Chapter 3: The Heart's Final Shatter
He had just completed a job for her—stealing a set of royal documents from a noble's estate. The adrenaline still pulsed through his veins as he made his way to the secret meeting place.
But when he found her, she was not alone.
A nobleman, older, richer, draped in velvet, his hands wrapped around Seraphina's waist. Their lips met in a kiss that burned away every illusion Pedro had ever held.
His breath caught, he felt the world tilt.
"Seraphina…"
She turned, looking at him as if he were a stranger.
"Pedro," she said, her voice laced with something almost like amusement. "You're early."
The nobleman smirked. "This is the boy?"
*Pedro's* fists clenched, rage bubbling beneath his skin. "What is this?"
Seraphina sighed, stepping away from the nobleman with a look of pity.
"Did you truly believe it was love?"
The words cut deeper than any blade.
"I needed you," she continued, her voice like ice. "And you served your purpose well. But love? Love is a fairytale, Pedro. And I don't have time for fairytales."
She turned away. Just like that.
And something inside him broke.
For years, he had walked the Demon's Path for her.
And now, he would walk it for himself.