Damien's declaration hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting. Clara felt the weight of it in her chest, squeezing until breathing seemed impossible. Lucas stood between them, clutching his stuffed wolf, his small face twisted in confusion.
"Mommy?" he asked, his voice soft but uncertain. "Who is he?"
Clara stepped in front of him again, her body acting as a shield. "Lucas, go to your room."
"But—"
"Now." Her tone left no room for argument.
Lucas hesitated, looking between his mother and Damien before nodding. He padded off, his small footsteps echoing in the tense silence. When she heard his door close, Clara turned back to Damien, fire in her eyes.
"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here," she hissed, keeping her voice low.
Damien's expression remained unreadable. "I didn't come here to cause trouble."
"Then leave."
"I can't do that, Clara." He stepped closer, his towering frame casting a shadow over her. "That boy—he's mine. Isn't he?"
Clara's lips pressed into a thin line. Denying it felt useless. Damien wasn't a man who accepted half-truths or silence.
"He's none of your business," she said instead, her voice shaking.
"That's not an answer." His tone hardened, and for a moment, Clara saw the man she'd once loved—the one who could command a room with a single look.
"You lost the right to answers when you walked out of my life," she snapped.
Damien's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "You ran, Clara. You disappeared without a word. And now I find out you've been hiding my son from me?"
Her throat tightened. "I was protecting him."
"From me?"
"From your world." Her voice cracked, and the vulnerability in it seemed to catch Damien off guard.
He took a step back, running a hand through his hair. "You think I'd hurt him?"
"I think the people around you would." Clara's voice was steadier now, laced with the determination that had kept her going all these years. "Your enemies. Your allies. It doesn't matter. They'd use him, Damien. Just like they used me."
The accusation hit its mark. Damien's expression flickered, but he recovered quickly. "You should've trusted me to protect you."
Clara laughed bitterly. "Trust you? You think I didn't try that? I trusted you, Damien, and it nearly destroyed me."
Before he could respond, a loud crash from Lucas's room sent both their heads snapping toward the hallway. Clara's heart leapt into her throat as she bolted toward the sound, Damien hot on her heels.
She burst into the room to find Lucas standing in the center, his hands outstretched. The bookshelf by the wall had toppled over, books and toys scattered everywhere. But what made her blood run cold was the faint, shimmering aura surrounding Lucas—an unnatural light that flickered like fireflies in the air around him.
"Lucas!" Clara rushed to him, kneeling and grabbing his shoulders. The light dimmed, then vanished, as if snuffed out by her touch.
"Mommy, I didn't mean to," Lucas whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "It just happened."
Clara hugged him tightly, whispering soothing words even as her mind raced. She'd seen this before, back when Lucas was a baby. But it had never been this strong.
Behind her, Damien stood frozen in the doorway, his expression a mix of shock and something else—recognition.
"What was that?" he asked, his voice low and almost reverent.
"It's nothing," Clara said quickly, her back to him as she wiped Lucas's tears.
"It's not nothing." Damien stepped into the room, his eyes locked on Lucas. "That light... I've seen it before."
Clara's stomach dropped. She turned to face him, shielding Lucas once more. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, I do." Damien's voice was steady, his gaze piercing. "I've seen it in the archives. The old stories. It's a gift."
"No," Clara said firmly. "It's a curse."
Damien ignored her, his attention still on Lucas. "How long has he been able to do this?"
"It's none of your concern." Clara's voice rose, her fear morphing into anger.
"It is my concern if he's my son," Damien shot back.
"Stop saying that!"
The room fell silent, save for Lucas's quiet sniffles. Damien took a deep breath, his expression softening slightly. "Clara, I don't want to fight you. But if Lucas has this ability, he's in danger. You know that."
Her anger faltered, replaced by a cold dread. "That's why I kept him away from you," she said quietly. "From your world. He's safer here, away from all of it."
Damien shook his head. "You don't understand. If people find out about this—about him—they'll come for him. And they won't stop."
Clara clenched her fists, the weight of his words sinking in. She knew he was right, but admitting it felt like surrender.
"You think you can protect him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You, with all your power and enemies? You'll just paint a target on his back."
"And you think hiding him in the middle of nowhere will keep him safe forever?" Damien countered.
"I've managed so far."
"For how much longer?"
Clara didn't answer. She didn't have to. The truth was written all over her face.
Lucas tugged on her sleeve, his small voice breaking the tension. "Mommy, am I in trouble?"
Her heart shattered at the fear in his eyes. She knelt down, cupping his face in her hands. "No, sweetheart. You're not in trouble."
Damien crouched beside them, his movements slow and careful. "Lucas," he said gently, "do you know what you just did?"
Lucas shook his head, his bottom lip trembling. "It just happens sometimes. I don't mean to."
Damien glanced at Clara, his expression unreadable, before turning back to Lucas. "It's okay," he said. "It's not your fault."
Clara's chest tightened as she watched them. For all her anger and fear, she couldn't deny the connection forming between them.
But it only made her more determined to protect her son.
"Damien," she said, her voice firm. "You need to leave."
He straightened, his jaw tightening. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Yes, you are," Clara insisted. "You've done enough damage just by being here."
Damien's eyes darkened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned and walked to the door. "This isn't over, Clara," he said without looking back.
She closed the door behind him, locking it with trembling hands.
Lucas tugged on her sleeve again. "Mommy, is he my daddy?"
Her breath caught. She knelt down, pulling him into a hug. "Don't worry about that, baby. Mommy's here, and I'll keep you safe."
But even as she said the words, doubt crept in. How long could she keep this up?
Outside, the wind howled, carrying Damien's promise with it.
"This isn't over."
As Clara wrestles with the truth about Lucas's abilities and Damien's presence, she's forced to confront the reality that her carefully constructed world may no longer be enough to protect her son.