Lucian’s POV

The dusk light filtered through the dense forest canopy as John and I walked back to Umbra, the underbrush crunching quietly under our feet. The silence between us was thick, charged with the remnants of the altercation with Damien. It was John who broke the quiet, his voice tinged with concern.

“Lucian, you might have gone too far this time,” John ventured, his brow furrowed in disapproval. “Damien’s father will hear of this. ...