But as the day dragged on, each of them sank deeper into their own thoughts, weighed down by the harshness of reality. After Addison finally fell asleep, Zion and Maxwell quietly slipped out of the bed and asked one of the guards to summon a mage to Zion’s room.
They then left Addison’s chamber without a word, only then realizing they hadn’t seen Levi at all.
It dawned on them that Levi must have gone straight to his own room. Neither questioned it; after all, he had co terrifyingly close to eting his creator today. Wanting ti alone was the most natural thing in the world.
So the two of them simply focused on what needed to be done, not bothering to compete or outdo one another. They both understood clearly that they needed every bit of help they could get to finish this mission as soon as possible and return to the Royal Palace, giving Addison ti to rest and pull herself together after witnessing the deaths of so many.
After all, unlike the two of them, Addison hadn’t grown up constantly surrounded by death. Zion had spent years on the battlefield, witnessing countless comrades fall while fighting the vampires, and Maxwell had been raised in the North, constantly battling demons and monsters contaminated with demonic energy, so for them, losing people was almost a natural part of life.
But Addison was different.
Although she had trained and fought against rogues before, witnessing many grueso events, this was the first ti so many had died close to her. So had even been chatting and laughing with her just monts before. Hearing their family mbers’ grief now felt different; it was heavier and more personal.
Zion had returned from the frontlines after three years with fewer warriors than he had left with, most of them lost to the brutal vampires, often with no bodies to bring ho. Even so, Addison hadn’t felt this devastated.
Perhaps it was because, deep down, she understood they were fighting a battle, and she hadn’t seen the bodies. Perhaps it was because the Midnight River Pack had never welcod her as warmly as the Golden Hue Pack, so her heart had remained sowhat detached.
But this was different. Being on the frontline alongside her people, fighting with them shoulder to shoulder, made every loss hit her heart directly. Before, she had been in a managent role and was aware of everything, so she could remain detached.
Now, with every comrade falling that was close to her, she felt the weight of it in a way she never had before. She felt drained, defeated, and painfully human.
It was a feeling she couldn’t easily put into words.
Perhaps it was because she was beginning to grasp the weight of the role that awaited her as the future Alpha King of their race, how it would feel when her people died one after another, just like now.
Back when she was still with the Midnight River Pack, she had known herself only as a Luna. Her duty had been clear: to support the pack, support her Alpha, and be the pillar everyone leaned on. That had been her role, and nothing more. The pain of death hadn’t struck as sharply then; it was because it was Zion, as the leader and Alpha of the Pack, who bore that burden.
But now, as a future leader of their entire race, she was beginning to understand the weight Zion had carried and, perhaps, what her father, the Alpha King, must feel every ti their people suffered or perished in countless ways.
For the first ti, the grief wasn’t sothing she could simply observe from the sidelines. It pressed against her chest, heavy and real, and she felt the first glimr of what it ant to truly lead.
"Let’s head to my room and call the nearby Alphas. We need to finalize the plan for tomorrow..." Zion whispered to Maxwell as the two carefully rose from the bed, mindful not to disturb Addison.
"Alright..." Maxwell murmured. He lingered for a few more seconds, his eyes softening as he watched Addison’s sleeping face, before finally following Zion out of the room. But halfway through the doorway, a thought struck him.
"Wait... where’s Levi?" Maxwell asked quietly. He realized he hadn’t seen Levi at all. The last ti he rembered was Levi walking with them up the stairs toward Addison’s room, yet sohow, he had vanished without them noticing.
"I think he’s brooding over his own strength," Zion said quietly. "We just need to give him ti. He brushed past death today; anyone would need a mont to process that. If he can overco this, it’ll be good for him."
"He might finally figure out the path he wants to take and grow stronger from it. But if he can’t... he won’t just drag himself down. He’ll drag all of us with him. That’s why he needs to face this on his own."
Zion had spent enough ti with Levi to understand him, even without Levi saying a word. Just looking back at the day’s events, he could clearly see what was weighing on Levi’s heart. And like he said, this was sothing only Levi could resolve.
Levi needed to go through this; this struggle was essential for him to grow stronger and truly be of help to Addison in the future. It could serve as a harsh but valuable lesson, and once he erged stronger, he would surely get his revenge on Greg, becoming soone Greg could never hope to defeat.
But the road there would be grueling.
Self-doubt was natural; everyone experienced it. Yet no one could asure another’s strength; only the person themselves could discover it, endure it, and grow from it. Others could inspire, but they could not replace the journey. That was why Zion had instructed Maxwell to leave Levi to his own devices; it was for the best for everyone.
Even in his urgency to nd the rift with Addison and draw closer to her, Zion didn’t push Levi aside to claim his place by her side. Maxwell, too, sensed that sothing was off with Levi and held back, unwilling to force his own agenda.
He feared pushing Addison too far; after all, he had already been assertive in recent days, leaning on the mate bond and physical closeness, even though their emotional foundation was still fragile. To be overly forceful now could make her resent him instead of drawing them closer.
So yes, each of them had their own thoughts and difficulties, and it was up to them to face these challenges and grow from them.
After a brief mont of reflection, Maxwell and Zion continued toward Zion’s room. Not long after, a knock sounded at the door, accompanied by an unfamiliar scent slipping through the gap beneath it. Zion imdiately straightened and commanded with authority, "Co in..."
The door swung open, and a mage in his flowing robe stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and bowed deeply, curtsying to the two Alphas waiting in the room, a clear gesture of submission as he awaited their instructions.
Without a word, Zion retrieved the communication crystal from his magic backpack and carefully placed it on a soft cushion. He then gestured for the mage to take his place in front of them and begin connecting the crystal.
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