Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTRDNGZ7SB86SHGFWZ76QCQ

Rory's eyes widened as she peered through the crack in the door, heart racing at the sight of Lucien Moreau standing on her doorstep. A tense silence stretched between them, the air thick with unspoken emotions. "Lucien," she breathed, fingers tightening around the doorframe. "What are you doing here?" He looked the same as she remembered - impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, platinum hair slicked back, heterochromatic eyes boring into her. That familiar, magnetic presence of his made her pulse quicken. "May I come in, Rory?" he asked, voice low and smooth. There was an undercurrent of something - unease, maybe, or perhaps a hint of vulnerability that she couldn't quite place. She hesitated, memories of their last encounter flooding her mind. The hurt, the anger, the way they had parted on such complicated terms. But some part of her, a traitorous part, still ached to be near him. Slowly, she nodded and pulled the door open wider, stepping aside to let him in. Lucien swept past her, the familiar scent of his cologne lingering in his wake. Rory closed the door, heart pounding, and turned to face him. The flat felt suddenly smaller, the air charged with an electric tension. "What do you want, Lucien?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. He regarded her for a long moment, eyes roaming over her face, before speaking. "I... I need your help." Rory blinked, taken aback. "My help?" she echoed, brow furrowing. "After everything, you're asking for my help?" Lucien had the decency to look somewhat sheepish. "I know, I know. It's... complicated." He ran a hand through his hair, a rare display of unease. "But I'm in trouble, Rory. Serious trouble. And you're the only one I can trust." Rory searched his face, trying to gauge his sincerity. He had always been difficult to read, a master of concealing his true emotions. But now, she could see the underlying tension in his posture, the slight furrow of his brow. "What kind of trouble?" she asked cautiously. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "I've angered the wrong people. Some very powerful, very dangerous people. They're after me, Rory. And I... I don't know who else to turn to." Rory's breath caught in her throat. She knew the kind of people Lucien dealt with, the shadowy figures that inhabited the supernatural underworld he navigated. The thought of him being on the wrong side of them sent a shiver down her spine. "Lucien, what have you done?" she whispered, heart sinking. He shook his head. "I can't... I can't explain it all right now. But I need your help to get out of this. Please, Rory. I know I have no right to ask, but you're the only one I trust." His eyes bore into hers, the amber and black swirling with a rare vulnerability. Rory felt her resolve crumbling, the walls she had built up around her heart starting to crack. "Why me?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. "After everything that happened between us, why come to me?" Lucien reached out, hesitantly, and grasped her hand. Rory's breath caught in her throat at the contact, the familiar warmth of his touch sending a spark through her. "Because I..." He paused, swallowing hard. "Because I still care about you, Rory. More than I should. And I know I've hurt you, but I... I don't have anyone else." Rory stared at their entwined hands, heart pounding. The honesty in his voice, the vulnerability in his eyes - it was a side of Lucien she had only glimpsed a few times before. And despite the pain he had caused her, she found herself unable to turn him away. Slowly, she nodded. "Alright. I'll help you." Lucien's shoulders sagged with relief, and he squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Rory. I... I don't know what I would have done without you." Rory offered him a small, tentative smile. "Just don't make me regret this, Lucien." He nodded, his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand. "I won't. I promise." They stood there for a moment, the tension palpable, neither one willing to break the fragile connection between them. Rory could feel the weight of their shared history, the unresolved feelings that still lingered. Suddenly, the sound of a meow broke the spell, and they both turned to see Ptolemy, Eva's tabby cat, watching them curiously from his perch on the bookshelf. Rory cleared her throat, reluctantly pulling her hand away from Lucien's. "We should... we should probably figure out a plan. I need to know exactly what we're up against." Lucien nodded, the mask of composure sliding back into place. "Of course. Where do we start?" As Rory led him deeper into the flat, her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. She knew she was putting herself in danger by helping Lucien, but the thought of him facing those threats alone was even more unthinkable. And despite the hurt and the heartbreak, some part of her still yearned for his presence, for the connection they had once shared. The future was uncertain, but in this moment, Rory knew she had to at least try to help the man who had once held her heart. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together.