After hearing what her father said to her, Elizabeth returned to her room with a heavy heart.
She had wanted to believe it was just a drunk man's rant but the words bore deeper meanings — it was not something she could let slide.
'What am I supposed to do?'
She sat down on her bed, gazing at the wall. She had wanted to know her father's true intentions concerning Alex but after all that has happened some minutes ago, she could no longer do so.
She sighed once more, continuing to stare into the space. There was nothing else she could do again — she could only wait till the next day.
----
Elizabeth didn't know when she finally fell asleep but the next morning, a loud bang on her door woke her up.
She jolted, alarmed.
Who could be knocking at her door very early in the morning?
Could it be her father?
She was curious and scared at the same time. If it was when she still had her powers intact, she would have been bold enough to check but now that she had no power left, she could only be extra careful.
*Bang Bang Bang*
The knock came again, more louder this time around.
She could not continue to sit and do nothing so she rose to her feet and went to the door. She gulped and then opened it.
All of a sudden, she was fiercely pushed to the ground. She looked up and saw some group of men at her door — they were unfamiliar.
"W-who are you?" She asked them with a shaky voice.
"Elizabeth," her father called from the back and then made his presence known.
Seeing her father, she was taken aback.
"What is the meaning of this, father?" She asked him.
"It is time to make a choice," Victor replied.
Elizabeth's breath quickened as she stared at her father, his words echoing in her mind.
It is time to make a choice.
The men behind him stood like statues, unmoving and cold. But they weren't the ones who scared her. It was her father's calm expression, the weight behind his words. Whatever he was about to say wasn't a simple demand. It was something far worse.
"A choice?" Her voice came out quieter than she intended, shaky and uncertain. "What are you talking about?"
Victor stepped inside her room without waiting for an invitation. His presence seemed to swallow the air, making the space feel smaller, heavier. The door closed behind him with a soft click, shutting her off from any hope of escape.
"You've become reckless, Elizabeth," he said, his tone cool and measured. "Despite my warnings, you continue to follow that boy. You think you understand the world you're stepping into, but you don't. And if you keep going down this path, it won't just be you who pays the price."
Elizabeth's stomach twisted. She had grown used to her father's coldness, his controlling nature but there was something different this time. Something heavier, as if the weight of his words stretched far beyond her disobedience.
She squared her shoulders, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I'm not a child. I make my own decisions now."
A faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips. "Decisions? Is that what you call your stubbornness?" He shook his head. "You think this is about you playing rebel? It's far more dangerous than that. And if you don't choose wisely, everything you care about will be destroyed.
A chill ran down her spine. For all his faults, her father wasn't the type to make idle threats. If he was warning her, then something was coming—something bad.
"What are you saying?" she demanded. "If you know something, just tell me!"
Victor exhaled slowly, as if debating how much to reveal. For the first time in a long while, there was no anger in his face, only weariness. "The people you're dealing with or should I say he's dealing with are not to be taken lightly. You may think you can protect yourselves, but you're wrong. They will come for him, Elizabeth. And when they do, he will die. So will you. And anyone foolish enough to stand with you."
Elizabeth's heart pounded in her chest, her breath hitching. "You don't know that."
"I do," he said sharply, his voice cutting through the air. "I've seen what happens to people who cross them. They will tear you apart, and there won't be a thing you can do to stop it."
She shook her head, refusing to accept it. "Alex isn't weak. And neither am I."
His eyes hardened. "You have no powers left, Elizabeth. And even if you did, you wouldn't stand a chance. Not against them."
Her father despite everything still loved her, genuinely. He wouldn't want anything to happen to her because of anyone.
Her throat tightened. The loss of her powers had been a blow to her, a reminder of how vulnerable she had become. But still, she couldn't let herself believe her father. She couldn't let him manipulate her again.
"And what about you?" she asked, bitterness creeping into her voice. "Since when did you start caring about my friends? Why are you telling me all this now?"
Victor was silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter—heavier. "Because soon, I'll be a dead man too."
The words struck her like a blow to the chest. Her mouth went dry, her hands trembling at her sides. "What… what do you mean?"
"There are limits to how long I can protect myself," he said grimly. "I made enemies, Elizabeth. Powerful ones. And they've already set their sights on me. It's only a matter of time before they come to finish what they started."
A part of her wanted to call him a liar, to accuse him of playing mind games but there was no deceit in his face. Just cold, hard truth.
"So, that's it?" Her voice shook despite her best effort to stay strong. "You're telling me to abandon Alex? To stand by and let you control me again?"
Victor took a step closer, his tone firm but not unkind. "I'm telling you to survive." He paused, then added, "If you stay by my side, I can protect you. I can protect him too—your friends. But if you keep defying me, you will die. And so will they."
Elizabeth swallowed hard. The weight of his words pressed down on her chest, making it harder to breathe. He wasn't giving her an option, he was giving her an ultimatum.
"You expect me to trust you?" she asked quietly. "After everything you've done?"
"I expect you to be smart," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "I know you hate me. Maybe you always will. But that doesn't change the truth. And the truth is, your loyalty to that boy is a death sentence for everyone you care about."
A long, tense silence stretched between them. The distant sound of footsteps echoed faintly down the hall, but Elizabeth barely heard it over the pounding of her heart.
He was forcing her to choose between the father who had controlled her life and the boy who had freed her from it.
"If I side with you…" Her voice trembled as she spoke, "…you'll leave Alex alone?"
Victor tilted his head slightly. "As long as he doesn't cross me, I won't harm him. But you can't protect him on your own. And when the time comes, you'll realize that."
Her hands trembled at her sides as she tried to process everything. If she walked away from Alex now, she might save his life but at what cost? Could she live with herself, knowing she abandoned him?
But if she refused her father, would she be dooming him instead?
Victor's voice softened, almost gentle. "I'm offering you the only way out, Elizabeth. Choose wisely. For everyone's sake."
Her vision blurred slightly as she fought back the tears threatening to fall. Every part of her wanted to scream, to refuse him but deep down, a seed of doubt had already taken root.
And that doubt terrified her the most.
"I'll leave you to think about it, be quick about it!" Victor said to her and then left her room.