Chapter 128: Maman or Monster?

Ezra couldn’t remember when he started running.

He only knew that he was.

Branches scraped against him, something caught on his arm, his boots hit the ground too hard, too fast, but none of it mattered.

He heard something ahead, a sound that didn’t belong in the quiet of the forest, something sharp and wrong, and then—

He saw it.

His baby.

His pride and his joy.

Lior.

Lifted off the ground.

Choking.

Something in Ezra snapped.

There was no thought. No pause. No second to think about anything else.

He moved fast.

The fastest he has ever moved in his life.

The world blurred for a second, and then his sword was already in his hand, already driving forward—

Straight through Ricardo.

The blade went clean through his body, the force of it stopping just before it could reach Lior.

Ezra made sure of that.

He always made sure.

Ricardo’s grip broke instantly.

Lior dropped.

Ezra didn’t look at him yet. He couldn’t.

His hand moved to Ricardo instead, grabbing him, dragging him aside, away from where Lior had fallen.

“I wanted to help you,” Ezra whispered, his voice rough, his breathing uneven as he held onto him. “I was willing to do everything to help you find your daughters, and this is… this…”

The words wouldn’t come out properly.

His throat felt tight.

His hands were shaking.

He didn’t know if it was anger or something else.

Ricardo looked at him, blood slipping past his lips as he let out a weak laugh.

“Your… boy…”

Ezra’s grip tightened.

“A son of a prince.”

Ezra stilled.

“What are you talking about—”

“Don’t deny it,” Ricardo muttered, coughing, his voice breaking as more blood came out. “The whole reason you don’t see those fucking Cultists… is because your kid scared them away.”

Ezra’s heart dropped.

“With his Sunlight Ray.”

“…Sunlight… Ray?” Ezra whispered, the words barely leaving his mouth. “No, he…doesn’t…”

His mind couldn’t catch up.

Lior?

Using that?

Since when?

How?

’Did he… use it just now…?’

But that wasn’t what made his chest tighten.

Not fully.

The realization came slower.

Something heavier.

’If he used it in front of them… then they know.’

Ezra’s grip loosened for a second.

Then tightened again.

’They know what he is.’

Not just his son.

Not just his child.

Something more.

Ricardo let out another weak breath, his eyes unfocused now.

“I have to wonder…” he murmured. “…does the prince know?”

Ezra didn’t answer.

He didn’t even think.

His hand moved again.

The sword came down.

Straight into Ricardo’s chest.

His heart.

The sound was dull because Ricardo had no air left in the first place.

Ezra leaned down, his voice low, almost steady now.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “You may be a bastard who knows too much. You may have taken my baby away from me, but…”

He pulled the blade out.

Blood followed, spluttering on the ground next to them.

“I will still find your daughters.”

His voice softened, just slightly.

“For Lanie.”

Ricardo’s eyes dimmed.

The life left them slowly, and for a moment, there was a faint smile on his face.

Ezra watched it.

He stayed there for a second longer than needed.

Waiting.

Just in case.

If he turned—

If he became one of them—

Ezra would end it.

But he didn’t.

He stayed still.

Gone.

Only then did Ezra move.

He turned.

“Lior—”

The word barely left his mouth before—

“NO!”

Ezra froze. Lior’s voice was sharp and loud.

Not the way he usually spoke to him.

There was no joy. None at all.

Ezra’s eyes widened as he finally looked at him properly.

Lior had moved back.

Tears were still falling down his face, his small body trembling as he stared at Ezra.

“L-Lior, it’s me… it’s—”

“GET AWAY!”

The words hit harder than anything else that night.

Lior took another step back, shaking his head, his voice breaking as he cried.

“You… you’re a monster!”

Ezra stopped completely.

He didn’t move.

He didn’t speak.

For a second, he didn’t understand.

’A… monster?’

His gaze dropped.

To his hands.

To the sword.

Covered in blood.

Then back to Lior.

“No… no, Lior,” Ezra said quickly, his voice unsteady now. “You don’t understand. I’m… this is…”

He didn’t know how to explain it.

He didn’t know what to say that would make Lior stop looking at him like that.

Ezra took a step forward without thinking.

His body moved before his mind could catch up, like it always did when it came to Lior.

He wanted to close the distance.

He wanted to kneel down, pull him close, wipe the tears from his face, and tell him that everything was okay now.

That everything he did, everything that just happened, it was all for him.

’It was for you… I did it for you…’

But his feet stopped.

Because Lior didn’t move toward him.

He moved away.

Then—

There were footsteps coming closer.

Lior heard it too. His head turned quickly, his small body still shaking as he looked past Ezra.

And then—

“Kakay!”

The word came out loud.

Relieved.

Lior ran.

He ran past Ezra without hesitation, his small figure moving as fast as he could, as if he already knew where to go.

Ezra didn’t move.

He couldn’t.

His eyes followed him, watching every step, watching as the distance between them grew instead of closing.

’He didn’t… even hesitate…’

Something inside his chest twisted painfully.

Kaelis stopped when he saw Lior rushing toward him, confusion flashing across his face for a brief second before he reacted.

“Lior—”

He crouched slightly, opening his arms just in time.

Lior crashed into him, grabbing onto him tightly, burying his face against Kaelis’ thigh like he was trying to hide.

Kaelis’ expression shifted immediately.

The confusion faded, replaced by something more serious as he looked down at the child clinging to him.

“Ezra,” he said, his voice lower now as he glanced up. “What’s going on? Is he okay?”

Ezra tried to answer.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first.

“He…”

The word got stuck.

His throat tightened, his voice failing him completely as his hand lifted slightly.

So he pointed.

At Ricardo’s body.

At all the blood.

At everything that just happened.

His hand shook as he held it there, unable to say anything more.

’He thinks I’m a monster.’

The thought settled heavily in his chest.

He had expected relief.

He had expected Lior to run to him.

He had expected—Anything but this.

’I thought… once I found him… everything would be okay.’

But it wasn’t.

Not like this.

Kaelis followed his gesture, his gaze moving to Ricardo, taking in the scene quickly.

Then he looked back at Ezra.

Something in his expression softened.

Not pity.

Something quieter.

Understanding, maybe.

He looked down at Lior again, who was still clutching onto him, his small body trembling, refusing to even glance in Ezra’s direction.

“I’ll talk to him,” Kaelis said after a moment, his voice calm as he carefully adjusted his hold.

He bent down slightly, lifting Lior into his arms with more care than Ezra expected.

“Can you wait a bit?”

Ezra’s first instinct was no.

The word sat right there, ready to come out.

Kaelis was the last person he wanted near Lior right now.

Not after everything.

Not when Lior wouldn’t even look at him.

But then he looked at Lior again.

At how tightly he was holding onto Kaelis.

At how he refused to turn his head.

At how he was still shaking.

’He won’t come to me… not like this…’

Ezra swallowed.

The word changed before it could leave his mouth.

“…Okay.”

It came out quiet.

Almost like he wasn’t sure he meant it.

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