Chapter 16 : Family Bond
Raven found himself in darkness.
The air was cold and heavy, and his senses felt dull. No sound. No light. Just an endless void. He couldn't move, couldn't speak. His mind spun, desperate for something to latch onto, some clue about where he was or why he was here.
And then, faintly, he heard a voice.
"Brother... Brother... Why are you sleeping on the floor? Wake up!"
The words pierced through the darkness like a blade. Raven's eyes snapped open, his vision blurry for a moment before it cleared, revealing the familiar ceiling of his room.
He was lying on the cold, hard floor. Confused, he pushed himself up, his body feeling strangely light. Lyra stood before him, her face etched with worry.
"Brother, what are you doing sleeping on the floor?" Lyra scolded, her voice a mix of concern and irritation. "Mother and I were waiting for you. Your food's getting cold!"
"I... I don't know," Raven admitted, his voice hoarse. "I was just... tired, I guess. I must have lain down for a moment and dozed off."
He glanced at his hand where his wound should have been — the deep, ugly gash from earlier. But now, there was nothing. No blood, no scar. Just smooth, unblemished skin.
"What the...?" he whispered under his breath, his eyes wide in disbelief. His mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened. The stone... The light... And then everything went black.
"Are you okay?" Lyra's voice softened, her concern deepening as she noticed his confusion.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Raven forced a reassuring smile. "Just a bit tired."
"You should rest," Lyra insisted, her expression softening. "I'll bring your dinner to your room."
Before Raven could argue, she was already out of the room. He sat there, his mind turning over the events again and again. The stone... Where was the stone? He looked around the room, his eyes scanning every corner. The desk, the floor, his clothes. Nothing. No sign of it.
He searched frantically, his movements growing more desperate by the second. How could it just vanish? Did it melt? Disintegrate? Was it all a dream?
Before he could question himself further, Lyra returned, holding a tray of food. "Here. Eat something. You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"Yeah... thanks," Raven muttered, taking the tray. The aroma of warm food made him realize how hungry he was.
Lyra sat down beside him, her curious gaze never leaving his face as he began to eat. "You know, I got a gift today," she said, her voice brightening.
"Oh?" Raven said between bites, remembering how she had mentioned something earlier but he was too distracted to listen. "What kind of gift? And who gave it to you?"
"It was Mother!" Lyra beamed, her eyes sparkling. "She gave me a new MacBook laptop. The latest version!"
"A laptop?" Raven raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "That's... pretty nice. What else did you get?"
"A few more dresses," Lyra replied with a happy smile. "Mother said I deserved something nice."
Raven couldn't help but smile at her excitement. "Well, that's good. You deserve nice things. I'll get you something too next time I go out. And if there's something you want, just let me know."
Lyra's smile grew, but Raven's thoughts drifted elsewhere. There was no way their mother could afford a laptop like that. The dresses, maybe. But a brand-new MacBook?
"So he's earning, huh..." Raven murmured to himself, his expression turning thoughtful. It had to be Grim's money. That was the only explanation.
Raven's gaze flickered to Lyra. "Is Grim back yet?"
Lyra shook her head. "No, but Mother told me to call him. I'll probably call him after ten minutes. Just finish eating and come meet Mother. She's worried about you."
"Alright." Raven nodded but his mind was only half-focused on her words. His thoughts kept circling back to the stone. Its disappearance. The strange, dream-like darkness. The wound that had healed completely.
Lyra, now sitting beside him, was lost in her phone while Raven continued to eat. But his thoughts kept drifting away.
Maybe Seraphine's offer was worth considering after all. It would give him a stable source of income, something reliable. Maybe even give him a way to escape this constant cycle of stealing and struggling.
Finishing his meal, he placed the tray to the side and looked at Lyra. "Alright, let's go. Mother's waiting."
They both walked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen. Their mother was cleaning the utensils, her hands moving methodically but her expression distant. She had already finished most of the dishes, her focus elsewhere.
When she noticed them approaching, she looked up, her face immediately softening. "Raven, are you alright? You don't look well."
Raven quickly put on a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Mother. Just exhausted. But I'm feeling better now."
His mother's worried gaze lingered on him before she sighed. "You should rest more. You work too hard."
They all sat around the small dining table, a familiar coziness settling over them. But Raven's mind remained restless.
Their mother's eyes turned to Lyra. "Why don't you call Grim?"
Lyra nodded, already picking up her phone. "I'll call him now."
---
The world outside remained oblivious to the quiet intimacy inside the gym's private room.
In the dim morning light filtering through the curtains, Aurelia stirred, her golden eyes fluttering open. She found herself resting against Grim's chest, her head nestled comfortably on the solid expanse of muscle.
They were both lying under the warmth of a thick blanket, their bodies bare, tangled together from the night's intensity. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory, but her heart remained strangely calm.
It was as if her fear had been stripped away, replaced by a cautious acceptance of their twisted reality.
Grim's body was immense, powerful, and well-built. His chest was broad enough for her to rest on without discomfort, his muscles defined with the hardened strength of someone who had spent years fighting and surviving. His shoulders were broad, his arms thick and strong. A body forged through battles, both physical and emotional.
But what caught Aurelia's attention were the scars. They littered his chest, arms, and shoulders — some faded with time, others fresher and angrier. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of life one had to live to collect such wounds.
As her fingers traced along one particularly jagged scar, her thoughts ran wild.
What has he gone through to have so many scars?
Her fingertips moved gently over his chest, her touch light and curious. It was only then she noticed the warmth radiating from him.
Despite the danger he posed, there was something comforting about his presence.
But as she continued her delicate exploration, she felt his chest rise in a deep breath. Her eyes shot up to his face, startled.
Grim's eyes were open, his black gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.
Those eyes held no cruelty this time, no intention to scare or dominate. Just a calm, steady regard as if he had been waiting for her to realize he was awake.
They locked eyes, his dark eyes meeting her golden ones. It was the first time she truly looked at him without fear.
Perhaps it was because of the intimacy they had shared, or perhaps because Grim made no effort to terrify her as he had done before. But she knew, even now, he was not someone anyone should provoke.
Her hand was still resting on his chest, her fingers unconsciously tracing the hardened muscle. His scars. His warmth. All of it seemed so real, so raw.
"Are you pitying me?" Grim's deep voice broke the silence, his tone carrying a rough edge of suspicion.
"Who am I to pity you?" Aurelia replied, her gaze unwavering. "Am I not pitiful enough to pity someone else? Always running from death. Always trying to save my younger sister from my brothers."
Grim's expression remained unreadable, his eyes never leaving hers. "You never told me your name."
"Aurelia Ashfall," she answered. There was no hesitation in her voice, just a cold, resolute acceptance of the truth.
"Aurelia Ashfall..." Grim repeated, the name rolling off his tongue with a hint of curiosity. His gaze sharpened. "What's your story?"
Aurelia inhaled sharply, her fingers tightening against his chest as if bracing herself for the words to come.
"We are from the Ashfall family. It was just my father, the head of the family, my mother, me, and my younger sister. We were the only family, except for the elders."
She took a shaky breath before continuing. "But my mother... she couldn't give birth to a son. A son who could be heir to the Ashfall family. And the elders... they harassed her continuously, pushing her to have another child. It was too much for her. Their cruelty eventually killed her."
Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to continue. "On her deathbed, my mother made me promise to protect my sister. I swore to her I would keep her safe, no matter what. But after her death, my father brought his mistress into our home. Along with her two sons. From that moment, our lives became hell. My father began to hate us, treating us like burdens."
Her fists clenched, her nails pressing against Grim's chest. "We left. My sister and I. I started my own business, built it from nothing. But the more successful I became, the more afraid my stepbrothers grew. They wanted me dead. They tried to kill me and my sister countless times. I even complained to my father, but he didn't care. He only told me to stop the business. But I couldn't. It was the only way I could protect her. So, the assassins kept coming. We were injured, over and over again. I hired dozens of bodyguards, but all of them either ended up dead or in the hospital."
Her breathing was heavy, her chest rising and falling as tears welled up in her eyes. "You're my last choice. I had no one else to turn to. So now... I have become yours. And you..." her voice trembled as she continued, her tears falling onto his chest. "You have become mine."
Grim stared at her, his dark eyes unyielding but something flickered within them. Something unreadable. He raised his hand and rubbed her hair gently, his touch unexpectedly tender.
"Mistress, huh..." Grim said, his voice low and rough. "I hate mistresses. And now that you have become mine, you don't have to fear them. You just have to fear me... and what I would do to them."
His words sent a chill down her spine, but instead of fear, it brought a strange sense of relief. As if the storm that had chased her for so long had finally found someone strong enough to face it head-on.