manipulations that had turned her into just another pawn in his bloodstained chessboard… everything pointed toward an inevitable end.
But now Aisha had something her father hadn't anticipated: information.
She was alone in her room, surrounded by scattered documents like the shattered pieces of a truth she wasn't yet ready to assemble. The air smelled of fresh ink and old paper, steeped in history and betrayal. The silence pressed against her chest. Her stomach knotted. She knew what she had to do.
But her heart…Her heart wanted something else.
Varek.Every step toward him felt like something inside her was being torn away.
When she entered his room, he looked at her with those eyes that had always offered shelter—sanctuary in chaos. His love was an anchor, but also a risk she could no longer afford.
—"I promise I'll come back to you," Aisha whispered, barely audible, seeking refuge in his embrace like it was the last truth she could hold onto.
He held her tightly, as if letting go would break them both.—"Don't do this, Aisha," he murmured into her hair, voice trembling. "I'm not angry with you. I'm angry at myself… for not seeing how much you've been carrying alone."
His tears, hot and silent, fell on her neck. Each one a crack in her soul. With trembling hands, they began to part, finger by finger, each touch a small goodbye.
—"I care about you, Varek… I love you," she said, lifting her gaze. Their eyes met, and silence filled the room like sacred air.
Varek leaned in. Their lips met in a kiss that was more whisper than touch, more promise than pleasure. Aisha let herself fall into it, wishing the world would end right there. Her hands moved down his back, memorizing the tension, the pain, the love.
—"I'll protect you until the very end," he vowed, his breath grazing her skin.
Aisha closed her eyes. The taste of the kiss turned bitter with duty. Tears spilled before she could stop them.—"It's not you. I chose this. Someone has to do the dirty work. And I need you… to be free of it."
Varek frowned, anguish twisting his features.—"Why?! Why do you always make this so hard for both of us?!"
Aisha didn't answer. She couldn't.Instead, she kissed him again, with desperate urgency. Her arms wrapped around his neck as if holding the world together. They collapsed onto the couch, clinging to a silence they knew wouldn't last.
—"If you leave, Aisha… this ends," he whispered, a mix of plea and resignation.
—"Promise me you'll protect Ishana for me," she replied, voice broken. "My feelings for you won't change. But I can't drag you into this."
Varek pulled her into his chest. They kissed again—long, heavy with fear and the weight of impossible promises.
Outside, the night swallowed the world. And the clock kept ticking.
At dawn, Aisha left the academy without looking back. Each step echoed with the memory of their last kiss—a fire she knew would never burn out.
The journey was long and exhausting. When Falco appeared, his presence didn't comfort her; it confirmed that the threat was real—and dangerously close.—"Aisha, there's no time. Zaira can't stay hidden much longer. If Darían finds out what you're planning—"—"It's no longer about what he finds out," Aisha interrupted, her voice as cold as the morning wind. "It's about what I'm willing to do."
Falco studied her, and in her eyes, he saw the same fire he once saw in Zaira.
Back at the academy, Varek was unraveling. The thought of losing Aisha was a wound that refused to heal. He could feel her slipping further away by the hour. And in the thick of his turmoil, his father's words returned, carved like scars in his memory:
"If you can't walk beside the one you love… then control their fate before fate devours them."
Varek had rejected that idea for years. But now, he wasn't so sure. Was this love? Or was it becoming something darker… more desperate?
Aisha pressed forward into her mission. Each step dragged her deeper into a pit of impossible choices. The next few hours would define everything: her life, her mother's fate… the future of those she loved.
Ibrahim was waiting at the rendezvous point, as always, like a shadow that refused to leave.
—"Ready to face your white wolf?" he asked, voice smooth and venomous. It wasn't a question—it was a show, and she was the star.
—"There's no turning back, Ibrahim. Do what you must, but don't interfere."
—"Oh, Aisha…" he purred, smirking. "I won't lift a finger. I'll just watch… as everything falls apart."
Darían's villa loomed like a mausoleum of secrets. Deep within, a dim light flickered—Zaira. Trapped inside crystal, frozen in time. Her sleeping form stole the breath from Aisha's lungs.
—"Mother…" she whispered, her voice trembling. Her face was peaceful, but distant—like a dead star still shining.
Then, a figure emerged from the shadows. The air thickened, the temperature dropped.
Sanathiel.—"So… the daughter of Zaira finally arrives," he said, voice hollow and heavy. His eyes held no warmth. Only the stillness of something no longer human.
Fear seized Aisha. This wasn't just an enemy. He was an answer to questions she wasn't ready to ask. Her fate, her blood—everything was connected to this white wolf.
Far away, Varek made his choice.
—"If you don't come back…" he murmured, his voice a blade wrapped in fire, "…then I'll burn the world down to bring you back. Even if you end up hating me… I won't stop."
There was love in that vow. But also something more. A warning.
Because deep down, Varek didn't want to save her. He wanted to have her. To pull her back into a world where he could protect her… and maybe, just maybe, decide for her.
And under the blood moon, his vow burned bright—A promise.And a threat.
There would be no forgiveness if she didn't return.