After everything that went down at the cafe, Elena felt like she was walking on air. I mean, imagine—thousands of pounds in gambling debt that had kept her up for two years, gone in a blink. And her bank balance? It was actually glowing. she kept refreshing her banking app, half-convinced it was a glitch and the bank would snatch it all back by morning.
"Zav, I'm serious, I feel like I'm hallucinating," Elena said as they walked down a drying London sidewalk. "I want to scream, but people will think I've finally lost it."
Zavier walked beside her, hands buried in his leather jacket pockets. His pale, sharp-featured face was calm, though his mind was busy calculating exactly how to make sure she never stepped foot in that dumpy apartment of hers again.
"You're not hallucinating. It's your money. Do whatever you want with it," Zavier said casually.
"But that's the thing—I don't know who sent it! What if it's money laundering? Or some mob payout?" Elena was spiraling into peak paranoia. Typical—give a broke person money, and they start worrying about the catch.
Zavier stopped, forcing her to halt too. He looked her dead in the eye. "Elena, listen to me. Think of it as the universe paying you back for all the crap you've dealt with. Don't overthink where it came from. You're free. Got it?"
Elena went quiet for a beat, then took a deep breath. "Yeah. You're right. I'm tired of being paranoid."
"Good. First target: moving out." Zavier didn't waste any time.
Elena's eyes widened. "Whoa, already?! I just got out of debt, I can't start blowing money on some fancy place."
"Your old place is a death trap. The lift is dying, the neighbors are like Mick, and the roof leaks. You really want to stay there forever?" Zavier's tone didn't leave much room for argument.
"Well, no... but finding a place in London is a nightmare, Zav. The deposits alone are insane."
Zavier pulled out his phone—an object he'd literally "manifested" from shadow-magic just to look like a normal human. "I've got a friend who needs someone to look after his place. It's cheap because he's out of the country and just wants it taken care of. Want to see it?"
Truth was, this "friend" didn't exist. He'd just commanded his shadows to "buy" a luxury unit in a safer district and forge all the paperwork in seconds.
***
They grabbed a cab toward West London. The second they pulled up in front of the building, Elena's jaw hit the floor. It was modern, had a uniformed doorman, and the lobby smelled like expensive perfume—not trash.
"Zav, are you sure this is 'cheap'? My old monthly salary wouldn't even cover the parking spot here," Elena whispered as they stepped into a bright, smooth-riding elevator.
"Trust me. This guy is weird. He cares more about the place being kept clean than the money," Zavier lied through his teeth. He was getting pretty good at this "human" thing.
They hit the 7th floor. Zavier swiped an access card for room 707. The moment the door opened, Elena almost fainted. The place was massive for one person. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Minimalist furniture that screamed "expensive." A spotless kitchen, a bed three times the size of her old one, and—most importantly—zero cockroaches.
"Zavier... this is insane. It's beautiful!" Elena ran to the window, her eyes sparkling. "I can really live here? How much is the rent?"
"Same as your old place," Zavier lied again. "My friend just wants you to cover the utilities. He'll handle the rest."
Elena hugged Zavier spontaneously, caught up in the moment. "Thank you, Zav! You're seriously my guardian angel!"
Zavier froze. His cold skin soaked up the warmth from her hug. His heart—which usually only thudded out of habit—suddenly went haywire. He could smell the vanilla in her hair so clearly now. He hesitated, his hands hovering, wanting to wrap around her, but before he could, Elena pulled away, her face flushing bright red.
"Uh... s-sorry. Reflex," she muttered, suddenly very interested in the kitchen stove.
Zavier tried to play it cool, though he was actually struggling to keep his shadow-energy from exploding out of pure awkwardness. "It's fine. I'm glad you like it."
Zavier walked toward the corner of the room. He felt something off. He could feel a ripple from the Erebos dimension nearby. He glanced at the shadow under the table, and sure enough, it was writhing.
"My Lord... Lucius has sent scouts. They are in the hallway," the shadow hissed.
Zavier's eyes sharpened. He hadn't expected Lucius to track him down this fast.
"Elena, stay here for a bit. I need to take a work call outside," Zavier said.
"Oh, okay! Don't be long, Zav. I'm gonna start looking into a moving service for my stuff," Elena replied, completely oblivious.
Zavier stepped out and shut the door. The second it clicked shut, his relaxed mask dropped. His aura turned pitch black as he stalked down the quiet hallway. At the far end, he saw two guys in sharp black suits, but their movements were stiff, unnatural. Their eyes were solid white—no pupils.
Shadow Scraps—low-level monsters from Erebos disguised as humans.
"Who gave you permission to set foot in this world?" Zavier's voice was like ice, making the hallway lights flicker violently.
The two monsters instantly dropped to their knees, foreheads hitting the tiles. "My Lord... Commander Lucius demands your return. Erebos is unstable. He fears you are being... influenced by that human."
Zavier stepped closer, his boots clicking on the silent floor. "Lucius is getting brave, trying to boss me around. Tell him if he sends trash like you near Elena again, I'll dismantle half his army."
"But My Lord—"
Zavier didn't even move his hands. Shadows from the walls lunged out and wrapped around the monsters' necks, choking them. "I don't like repeating myself. Get out, or I'll consume your souls right here."
The monsters were terrified. In a flash, they dissolved into black smoke and hissed away through the vents.
Zavier took a deep breath, neutralizing his aura so Elena wouldn't catch on. He straightened his shirt and walked back inside.
Inside, Elena was sitting on the sofa, clutching a pizza flyer. "Zav! Since today is my lucky day, how about we order the biggest, most expensive pizza on the menu? My treat!"
Looking at her genuine smile, Zavier's annoyance with Lucius evaporated. "Sure. Whatever you want."
He sat down next to her, watching her ramble about pizza toppings. He realized his old world of blood and fire was boring as hell compared to sitting on a sofa with her.
*'From this second on, anyone who messes with your peace is going to answer to me. Including Lucius,'* Zavier thought.
Elena suddenly looked up. "Zav, you said your friend was a photographer too, right?"
"Uh... yeah. Something like that," Zavier answered, a bit caught off guard.
"Explains the taste. Anyway, you've never actually shown me your work. We should go hunting for shots sometime, right? I'll be the model, you take the photos. But don't charge me too much—I pay in sachet coffee!" She laughed.
Zavier gave a thin smirk. His sharp nose looked even more defined when he smiled. "Deal. With a model like you, the photos will be perfect."
Elena went quiet, her face heating up again at being called pretty. "Shut up... you're such a flirt. Anyway, I'm ordering the pizza!"
That night, in a luxury apartment she got through "mysterious luck," Elena felt like her life was finally beginning. She had no idea that outside, a war between two worlds was simmering because of her. And she definitely didn't know the pale guy next to her was the most ruthless King in existence, currently content to eat pizza just to hear her laugh.
But for Zavier, this was only the start. He knew Lucius wouldn't stop. He had to be on guard. His possessiveness was already in overdrive—he'd already woven shadow-protection into every corner of the apartment that no monster could breach.
'Sleep tight, Elena. Because tomorrow, I'm going to make sure Mr. Moustache regrets ever raising his voice at you,' Zavier thought as she started dozing off on the sofa.
He grabbed a blanket and tucked her in gently. He stood there for a long time, just making sure she was safe within his reach.