LUCIAN
I kept waiting for someone to say it was a mistake.
That they'd turn the car around.
That Adrian would be in the seat beside me again, arguing with me like he always did.
But the car kept moving.
And no one said anything.
The officer driving didn't look at me in the mirror. The man in the passenger seat hadn't spoken since we left the hill. The only sound inside the car was the steady hum of the engine and the tires cutting through the quiet road.
I stared out the window.
The trees blurred past in dark streaks.
Adrian's face kept replaying in my head — the way he looked at me after the crash.
Like I had done something unforgivable.
My chest tightened again.
I pressed my forehead against the cool glass.
I didn't mean to hurt the cat.
I was trying to help it.
But the words stuck in my throat every time I thought about saying them out loud.
Finally, I couldn't hold it anymore.
"Where are we going?"
The driver answered without turning.
"Somewhere safe."
I frowned.
"Why?"
Silence filled the car again.
Then the man in the passenger seat spoke.
"Because things are complicated right now."
That wasn't an answer either.
"My brother's coming, right?" I asked.
Neither of them replied immediately.
And that silence told me everything.
"No," I said quietly. "You said we'd stay together."
The driver shifted slightly but still didn't look back.
"That's not our decision, kid."
"Then whose is it?"
Another pause.
The passenger glanced back at me this time.
"People who want what's best for you."
I didn't believe that.
Not anymore.
I turned my gaze back to the window.
The city lights were getting farther away instead of closer.
Which meant we weren't going to any place I knew.
We drove for what felt like forever before finally turning onto a narrow road lined with tall fencing.
The kind with cameras.
The kind meant to keep people out.
Or keep someone in.
A gate opened slowly as we approached.
The car rolled through.
And I realized this wasn't a house.
It was a compound.
Several buildings sat spread across a large property, lights glowing in a few windows. Security posts stood near the entrance, and another car was already parked near one of the main buildings.
The driver pulled to a stop.
I didn't move right away.
Something about the place made my skin crawl.
The passenger opened his door and stepped out.
Then he came around to mine and opened it.
"Come on."
I stayed seated.
"Is Adrian here?"
"No."
"Then I'm not getting out."
The man sighed.
Not angry.
Just tired.
"Listen, kid. You've had a rough night. But this is where you're staying for now."
"No."
He crouched slightly so we were eye level.
"You don't really have a choice."
My hands clenched.
I thought about running.
But there was nowhere to run to.
The gate behind us had already closed.
The man waited patiently.
Eventually, I stepped out of the car.
Cold air rushed around me.
I looked around again.
This place wasn't temporary.
I could feel it.
A tall man walked toward us from the building ahead.
He moved with a calm confidence that made the guards around him straighten slightly as he passed.
He stopped a few steps away from me.
Studying me.
His eyes were sharp.
Calculating.
"So," he said at last, voice smooth and controlled.
"This must be Lucian Voss."
I didn't answer.
He smiled faintly, like my silence amused him.
"My name is Victor Ardent."
Something about the way he said it made the name feel important.
But that didn't matter to me.
"Where's my brother?"
Victor tilted his head slightly.
"Your brother is somewhere safe."
"That's what they said."
"And it's true."
"That's not the same as being with me."
Victor watched me carefully for a moment.
Then he said something that made the air feel colder.
"Not anymore."
My stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Victor continued calmly, "that the world changed tonight."
Behind him, one of the guards shifted slightly.
Victor didn't even glance back.
His attention stayed on me.
"You and your brother will walk very different paths from now on."
"I don't want that."
"I know."
His voice was almost gentle.
But there was something underneath it.
Something that felt… planned.
Like he had already expected this conversation.
"Come," he said, turning toward the building. "We have much to discuss."
I didn't move.
"Am I going to see Adrian again?"
Victor paused.
Then he looked over his shoulder.
"Yes."
I searched his face, trying to see if he meant it.
But his expression revealed nothing.
He opened the door to the building and waited.
And after a moment, I followed.
Not because I trusted him.
But because I had already realized something important.
No one here was asking what I wanted anymore.