Run: 2026-02-19-01KHTYK8AZMBRQ1KXEE6106AG2

Rory heard the knock at her door and froze. She wasn't expecting anyone. Not Eva, who was out of town visiting family, and certainly not— The knock came again, more insistent this time. Rory's heart raced as she crossed the small living room, her bare feet silent on the worn carpet. She peered through the peephole and her breath caught in her throat. Lucien. She hesitated, her hand on the doorknob. It had been months since she'd seen him, since that night at the club when everything had gone sideways. Since he'd walked away without a word, leaving her with a million questions and a heart full of confusion. Another knock, louder this time. "Rory? Are you there?" She couldn't ignore him. Not when he sounded so...desperate. With a deep breath, she unlocked the door and pulled it open. Lucien stood on the other side, looking uncharacteristically disheveled. His usually perfectly styled platinum blond hair was mussed, and his tailored charcoal suit hung loose on his frame, as if he'd lost weight since she'd last seen him. "Lucien," she said, her voice coming out as a whisper. "What are you doing here?" He pushed past her into the flat without waiting for an invitation. "We need to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent. Rory closed the door and turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can't just show up here after months of silence and expect me to—" "I know," he cut her off, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but please, Rory. Just hear me out." She studied him for a long moment, taking in the tension in his shoulders, the way his heterochromatic eyes darted around the room, never quite meeting hers. Something was wrong. Something beyond their complicated history. "Fine," she said finally, gesturing to the small couch. "Sit. Talk." Lucien sank onto the cushions, his cane clattering to the floor beside him. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and fixed her with a look that was equal parts pleading and determined. "I need your help," he said simply. Rory raised an eyebrow. "My help? With what?" He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself for what he was about to say. "There's a demon. A powerful one. He's been terrorizing the city, and I can't take him down alone." Rory felt a chill run down her spine. She knew about the supernatural world, had seen enough to know it was real. But she'd always tried to keep her distance, to live her life as normally as possible. "Why me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Lucien reached out, his hand hovering just inches from hers. "Because you're the only one I trust," he said softly. "The only one who might be able to help me without getting killed in the process." Rory swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to say no, to tell him to leave and never come back. But the look in his eyes, the desperation in his voice...she couldn't turn him away. "What do you need me to do?" she asked, her voice steady despite the fear churning in her gut. Lucien's hand finally made contact with hers, his fingers curling around her own. "There's a ritual," he said, his voice low and urgent. "A way to bind the demon, to trap him. But I need someone with magic to perform it." Rory's eyes widened. "Magic? I don't have magic." Lucien shook his head. "No, but you have something better. You have the Sight. You can see through illusions, through the glamours that demons use to hide their true forms. With your help, I can get close enough to perform the ritual." Rory's mind raced, trying to process everything he was telling her. It was insane, impossible. And yet, she believed him. Believed in him. "When do we start?" she asked, her voice barely audible. Lucien's grip on her hand tightened, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Tonight," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "We don't have much time." Rory nodded, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew this was dangerous, knew she was risking everything by getting involved. But she couldn't say no. Not to him. Not when he looked at her like that, like she was his last hope in a world gone mad. "Okay," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "Okay, I'm in." Lucien's face broke into a smile, a real, genuine smile that lit up his entire being. "Thank you," he breathed, leaning forward to press his forehead against hers. "Thank you, Rory." She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of him, the warmth of his skin against hers. It was a risk, a huge risk. But for Lucien, for this man who had come back into her life when she least expected it, she was willing to take that chance. Together, they would face whatever darkness lay ahead. Together, they would fight. And maybe, just maybe, they would find something more in the process. Something real and true and worth fighting for. Rory didn't know what the future held. But in that moment, with Lucien's hand in hers and the promise of adventure on the horizon, she knew one thing for certain. She was exactly where she was meant to be.