The clang of metal echoed through the half-built structure as Alex deflected another blow, his muscles burning from the relentless assault. Blood trickled from a cut on his brow, but he barely noticed. His vision was locked on Victor—the man who stood calmly amidst the chaos, as if the outcome of the fight had already been decided.
Alex's fist collided with another masked man's jaw, sending him sprawling across the concrete. He didn't stop. He couldn't. Every strike, every movement was fueled by a singular purpose—tosurvive.
Victor's cold voice cut through the clash of battle. "You're wasting your time, Alex," he said. "No matter how hard you fight, nothing changes."
Alex spat blood onto the ground, lifting his head. "You talk too much."
Victor chuckled softly, a cruel, knowing sound. "You think this fight is about you?" His eyes gleamed with malice. "Poor boy… You're still clinging to people who've already left you behind."
Alex's heart pounded harder, but he didn't respond. He couldn't let Victor's words get to him, not now. Another attacker lunged at him from behind. Without turning, Alex grabbed the man's wrist and twisted, snapping bone before driving his elbow into his face. The man crumpled to the ground.
Victor continued, his voice calm and deliberate. "You've been so busy chasing ghosts that you failed to notice what's right in front of you. Did you really think Elizabeth would stay on your side forever?"
Alex froze for half a second—just enough time for a sharp kick to strike his ribs. He stumbled backward, pain flaring through his side.
"Liar," Alex growled, his teeth clenched as he straightened. "Elizabeth wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't what?" Victor interrupted smoothly. "Betray you?" He took a slow step forward, his gaze piercing. "Open your eyes, boy. She's already made her choice and it wasn't you."
The words struck harder than any physical blow. For a heartbeat, the world seemed to tilt beneath him.
"She chose me, Alex," Victor said, his voice almost pitying. "She chose to stand by her family, the only people who will protect her. While you? You're nothing but a memory now."
Alex's hands trembled at his sides, fury and disbelief warring inside him. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Victor tilted his head slightly. "Ask yourself where is she now? By your side? No… because she knows the truth." His smile turned cruel. "That you're a danger to her. And she doesn't need you anymore."
For the first time, Alex faltered. No... It couldn't be true. Not after everything.
He remembered the times Elizabeth had stood beside him, the fierce determination in her eyes when she defied her father. She wouldn't turn her back on him, not like this.
But if she had…
A chilling thought slithered into his mind. WhatifI'vealreadylosther?
"You're lying," Alex repeated, but his voice lacked the same venom.
Victor's smile grew colder. "Believe whatever you want. But while you've been wasting your time chasing after truth, Elizabeth made a decision. She knew the only way to protect herself, and her friends was to side with me."
The words echoed in Alex's mind, unraveling his composure.
And Victor knew it.
"She doesn't care about you anymore," Victor said quietly. "You're nothing to her now."
Rage swelled inside Alex, raw and uncontrollable. His vision blurred with fury as he surged forward, aiming a devastating punch at Victor's face.
Victor moved swiftly, blocking the strike with ease. "Good," he murmured. "Let your anger consume you."
Alex twisted, driving his knee toward Victor's ribs. The older man caught his leg mid-motion, pushing him back with surprising force. Alex staggered but didn't fall. His heart pounded against his ribs—shewouldn'tbetrayme, not after the bond we have shared.
But a poisonous doubt gnawed at him.
Victor's voice was calm, almost fatherly. "You think you can protect her by yourself? You can't even protect yourself."
The words poured salt into the wound.
Another wave of masked figures lunged toward him. This time, Alex didn't hold back. He let the rage fuel him, his enhanced strength tearing through them like paper. Bones cracked beneath his fists. Blood splattered against the cold concrete.
Yet no matter how many he defeated, the pain inside refused to fade.
Victor watched with that same unshakable calm. "Keep fighting, if it makes you feel better," he said. "But when you're finished here, nothing will change. Elizabeth is already lost to you."
Alex slammed a man's head into a steel beam, breathing heavily. "Shut up."
But Victor's words clung to his thoughts like a curse.
Had she really chosen her father over him?
And if she had…
What was he even fighting for?
Alex's chest heaved with every breath, the taste of blood lingering in his mouth. The bodies of the masked attackers lay scattered around him, groaning or unconscious. Despite his exhaustion, he barely stayed on his feet. His muscles burned, his vision blurred at the edges, but he refused to fall.
Victor stood just a few steps away, untouched, unmoved. The flicker of amusement in his eyes only stoked the fury burning inside Alex.
"You're still standing," Victor said, his voice as calm as ever. "Impressive but pointless."
Alex wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't care what you say," he growled. "Elizabeth wouldn't betray me. You're just trying to mess with my head."
Victor chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Mess with your head? No, Alex. I'm simply telling you the truth, the truth you refuse to see."
His words cut deeper than any blade.
Alex wanted to believe Victor was lying. He wanted to hold onto the image of Elizabeth standing by his side, defying her father, refusing to let anyone control her. But Victor's confidence was unsettling—too calm.
"You think you know her," Victor continued, stepping closer. "But I know my daughter better than anyone. And when it came down to it, she made the right choice."
Alex's fists clenched tighter. "Why would she choose you?" His voice trembled with anger. "She's not even your blood to begin with."
Victor's smile faded, replaced by something colder. "Because she knows what you don't," he said. "She knows the cost of defiance. And she understands that without power, she cannot protect anyone, not herself, not you, not even that foolish boy you call a friend."
Alex's stomach twisted. He knew exactly who Victor was referring to—Peter.
"You threatened her," Alex said, his voice low and sharp. "Didn't you?"
"I didn't have to," Victor replied smoothly. "I simply told her the truth. Sooner or later, you're going to get yourself killed. And when that happens, what do you think will happen to the people around you? Your friends? Your precious Elizabeth?"
Alex felt his heartbeat thunder in his ears.
"She realized something you still haven't," Victor went on. "That the only way to survive in this world is to choose the winning side. And she did."
"You're lying," Alex hissed. But the crack in his voice betrayed the doubt gnawing at him.
Victor's gaze sharpened, sensing that doubt like a predator sensing blood. "You think she's waiting for you? She's already moved on, Alex. She knows you can't protect her. And the next time you see her…" His lips curled into a cruel smile. "She won't be on your side."
The words slammed into Alex like a physical blow. For a moment, he couldn't breathe.
Was it true? Had Elizabeth chosen her father? Had she really… abandoned him?
His chest ached with the weight of uncertainty.
Victor took another step forward. "You're all alone now," he said quietly. "And no matter how strong you think you are, that loneliness will destroy you in the end."
A wave of fury surged through Alex, wiping away the doubt threatening to consume him. "I'm not alone," he snapped. "And no matter what lies you tell, I'm not giving up on her."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Lies?" He let out a soft, mocking laugh. "You'll see the truth soon enough. And when you do… it will break you."
Without warning, Victor lunged.