Chapter 20 – The Price of Power

One Month Later

Damien sat in his office, a glass of whiskey in his hand, staring blankly at the city skyline. The world moved on as if nothing had happened—business deals, stock markets, headlines about powerful men making more money.

But inside him?

Everything was burning.

Elira was gone.

Not dead. Not kidnapped. She had left.

One moment, she had been in his arms, glowing with a power so raw it could have torn reality apart. The next, she had vanished into the night, leaving nothing but silence and a shattered heart.

And now?

The world was hunting her.

The Witch Council had placed a bounty on her head, branding her an abomination that needed to be erased. Rival businessmen, jealous of Damien's empire, had seized the opportunity to spread rumors, whispering that he had harbored a witch.

And Damien?

He had never felt more powerless in his life.

A sharp knock at the door snapped him from his thoughts.

Logan, his head of security, stepped inside, his usual cocky smirk nowhere to be seen. "We have a problem."

Damien's fingers tightened around his glass. "Another one?"

Logan hesitated. "It's her."

His heart stopped.

Elira?

Damien was on his feet before he even processed the thought. "Where?"

Logan handed him a tablet. "She was spotted outside the city, near the old ruins by the river. But, boss…" He exhaled sharply. "She wasn't alone."

Damien's blood ran cold.

The screen showed grainy security footage—Elira, standing in the moonlight, her hair wild, her body wrapped in a cloak of shadows.

And beside her?

Three Council members, bowing before her.

Damien's jaw clenched. "What the hell is this?"

Logan's expression was grim. "It looks like she's making allies."

For a long moment, Damien said nothing.

Because deep inside, buried beneath the pain, the heartbreak, and the unanswered questions…

Was something else.

Fear.

Because if Elira was aligning herself with the Council—if she had embraced her power—then the woman he loved might no longer exist.

And if that was the case?

How the hell was he supposed to bring her back?

Elira – The Witch's Domain

The night air was thick with magic. It crackled in her veins, humming beneath her skin like a second heartbeat.

Elira stood at the edge of the ruins, her golden eyes locked on the three Council members kneeling before her.

"Rise," she commanded.

They obeyed without hesitation.

The oldest of them, a woman named Selene, met her gaze with wary respect. "You called, and we answered. What is it you seek, Elira of the First Bloodline?"

Elira inhaled deeply, feeling the weight of the moment settle over her.

She had spent the last month running, trying to understand the power that had awakened inside her. She had searched for answers, for control, and in doing so, she had uncovered something far worse.

The Council was afraid of her.

But not because she was too powerful.

No.

Because something far darker was coming.

"I want the truth," she said finally. "The truth about the First Bloodline."

Selene hesitated. "That knowledge is forbidden."

Elira smiled coldly. "Lucky for you, I don't care."

The other two Council members glanced at each other nervously, but Selene simply sighed. "Very well."

She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, ancient book, its leather cover worn and cracked. She handed it to Elira with a grave expression.

"This contains what little remains of your ancestors' history," Selene said. "Read it, but know this—there is a reason the First Bloodline was destroyed."

Elira accepted the book, her fingers tracing its surface. "Because they were too strong?"

Selene shook her head. "Because they betrayed themselves."

Elira's breath hitched. "What does that mean?"

Selene's silver eyes darkened. "You'll find out soon enough."

Elira swallowed hard, an uneasy feeling settling in her chest.

For weeks, she had been trying to understand herself, trying to figure out if she was a blessing or a curse.

But now?

She was starting to wonder if she was something far worse.

Damien – The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

Damien's car tore through the night, the city lights disappearing in his rearview mirror.

Logan sat beside him, loading a gun. "So, what's the plan?"

Damien's grip tightened on the wheel. "We find her."

Logan let out a low whistle. "And then what? You think she's just going to fall into your arms and come home?"

Damien didn't answer.

Because he didn't know.

All he knew was that Elira was in danger—whether she realized it or not.

And he had no intention of losing her again.

Not to the Council.

Not to her power.

Not even to herself.

The Final Choice

Elira turned the final page of the book, her fingers trembling.

The truth stared back at her, written in ink that had long faded with time.

She understood now.

The First Bloodline hadn't been hunted down because they were too powerful.

They had been wiped out because they had become something else.

Something that even magic feared.

A shadow fell over her.

"Elira."

Her breath caught.

She knew that voice.

Slowly, she turned—and there he was.

Damien.

Standing at the edge of the ruins, his dark suit dusted with moonlight, his blue eyes burning with something between love and fury.

Her heart ached.

For weeks, she had imagined this moment. Dreamed of what she would say.

But now that he was here…

She had no words.

Only one truth.

He had come to take her home.

But the question was—

Did she even belong there anymore?