Zane POV (First Person point of view)

  "Ah, my apologies... I haven’t expined anythi, have I? Well, I only say a little."

  Loran smiled, but this time, there was something uling about it-something malevolent. The way he studied both Ded me, his casual stance despite our tension, made me uand something. That he was not in a rush because he had everything pnned.

  "You see... all of this ties back to Victoria."

  At the mention of my wife's name, I felt myself flinch.

  "Victoria wasn’t an ordinary woman… and you, Dr. Zoshant, khat, didn’t you?"

  I couldn’t bring myself to respond. Instead, I nodded slowly. Of course, I had known. Victoria was unique-brilliant aiful. Bck-blue hair, striking amber eyes, and a mind sharper than any genius I had ever entered. A, despite everything she could have had, she e-a man filled with self-doubt, her extraordinary nifted.

  Loran tinued, his voice calm and smoothly spoke.

  "Victoria hailed from an a bloodline… one so powerful and so rare that you wouldn’t believe it. You must have noticed her unusual hair color, yes?"

  I nodded again, feeling a deep utle onto my skin.

  "And, as a doctor, you must have known that such a hair color does naturally, correct? Humaics simply don’t allow for bck-blue hair from birth. The only way to obtain it is through artificial means-dye."

  I had known that, of course. Victoria had spoken about her hair only a few times, always with mixed emotions, as though it were both a burden and a mark of pride. I had alked to her aboutit because she had asked me not to. And now, De was hearing all of this for the first time too.

  Loran's grin widened slightly.

  "The reason for this... is her bloodline. She was human, yes, but her lineage gave her traits beyond normal human limits."

  Then Loran dropped a bombshell.

  "What if I told you-the woman you loved-was a sorceress?"

  Silence.

  "And not just any sorceress." Loran's voice lowered, almost as if he eaking about something powerful and a. "Victoria was the first iuries to be born with both bck-blue hair and amber eyes-an unmistakable mark of extraordinary power. A sign that had not appeared feions. It meant she was... an anomaly. A miracle to some, a threat to others." He shrugged casually. "You uand what I’m saying, yes?"

  I felt my skin turn cold.

  "And she was one of the stroo ever live."

  Ded I were still processing this when Loran tinued.

  "She had a duty, you see. A task. Ohat only she could fulfill." His voice turned cold despite his casual tone. "A, she refused."

  There was an unmistakable ess to his words now.

  "I ’t tell you everything. Let’s just say... I’m simply not allowed to." His expression darkened. "So, your son will have to do. And-" his smile curled at the edges, sinister and knowing- "I have pns."

  For a long moment, I didn’t say anything.

  I had just learhat magic was real. That my wife had been one of the stro sorceresses to ever exist. That there was some task she had refused. That Loran, probabaly a sorcerer, wanted my son in her pce. Talk about predictable plot huh.

  A, when I finally spoke, my voice was calm. I thought I'd still be shocked, but my words flowed easily out if my mouth.

  "You do realize that I’m going to tell you nht?"

  Loran’s expression didn’t ge. If anything, his grin widened, as if he had wahis answer.

  Then his gaze shifted-not to me, but to the wall behind me.

  A sudden, faint sizzling noise filled the tense silence.

  My instincts warned me.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  I grabbed Ded shoved him to the ground, c his body with my own.

  A split sed ter-

  BOOM!

  The wall behind me exploded, ripping through the house like a wildfire. Debris pelted my back, and an agonizing sharp pain tore through me-shrapnel, no doubt, dug itself into my flesh. I didn’t dare look. At least not yet. If I did, I was worried that I would stop.

  The force of the bst rattled through my bones.

  A split sed ter-

  "De?" My voice came out strained but steady despite it all. I turned my head slightly, f a weak smile. "You okay?"

  "Y-yeah… Da—?"

  BOOM!

  Another explosion.

  This time, I didn’t even have time to react. The impact sent me flying across the room. My body smmed into the ground, paiing from every nerve.

  Through blurred vision, I saw them.

  Shadowed figures, emerging from the smoke.

  They moved fast-too fast. De barely had time to react before hands grabbed him. He thrashed, kig and struggling, his voice hoarse as he screamed-

  "DA—!!"

  Loran sighed.

  His voice, still calm despite everything, cut through the chaos like a bde.

  "Truly a shame, really. You seem like a det father, Dr. Zoshant."

  A metallic click.

  I turned my head just in time to see it-

  Loran, standing over me, a gun aimed directly at my head.

  "You uand, don’t you?" he said, tilting his head slightly. "I ’t have you interfering."

  I forced my body to move, but it was too te. My body robably too damaged to even respond.

  Then he smiled. An eerie, unreadable smile. Dang, do i not like this guys smile.

  "You see… I do resent you quite a bit, Dr. Zoshant," he murmured with a hint of cheerfulness. "You were the one who broke the ideal Victoria-the perfect version of her-into this life. I had feelings for her, you know." His voice was calm and had a hidden cheerfulness in it. "Oh, and don’t worry about your son. He’s in good hands, after all."

  Despite knowing I was about to die, I smiled.

  I don’t know why, but I did. Maybe it was because I was a bit pissed at this man being calm. I felt myself want to do a little damage to him. A final act of defianbsp;

  And the words that left my lips? They were meant to hurt him. Just a little. Before I went. I guess Victoria was right, I could do a lethal roast, but I was far to to even say it. Since I was going to die, better do it in a way thats gotta hurt the man smiling at you. Victoria sure would have loved to see me do this since I dont say things like this.

  "Damn…" I rasped and ughed. "I guess you really didn’t know Victoria at all, huh? No wonder she left her family and never looked at you. Just the same as everyone else. And you probabaly asked yourself why she never chose you? Buddy, take a recorder and listen to yourself speak. Why dont you?"

  Loran flinched.

  For the first time, his mask cracked. His eyes flickered with hatred. Humuliation. I grinned, realizing that in my st moments I had pissed him off.

  Then-

  BANG.

  Darkness.