Leviathan stepped onto the roof of the Greystone Building, his figure emerging from a faint ripple in the air. The portal vanished behind him, leaving only the cold night breeze.
He walked to the edge, his gaze fixed on the city below. Silence filled the space around him, but his mind was anything but quiet. The weight of the battle, of choices made and paths taken, lingered like an invisible chain.
For a moment, he stood still, caught between two worlds the one he'd left behind in the past and the one waiting below.
"Found you."
The sharp voice broke the silence like a stone shattering glass. Leviathan's eyes remained fixed on the city below, but his posture stiffened. He didn't need to turn around to know who had spoken.
Lotan stepped onto the rooftop first, his footsteps deliberate. Behind him, Sophia and Alice followed, their expressions tinged with a mixture of relief and apprehension. The glow of the rooftop lights cast long shadows across their faces.
Sophia was the first to speak, her voice soft yet laced with urgency. "Leviathan, you can't just vanish like that okay. Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
"I didn't ask you to worry," Leviathan replied, his tone flat, devoid of emotion. His back remained to them, his figure silhouetted against the sea of city lights.
Lotan's frustration was immediate, his voice rising. "That's not the point, and you know it! You think you can just walk away from everything? From us?"
Finally, Leviathan turned to face them, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The cold wind whipped through his hair, but his expression remained unreadable. "I didn't ask to be followed. Go home."
"You don't get to tell us to go home," Lotan shot back, stepping closer. His hands curled into fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. "Not after everything you've done."
Sophia quickly stepped between them, her hands raised in a gesture of peace. "Lotan, please." Her gaze shifted to Leviathan, her expression softening. "We're not here to argue. We're here because we care about you. Can't you see that?"
Leviathan's laugh was bitter, a sound that cut through the air like a blade. "Care?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's the problem. I don't need your care. I need you all to stay away."
Alice, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke up. Her voice was hesitant, uncertain. "Leviathan we're just trying to help. Why do you always push us away? Why are you doing this?"
Leviathan turned back toward the edge of the roof, his wings flickering briefly before vanishing into his back. "Because it's safer this way," he said, his voice barely audible as fur appeared on his skin for a brief moment before it disappeared "For all of you."
The group exchanged glances, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. "So what are you doing here then?" Lotan asked and Leviathan growled "I would have left of could but I can't open a portal and the portal I managed to open just now dropped me at the rooftop" Leviathan said frustrated
"You kuow you could end your suffering very easily right?" Lotan said and Leviathan shooked his head before speaking "What makes you think that with a single bite allmy problems will be solved, didn't whoever who told that I have a wolf problem also tell you that most wolves with human mate always end up killing their mates in the process of marking them" Leviathan said and Lotan laughed
Leviathan's face darkened as he heard Lotan laughing "What's so funny" and Lotan tried holding back his laughter before speaking again "So you where scared of hurting her? Why don't you ask her as she if she is scared". Alice and Sophia who where confused decided to ask what was going on "What are you discussing" Sophia asked but Lotan didn't reply and stared at Leviathan
Sophia stepped forward, her gaze unwavering despite Leviathan's trying to appear intimidative. The cold wind swept her hair across her face, but she didn't care. "Why do you keep pushing us away?" Her voice, though soft, the weight of her frustration. "What are you so afraid of?"
Leviathan didn't move, his eyes fixed on the city's glow below. For a long moment, silence hung between them, heavy and suffocating. When he finally spoke, his tone was low and measured. "A mortal like you wouldn't understand."
Sophia took another step closer, determination etched across her features. "Then make me understand."
Behind her, Lotan let out a dry laugh, breaking the tension. "Go on, tell her," he said, his voice laced with mocking amusement. "Or should I do it for you?"
Leviathan's jaw tightened, the faintest flicker of irritation crossing his face. "Stay out of this, Lotan."
But Lotan wasn't deterred. He crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby railing. "Oh, come on. You've been brooding long enough. Someone has to say it."
Sophia shot Lotan a glare before turning back to Leviathan. "This isn't about him. It's about you, and you owe us the truth."
Leviathan sighed, his shoulders sagging ever so slightly. "Fine. You want to know? Then listen closely."
Leviathan's eyes glinted in the dim light, his voice a low growl as he continued. "You think this is just me being cold? That I push you away for no reason? You're wrong. I've seen what happens when someone like me gets too close to people like you."
Sophia opened her mouth to respond, but Leviathan's sharp glare silenced her. He took a step forward. "Do you know what it's like to live with this?" He gestured to himself, his voice rising with raw intensity. "This curse? This... beast inside me?"
Alice, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke. "Leviathan, you were born that way there is no need to fight it. We're here for you...."
"You're here?" Leviathan interrupted, his laugh bitter and cold. "You don't even know what 'here' means. You think you understand, but you have no idea what it takes to control this... this monster. Every day, every moment, I have to fight the urge to destroy everything I touch. And you want me to just 'let you in'? And then I end your life from a single mistake?"
Lotan folded his arms, his voice cutting through the tension. "You've said your piece, but that's just your fear talking, Levi. You're scared of losing control, scared of hurting someone. But hiding won't change anything."
Sophia stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. "You're right, Leviathan. We don't know what it's like to be you. But that doesn't mean you have to bear it alone. We're not asking you to be perfect or to have all the answers. We're asking you to let us stand by you, even if it's messy."
Leviathan shook his head, his expression pained. "And what happens when it's more than messy? When it's deadly?"
Sophia placed a hand on his arm, her touch gentle but firm. "Then we'll deal with it. Together. Stop deciding our fate for us."
For a moment, Leviathan said nothing. The wind howled around them, filling the silence. Finally, he turned away, his voice quieter now. "I can't promise that I won't hurt you. I can't promise anything."
"And we're not asking you to," Sophia replied, stepping closer. "But running from us isn't the solution. Let us decide if we want to stay."
Lotan sighed, his tone softening. "Levi, you've carried this burden alone for too long. You don't have to anymore. We're here whether you like it or not."
Leviathan closed his eyes, his shoulders tense. The glow of his red eyes dimmed slightly as he wrestled with their words.
Finally, he muttered, "I'll think about it."
Sophia exchanged a glance with Alice and Lotan, relief flickering across her face. "That's all we're asking for."
The group stood in silence for a moment, the tension slowly easing. The city lights below seemed a little brighter, and the cold wind didn't bite quite as harshly.
The rooftop's atmosphere grew lighter. Sophia, Alice, and Lotan exchanged uncertain glances as Leviathan turned back toward the city, his posture rigid, as if preparing himself for the battle within.
Before anyone could speak, a low rumble emanated from deep within Leviathan's chest a growl, primal and unrestrained. His red eyes began to glow brighter.
"Levi, calm down," Lotan said quickly, stepping forward.
Leviathan held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. "Don't. Come. Closer," he said, his voice guttural, as though the beast within him was clawing its way to the surface.
Sophia's heartbeat quickened, her instincts screaming at her to step back. But instead, she clenched her fists and held her ground. "Leviathan, listen to me. You can fight this. You've done it before. Don't let it take over now."
"I can't fight it," Leviathan snapped, his voice trembling with anger. "I can control it. But there's a limit, Sophia. There's always a limit!"
Suddenly, black fur rippled across his arms, vanishing just as quickly as it appeared. His wings flickered in and out of existence, creating faint gusts of wind that sent dust scattering across the rooftop.
Alice instinctively grabbed Sophia's arm, pulling her back a step. "Sophia, he's losing control. We need to give him space!"
"No," Sophia said firmly, her voice breaking through the chaos. She shook off Alice's grip and took a step toward Leviathan. "He's not alone in this. I won't abandon him."
Lotan swore under his breath. "Sophia, this isn't bravery. It's stupidity. If he shifts fully—"
"He won't," Sophia cut him off, her voice steady. She took another step forward, now standing just a few feet from Leviathan. "Levi, listen to me. Look at me."
For a moment, Leviathan didn't respond, his glowing eyes fixated on the city below. Then, slowly, he turned to face her. His features were twisted with pain, his claws partially extended, and his breathing was labored.
Sophia's heart ached at the sight of him being brought to the edge of his control by the very thing that made him who he was.
"You're stronger than this," she said softly. "You've spent your entire life proving that. Don't let fear win now."
Leviathan's claws retracted slightly, and his wings folded back into his body. The glow in his eyes dimmed, though it didn't fade completely. He exhaled a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping.
"I don't know if I can control it for long" he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.
Sophia stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. Her touch was gentle but unyielding. "Then let us help you. You don't have to face this alone anymore."
Leviathan looked at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as though he might pull away. But then he nodded barely, almost imperceptibly.
Behind them, Lotan let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Now can we get off this damn roof before someone falls off?"
Alice managed a small smile, though her eyes remained wary. "We're not out of the woods yet, but this is a start."
Leviathan's voice was quiet as he spoke, addressing no one in particular. "This isn't over. I'm not fully in control yet"
"No one expects you to be," Sophia said, her voice gentle. "But you took the first step tonight. That's what matters."
The group stood together in silence, and suddenly Leviathan's eyes turned red and he sank his fangs into Sophia's neck surprising everyone and slowly Sophia fell to the floor.