Chapter 43: Chapter 43: The Truth We Couldn’t Hide

Chapter 43: The Truth We Couldn’t Hide

Kael’s POV

By the time I reached the door, the pain had already settled deep into my bones.

Not the kind that makes you collapse. The kind that stays quiet and waits, like it knows you won’t let yourself fall yet. I stood there for a second, hand on the handle, breathing slowly, forcing my body to stay steady.

I had promised her I would come back.

So I did.

The door opened quietly. The room was dim, the only light coming from the small lamp near the bed. For a moment, I thought she had finally fallen asleep.

But she hadn’t.

Liora was sitting upright, her back against the headboard, hands resting on her lap like she had been waiting for hours. The moment she saw me, her eyes widened, not in shock this time, but in relief so strong it almost hurt to look at.

"You came back," she said softly.

"I told you I would," I replied, closing the door behind me.

I didn’t move further into the room immediately. I just leaned against the door for a second longer than necessary, trying not to let the pain show on my face. But of course she noticed. She always did.

"You’re still bleeding," she said, already standing before I could stop her. "Why are you still standing like that? Sit down."

"I’m fine."

"You’re not fine," she repeated, her voice sharper this time. "Sit."

I didn’t argue again. I walked slowly toward the bed and sat down at the edge, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

She moved closer carefully, like she was afraid touching me would make the injuries worse. Her fingers hovered near my shoulder before finally resting there, light and uncertain.

"You shouldn’t have gone alone," she murmured. "You were already hurt."

"I had to," I said quietly. "And you shouldn’t have been outside in the first place."

Her hands paused.

I watched her face carefully. "I thought you were asleep. Why were you wandering around the courtyard in the middle of the night?"

She looked away almost immediately.

"I just needed fresh air," she said.

The answer was too quick. Too simple. I knew it the moment she said it. But I didn’t push further. Not yet. Something in her eyes told me she wasn’t ready to say everything, and forcing her would only make her shut down again.

So I just nodded once. "Next time, don’t go alone. Not now."

Her hand moved slowly to my side, and the moment her fingers touched the wound, I felt her freeze.

There was too much blood.

Her breathing became uneven. "You took all of that for me," she whispered. "Why would you do something like that?"

I let out a quiet breath. "Because you’re carrying my child. Because you’re my Luna. And because I’m not letting anyone touch you again."

Her eyes softened, but the fear didn’t disappear. If anything, it grew stronger.

"You could have died," she said again, quieter this time.

"I didn’t," I replied simply.

She shook her head like she didn’t want to believe it was that easy. Then she stood up and walked to the small table near the window where the healing herbs were kept. I watched her back for a moment. Her shoulders were tense, her movements careful, almost too careful.

She came back with a bowl and cloth, kneeling in front of me without saying anything.

"You don’t have to do this yourself," I said.

"Yes, I do," she replied quietly.

The first touch hurt more than I expected, but I didn’t react. Her hands were shaking slightly as she cleaned the blood from my shoulder, and the more she saw, the more her expression tightened.

"You’re pretending it doesn’t hurt," she murmured.

"I’ve had worse."

"That’s not something to be proud of."

I almost smiled at that, but the moment passed quickly.

She continued in silence for a while, focusing only on the wounds like if she stopped, everything would fall apart. And maybe it would.

I watched her closely.

I had known for a while now. The way her strength faded every time she healed someone. The way she avoided using it unless there was no other choice. The way her breathing changed after she used it on Elera earlier.

She thought I hadn’t noticed.

"I was pretending I didn’t know," I said quietly.

Her hands stopped.

"I was waiting for you to tell me yourself," I continued, my voice calm but firm. "But you didn’t."

She didn’t look up. "Tell you what?"

"That healing someone costs you something," I said. "That every time you do it, you get weaker. And that you only have a few chances left."

Her fingers tightened around the cloth.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," she whispered.

"Don’t lie to me, Liora."

Silence filled the room.

She stayed like that for a long moment, head lowered, hands still pressed against my arm. Then her shoulders dropped slowly, like she had finally run out of strength to pretend.

"Yes," she said quietly. "It’s true."

The words sounded small, but they hit harder than anything else she could have said.

"I didn’t want you to know," she continued. "Because the moment you know, you’ll try to stop me. And I can’t let someone die in front of me when I can still save them. Even if it costs me something."

"It doesn’t cost you something," I said quietly. "It costs you everything."

Her eyes finally met mine, and there was no denial left in them now. Just fear. And something deeper than that. Acceptance.

"I only have two chances left," she admitted softly. "Two more times. After that... it won’t matter anymore."

My chest tightened.

"You should have told me earlier," I said.

"And what would you have done?" she asked immediately. "Locked me in this room? Ordered me not to save anyone again? Pretended everything was fine while people kept dying around me?"

I didn’t answer.

Because she was right.

She took a slow breath before continuing, her voice quieter now. "You’re not the only one hiding something, Kael."

I looked at her carefully. "What do you mean?"

Her lips pressed together like she was deciding whether to say it or not. Then she spoke anyway.

"You’re dying too," she said softly. "I know you are."

I didn’t react immediately.

"I know you’re surviving because of the vial," she continued. "And I know Seraphina has control over your life because of it. You think I didn’t notice? You think I didn’t see how she talks to you like she owns you?"

The room fell completely silent.

"So you know," I said quietly.

"Yes," she replied. "I just didn’t say anything because I thought you would deny it."

I let out a slow breath. There was no point hiding it anymore.

"The vial is the only thing keeping me alive," I admitted. "If she stops giving it to me, I won’t last long. That’s why I couldn’t confront her properly before. That’s why I tolerated everything she did."

Her eyes softened slightly. "You’re not as strong as everyone thinks, are you?"

"No," I replied honestly. "I just pretend well."

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

All the lies, all the secrets, all the things we had both been hiding were finally out in the open. And strangely, instead of making things worse, it felt lighter.

"You’re still here," she said quietly.

"So are you."

Her hand moved slowly over my arm again, this time more gently. "We’re both running out of time, aren’t we?"

"Maybe," I said. "But I’m not letting you die before me."

She looked up sharply. "You don’t get to decide that."

"I do if I can protect you," I replied.

"And what if I don’t want to be protected all the time?" she asked softly. "What if I just want someone to stay with me instead?"

The words hit harder than I expected.

I reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face without thinking about it. She didn’t move away. Instead, she leaned slightly closer, like she had been waiting for that touch.

"You don’t have to fight alone anymore," I said quietly.

Her eyes softened, and for the first time since everything started, the fear inside them wasn’t overwhelming. It was still there, but it wasn’t controlling her anymore.

"You promise?" she whispered.

"I promise."

She didn’t say anything else. She just rested her forehead lightly against my shoulder, careful not to touch the wounds. I could feel her breathing slowly, like she was finally letting herself relax.

I wrapped one arm around her without thinking too much about it. It didn’t feel forced. It didn’t feel strange. It just felt right.

The silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. It was calm. Real.

"I thought I was going to lose you tonight," she murmured.

"You didn’t."

"And I thought I was going to die too," she added quietly.

I tightened my hold slightly. "Not while I’m still here."

She laughed softly at that, the sound weak but real.

For a long moment, neither of us moved.

Then she looked up again, her eyes searching mine like she was trying to find something she hadn’t been brave enough to ask for before.

I didn’t look away this time.

Whatever was between us had already crossed the point where it could go back to what it used to be. Too much had happened. Too many secrets had been shared.

Her hand rested lightly against my chest, and I could feel her heartbeat through her palm. It was fast, uneven, but alive.

"So what happens now?" she asked quietly.

I looked at her for a long second before answering.

"Now we stop pretending we don’t need each other."

She didn’t argue.

Instead, she moved closer, slowly, like she was giving me time to stop her if I wanted to. I didn’t.

Because for the first time in a long time, everything felt clear.

And this time, neither of us tried to pull away.