When the Sun End

Chapter 10: The Breaking Point

The hallway felt suffocating. The walls seemed to close in on Aeris as she stood next to Lucian, her body tense with anxiety. The air was thick with anticipation, each second heavier than the last. She had heard Lucian’s story, she had witnessed the darkness in his past, but nothing could have prepared her for what came next.

And then, there he was. Vance.

His figure emerged from the shadows, walking with an almost eerie calmness. Every step he took seemed deliberate, his eyes focused on Lucian as though nothing else mattered. He moved with an unsettling confidence, a predator circling its prey.

Aeris’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to steady her nerves, her heart hammering in her chest. Was this it? The moment everything would fall apart? She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the only thing keeping her from falling was Lucian. But was he enough to protect her?

Lucian’s posture stiffened as soon as Vance appeared, and for the first time, Aeris saw a flicker of fear in his eyes—a brief, almost imperceptible moment, quickly masked by the usual cool indifference he wore so well. But it was there.

Vance stopped just a few feet away, his gaze shifting from Lucian to Aeris with a predatory intensity. Aeris took a small step back, instinctively wanting to put some distance between herself and the man who had haunted Lucian’s past.

“You thought you could hide from me, Lucian,” Vance’s voice sliced through the silence, cold and mocking. The words felt like a threat, like they carried something much darker beneath them. “But I always find you, don’t I?”

Lucian didn’t flinch. His expression remained neutral, but Aeris could see the tightening of his jaw, the way his fists clenched by his sides. He was preparing for something. She didn’t know what, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good.

“Leave, Vance,” Lucian’s voice was steady, but the edge of warning was unmistakable. “This isn’t your fight.”

Vance’s lips curled into a smile, but it wasn’t the playful, cocky grin Aeris had seen in Lucian. No, this was something darker—something far more menacing. “Oh, but it’s very much my fight now,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing with malice. “I’m not just after you anymore, Lucian. I’m after everything you hold dear. You can’t run from your past. And you can’t protect her either.”

Aeris’s chest tightened, the words wrapping around her heart like a vice. She looked at Lucian, feeling a swell of fear and helplessness rise within her. This wasn’t just about Lucian anymore. This was about her too. She had been thrown into a world she didn’t understand, a world where the rules didn’t make sense and the people involved played for keeps.

“Don’t you dare hurt her,” Lucian growled, his voice low and dangerous. He stepped forward, his body coiled with tension, like a predator about to strike. “You’re not touching her.”

The words were sharp and fierce, but Vance’s grin only widened. He raised an eyebrow, the playful glint in his eyes only amplifying the threat. “You’ve become weak, Lucian. You’ve let yourself care about people who will only get you killed.” His gaze flickered toward Aeris, and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. “You’re still running from who you really are. You can’t hide behind her. You can’t protect her from me.”

Lucian’s eyes flashed, a storm brewing in the depths of his gaze. “I’m not running anymore,” he said, his voice steady but full of conviction. “And I’ll fight to the end for her.”

Aeris’s heart skipped a beat. She felt the raw intensity in his words, the unspoken promise behind them. Lucian wasn’t just protecting her anymore—he was standing beside her. And somehow, she found herself standing with him, ready to face whatever was coming next.

But before she could process what was happening, Vance took a step forward, his movements smooth, calculated. He was testing Lucian, pushing him to see how far he could go. “You really think you can protect her from me?” Vance laughed darkly. “You think you can protect yourself from me?”

Lucian didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. His eyes spoke volumes, the fury and determination evident in every inch of his body.

Then, without warning, Vance lunged.

It happened so fast that Aeris barely had time to react. One moment, Lucian was standing in front of her, facing Vance with his fists clenched. The next, Vance had crossed the distance between them and grabbed Lucian by the collar, slamming him into the wall with a sickening thud. The impact reverberated through the hall, and Aeris gasped, her body frozen in shock.

Lucian gritted his teeth, his hand shooting out to grab Vance’s wrist, trying to break free. But Vance was too strong, his grip like iron.

“Lucian!” Aeris cried, rushing forward without thinking. She wanted to help, to stop whatever was happening, but she didn’t know how. She had no power here. She was just a spectator to a battle she couldn’t understand.

Vance twisted Lucian’s arm with a force that made him grunt in pain, slamming him back into the wall again. “You were never meant to win, Lucian,” Vance hissed, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re a fool to think you could get away. You think you can escape your past? You think you can escape me?”

Aeris’s heart raced as she moved closer, desperate to do something—anything. She reached for Lucian, her hands trembling as she touched his shoulder, her voice shaky. “Lucian… please…”

Lucian’s eyes met hers for a brief moment, and for the first time, he looked truly vulnerable. His breath was ragged, and his face was contorted in pain. “Aeris… stay back,” he managed to say through gritted teeth. “This is not your fight.”

But it was too late. The moment she stepped forward, the tension in the air shifted. The gunshot.

The sound of it shattered the silence like a thunderclap. The sharp crack of metal echoed through the hallway, the force of it vibrating in Aeris’s bones. She froze, her mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

Lucian’s grip on Vance’s wrist faltered as a searing pain flashed across his face. His eyes widened for a brief moment before his body went limp, collapsing against the wall. Blood. It was everywhere.

“Aeris, move!” Lucian shouted weakly, his voice hoarse as he struggled to stay conscious. His face was pale, the pain obvious in his eyes.

Aeris’s heart stopped in her chest. She stared at Lucian, at the blood seeping from the wound in his side. Time seemed to stretch and twist, everything moving in slow motion as panic surged through her veins.

No.

She couldn’t lose him. She couldn’t.

Aeris moved without thinking, her instincts taking over as she rushed to his side, helping him stand, though he was barely able to support himself. His body was unsteady, his breathing labored.

Vance’s shadow loomed over them, a dark figure filled with malice and victory. “You should have stayed out of this, Lucian,” he sneered, the gun still in his hand. “But now… it’s too late.”

Aeris’s vision blurred as fear and adrenaline overtook her senses. She didn’t care about Vance anymore. She only cared about Lucian.

“I’m not leaving you,” she whispered, her voice broken as she held Lucian close. “Not now. Not ever.”

Lucian’s lips curled into a faint smile, even as the blood continued to pool beneath him. “You don’t understand…” he gasped, his voice barely audible. “I’m not the one you should be afraid of. It’s him. He’s…”

But before he could finish, the darkness crept in.