The nightmare is fading now, retreating into the shadows where it belongs.
It'll come back—I know it will—but for now, it's gone.
"Stay with me," I murmur against his chest.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?"
His arms tighten around me. "Promise."
I close my eyes, letting myself drift. The fear is still there, lurking at the edges, but it's quieter now. More manageable. And somewhere beneath it, something else is growing.
Hope.
Fragile and tentative, like a seedling pushing through cracked earth, but there.
I fall asleep with Levi's heartbeat in my ear and hope blooming in my chest.
The next morning, I make another decision.
I find Levi in the main room, talking with Zenon and Behemoth.
They all look up when I approach.
"Can I talk to you?" I ask Levi. "It's important."
He nods, following me to a quiet corner near the window. "What's on your mind?"
"I want to start looking into teaching programs." The words come out in a rush, before I can lose my nerve. "Online courses, certification requirements, whatever I need to do to get back on track. I want to figure out how to become a teacher."
Something shifts in his expression. Softens. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." I square my shoulders. "I'm tired of letting Cain's voice define me. Tired of believing I'm worthless, that my dreams don't matter. You said I get to decide who I am now. Well, I'm deciding. I want to teach. I want to make something of my life."
Levi is quiet for a moment. Then a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth—rare and genuine and beautiful.
"Good," he says. "That's good."
"You'll help me? Support me?"
"Whatever you need." He takes my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. "I'll be right here."
I squeeze his hand, feeling the hope in my chest grow stronger.
It's not going to be easy. I know that.
There will be setbacks and struggles and days when the fear comes roaring back.
But for the first time in years, I have something to work toward. Something to believe in.
A future that belongs to me.
CHAPTER 10
Leviathan
The second raid happens on a random Tuesday.
