Run: 2026-02-17-01KHMPH7AN6F6X22WESVTDW6B6

Aurora Carter stood in the cramped kitchen of Eva's flat, the scent of curry wafting through the open window mingling with the musty aroma of old books. She stirred a pot of lentils, her mind wandering as she watched the steam curl and dissipate into the air. The tabby cat, Ptolemy, lounged lazily on the windowsill, his green eyes half-closed, oblivious to the world outside. The soft thud of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Rory's heart skipped. She glanced at the clock on the wall—Eva was supposed to be at work. The sound of knocking came next, sharp and insistent, pulling her from her thoughts. She wiped her hands on a dish towel, her pulse quickening as she approached the door. With a deep breath, she turned the knob and pulled the door open, her heart dropping at the sight before her. Lucien Moreau stood there, impeccably dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, his slicked-back platinum blond hair gleaming under the dim light of the hallway. His heterochromatic eyes—one amber, one black—bore into hers, a mix of surprise and something else she couldn’t quite place. “Lucien,” she breathed, the name slipping from her lips like a secret. “Rory,” he replied, his voice smooth, yet edged with an unfamiliar tension. “I didn’t expect to find you here.” “Clearly.” She stepped back, allowing him to enter, her mind racing. The last time they had seen each other, words had been exchanged that cut deeper than any blade. She had thought she was done with him, that she could move on, but here he was, standing in her doorway like a ghost from her past. He stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. The flat felt smaller with him in it, the air thickening with unspoken words. Ptolemy, sensing the shift, leapt from the windowsill and slinked away, leaving them in an awkward silence. “What brings you here?” Rory asked, crossing her arms defensively. Lucien shifted his weight, his gaze flickering around the cluttered room. “I was in the area and thought I’d check in. It’s been a while.” “Right.” She raised an eyebrow, skepticism lacing her tone. “A while since you decided to ghost me, you mean?” He winced, the flicker of hurt crossing his face quickly masked by his usual composure. “I didn’t come here to rehash old arguments, Rory.” “Then why did you come?” she shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. “You could have sent a message, or called. You know how to reach me.” “I know,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. “But I needed to see you. In person.” Rory’s heart raced, a mix of anger and something softer bubbling beneath the surface. “Why now? After everything?” “Because I’ve been thinking about you,” he admitted, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. “About us.” “Us?” The word felt foreign on her tongue, a relic of a time when they had shared laughter and secrets, before the shadows of their pasts had crept in and twisted everything. “What do you want from me, Lucien?” He took a step closer, the space between them charged with a tension that felt both familiar and terrifying. “I want to explain. I want to apologize for how things ended.” Rory’s heart softened, but she quickly steeled herself. “You think an apology is enough? You left me without a word, Lucien. I thought you were dead.” “I was never dead,” he said, his voice rising slightly, frustration creeping in. “I was trying to protect you. I thought it was for the best.” “Protect me?” she echoed, incredulous. “By disappearing? By leaving me to pick up the pieces?” “I didn’t want you to get hurt,” he said, his voice dropping again, earnestness flooding his tone. “You have no idea what I was dealing with. The things I was involved in… I thought it would be safer for you if I just vanished.” “Safer?” She laughed, a bitter sound that echoed in the small space. “You think running away is safer? You think I wanted to be left in the dark?” “I thought you’d understand,” he said, his voice strained. “I thought you’d be better off without me.” “Better off?” She shook her head, the memories flooding back—of laughter shared over late-night takeout, of whispered secrets in the dark, of the way he had made her feel alive. “You were the best part of my life, Lucien. And you just… left.” The silence that followed was heavy, filled with the weight of their shared history. Lucien’s expression softened, and for a moment, Rory saw the man she had fallen for—the one who had made her feel seen, understood, cherished. “I’m sorry,” he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I never wanted to hurt you. I was scared.” “Scared of what?” she pressed, her heart aching at the vulnerability in his eyes. “Scared of me?” “Scared of what I am,” he admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Scared of what I could bring into your life.” Rory’s breath caught in her throat. “You mean the demon side of you?” He nodded, his expression pained. “I didn’t want to drag you into that world. It’s dangerous, Rory. I didn’t want you to become a target.” “And you thought leaving was the answer?” she asked, her voice trembling. “You thought I couldn’t handle it?” “I thought I was doing the right thing,” he said, frustration creeping back into his tone. “But I see now that I was wrong. I should have trusted you.” “Trust is a two-way street, Lucien,” she replied, her heart racing. “You can’t just decide what’s best for me without even asking.” “I know,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes searching hers. “And I’m here now, trying to make it right. I want to be honest with you. I want to be in your life again, if you’ll let me.” Rory’s heart pounded in her chest, the memories of their time together flooding back—his laughter, the way he had held her, the warmth of his presence. But the hurt was still fresh, the scars of his absence still raw. “I don’t know if I can just forget everything, Lucien.” “I don’t expect you to,” he said, his voice steady. “But I want to try. I want to show you that I can be better. That I can be the man you deserve.” She searched his eyes, looking for the truth in his words. The air between them crackled with unspoken feelings, the weight of their past pressing down on them. “What if I can’t trust you again?” “Then I’ll earn it,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that I’m not the same man who walked away.” Rory’s heart ached with the possibility, the flicker of hope igniting within her. “And what if I’m not the same woman you left behind?” “Then I’ll learn who you are now,” he replied, a hint of a smile breaking through the tension. “I want to know you, Rory. All of you.” The vulnerability in his voice, the sincerity in his eyes, made her breath hitch. She felt the walls she had built around her heart begin to crack, the possibility of something new blooming amidst the ruins of their past. “Okay,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s start with honesty.” Lucien’s expression softened, relief washing over him. “That’s all I ask.” As they stood there, the distance between them shrinking, Rory felt the weight of their shared history and the promise of what could be. The past was a tangled web, but perhaps, just perhaps, they could weave something new together.