Evelyn's mind raced as she processed what Selene had just revealed. This shadowy figure—this woman named Selene—was somehow connected to Lucian, and she had sought them out to forge an alliance. But why? And how could they trust someone who wielded such dark energy?
"Why should we believe you?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with suspicion. "For all we know, you could be working with Lucian."
Selene's lips curled into a smile, though it didn't reach her cold eyes. "If I were working with Lucian, do you think I would have revealed myself so openly? No, I have no love for your former friend. Lucian and I… had an arrangement once. But like all alliances built on lies and ambition, it fell apart."
Evelyn's heart raced. She had known Lucian was dangerous, but the idea that he had once been involved with someone like Selene made her blood run cold. "What kind of arrangement?"
Selene's expression darkened. "Lucian wanted power, as you well know. He believed that The Source was the key to that power, and he was willing to do whatever it took to unlock its secrets. But he underestimated me—and he underestimated the forces at play."
Claire stepped forward, her face pale. "What do you want from us, Selene? Why are you here now?"
Selene's gaze shifted to Claire, and for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable passed through her eyes. "I am here because Lucian is not done. He may have failed to control The Source, but his ambition has not diminished. He is still searching for ways to bend reality to his will, and he is gathering allies—dangerous ones."
Marcus clenched his fists, his face hardening with anger. "If he's still a threat, why haven't you stopped him?"
Selene chuckled softly, as if amused by Marcus's question. "You give me too much credit. Lucian is not a fool. He's hiding, moving in the shadows, and he's smart enough to know that I would come for him. But he also knows that he cannot succeed alone."
Evelyn's pulse quickened. "So you want us to help you stop him?"
Selene nodded slowly. "Lucian and I were once allies, but now we are enemies. If he succeeds in his plans, the world as you know it will fall into chaos. You sealed The Source, but there are other powers, other forces at play. Lucian seeks to control those as well."
Marcus scoffed, his expression skeptical. "And what's in it for you? Why should we trust you?"
Selene's smile faded, her eyes hardening. "Because I have my own reasons for wanting Lucian gone. He betrayed me, just as he betrayed you. But more than that, I know what he's capable of. I know the darkness he can unleash. And if he isn't stopped, we will all suffer the consequences."
Evelyn's mind raced. Selene's words were unsettling, but there was a ring of truth to them. Lucian had always been dangerous, but if he was gathering new allies—if he was planning something even worse than before—they couldn't afford to ignore it.
But could they really trust Selene?
"We need time to think about this," Evelyn said cautiously, her gaze locking onto Selene's.
Selene tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "Of course. But don't take too long. Lucian is already in motion, and he won't wait for you to catch up."
With that, Selene turned and disappeared into the fog, leaving Evelyn, Marcus, and Claire standing in the eerie silence of the old quarter.
For a long moment, none of them spoke. The weight of what they had just learned hung heavily in the air, like a storm waiting to break.
"We can't trust her," Marcus said finally, his voice filled with conviction. "She's dangerous. We don't know what her real motives are."
Evelyn nodded, though her mind was still spinning. "I know. But if what she's saying about Lucian is true… we can't ignore it either."
Claire looked between them, her expression filled with uncertainty. "So what do we do?"
Evelyn sighed, her heart heavy with the enormity of the decision before them. Selene had offered them an alliance, but the cost of that alliance was still unclear. Could they really trust someone with such dark power? And even if they did, would it be enough to stop Lucian?
"We gather more information," Evelyn said, her voice firm. "We need to know more about what Lucian is planning, and we need to find out what Selene's real motives are. Only then can we decide whether to accept her help."
Marcus nodded in agreement, though his face remained grim. "And if she's lying? If this is all a trap?"
Evelyn's gaze hardened. "Then we'll deal with her the same way we'll deal with Lucian."
Claire's eyes filled with worry, but she nodded, her resolve strengthening. "Whatever happens, we have to stop him. We can't let Lucian win."
As they left the fog-shrouded streets of the old quarter and headed back toward the safety of their safe house, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that their battle was far from over. The shadows were closing in, and Lucian was still out there, waiting for his chance to strike.
And now, with Selene in the mix, the lines between ally and enemy were more blurred than ever.