Chapter 24 – Life will go on without you

The tension in the house had been palpable since Bastian left. Anastasia, once the glue that held everyone together with her fiery warmth, was now a ghost of herself. Cold, focused, and relentless, she threw herself into training with a ferocity that unnerved even Billy. Her brothers tried to help in their own way—Wyatt would crack jokes that landed flat, and Matt offered gruff reassurances, though he was distracted with Jenny's return. Even Rose tiptoed around Anastasia's new hard edges, careful not to say the wrong thing.

But Anastasia didn't need sympathy. She needed control.

Every punch she threw, every blade she sharpened, every sparring session that left her gasping for air—it all became a weapon against the storm of emotions she refused to feel. If Bastian could walk away, she could make sure she didn't need him. Not anymore.

Billy seemed to understand her anger the most. He trained alongside her, matching her blow for blow, his own resentment toward Bastian fueling their sessions. He didn't say much, but his silence spoke volumes. He was angry, too. Angry that Bastian had left without a word, abandoning not just her, but all of them.

The demons had no idea what they were up against. Anastasia, now a force of nature, cut through them like a wildfire, leaving carnage in her wake. The city, once plagued by darkness, began to grow quieter, whispers of her dangerous new abilities reaching even the most hidden corners of the underworld.

The lull in battles gave them enough breathing room to move back to their family home after the repairs were completed. The house felt different now—larger, emptier. But no one said it out loud. They knew better than to bring up the void Bastian had left behind.

It was dinner, a rare moment of normalcy. The group gathered around the dining table, their plates full of Rose's attempt at comfort food. Billy cracked a dry joke about how demons were probably too scared to leave their pits now. Wyatt laughed too loud. Matt sat close to Jenny, stealing glances at her like a lovesick teenager.

Anastasia was silent, stabbing her fork into her food with a little too much force. She didn't taste a thing. The smell alone made her stomach churn, but she ignored it. She had learned to bury everything—feelings, pain, hunger.

But then it hit her. A wave of nausea so intense it knocked the air out of her lungs. She bolted from the table, her chair scraping against the floor, and barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up.

When she returned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the table had gone silent. All eyes were on her, but it was Jenny's wide-eyed, scrutinizing stare that made her stop in her tracks.

"What?" Anastasia snapped, her tone sharper than she intended. She wasn't in the mood for this.

Jenny tried to look away, but Anastasia's glare pinned her in place. "Nothing," Jenny mumbled, but her nervous fidgeting gave her away.

"Jenny," Anastasia growled, her voice low and dangerous. "What is it?"

Jenny hesitated, her gaze flicking to Matt for reassurance. But Anastasia wasn't letting this go. Her patience was paper-thin, and Jenny could see it unraveling.

Finally, Jenny sighed, her voice soft but firm. "You're pregnant."

The words hung in the air like a bomb.

Anastasia blinked, her sharp demeanor faltering for the first time in weeks. "What?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jenny's eyes softened. "I wasn't sure at first, but… the nausea, the way you've been pushing yourself too hard so I did a little spell just to see if you were okay…you have life in your belly Ana."

The room fell into stunned silence. Wyatt exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Sean, while Billy leaned back in his chair, his jaw tight. Rose looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. They had grown apart a little and all she wanted to do was hug her friend but didn't know if this was the right time.

Anastasia's mind raced. Pregnant? No. It couldn't be. But as the words sank in, she felt something strange—an odd, fleeting sense of happiness. She placed a trembling hand on her stomach, the thought of a life growing inside her sparking a flicker of hope.

But then it hit her. Bastian knew. He had to. That's why he left. That's why he didn't fight for her. He knew about the baby and abandoned her anyway.

Her hope twisted into a cold, burning fury.

Without a word, Anastasia stood and stormed out of the dining room, ignoring the worried calls of her family. She made her way to the newly rebuilt training room, her vision blurring with rage.

The punching bag was hanging in its usual place, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. She let out a roar of frustration and threw a punch so hard the bag tore clean off its hinges, smashing into the wall with a deafening crack. The stuffing exploded like shrapnel, scattering across the room.

She stood there, her chest heaving, her knuckles raw and bleeding. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall.