Dimitri
The night air was colder than I expected as I stepped back into my study, leaving Zahra on the balcony. My hand lingered on the doorframe for a moment, a strange heaviness settling in my chest. Her words played in my mind like an echo I couldn't silence: "Maybe it could be."
I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. Hope was a dangerous thing. It was a thread you pulled on, thinking it might lead you out of the darkness, only to find yourself tangled in a web of disappointment. I couldn't afford to let myself believe in a life outside this chaos, not when the shadows of my past still held me captive.
The study was dimly lit, the amber glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. Maps, documents, and photos covered the surface, a chaotic mosaic of everything that had led us here. At the center of it all was the Venom—a weapon so powerful it could tip the balance of the underworld. And Zahra, with her blood, was the key.
