Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter 168

Amelia opened her mouth to ask another question, but her mother suddenly let out a shaky breath.

When Amelia turned toward her, she saw tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You’re all we have," her mother choked out. "You have no idea how many nights your father and I have spent worrying about this. We waited fifteen years for you, Amelia. Fifteen years of hoping and praying, and when the Moon Goddess finally blessed us with a child, she told us you might have to give your life for a purpose we could barely understand."

"Darling..." her father murmured.

But her mother shook her head, wiping at her cheeks with trembling fingers.

"No. She needs to know." She turned fully toward Amelia, her face crumpling as she tried to hold back another wave of tears. "There’s a very high chance that even if you defeat the Demon King, you won’t live long afterward. And there’s a chance you won’t survive the battle itself."

Amelia’s stomach dropped.

Her mother reached for her hand, holding it so tightly that Amelia could feel her fingers trembling.

"How could I possibly tell you that and then watch you go out to fight him? How could I look at you every day, knowing that the daughter we waited fifteen years for might be taken away from us because of something the Moon Goddess decided before you were even born?"

Her voice broke completely.

"I couldn’t do it, Amelia. I just couldn’t."

Her father immediately reached across the space between them and pulled her into his arms. Her mother buried her face against his shoulder, her body shaking as he wrapped both arms around her.

"Shh," he murmured, gently stroking her hair. "You don’t have to explain yourself anymore. She understands."

"I’m sorry," her mother whispered against him. "I’m so sorry."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know."

Amelia sat quietly in the back seat, watching them.

Only a few minutes ago, she had been angry about all the secrets they had kept from her. But seeing her mother fall apart like this made it difficult to hold on to that anger.

Her mother wasn’t crying because she thought Amelia was weak. She was crying because she was terrified of losing her.

And her father, who had tried so hard to remain composed throughout their conversation, was holding his wife as though he, too, needed something to keep him steady.

She had never asked to be blessed by the Moon Goddess. She hadn’t chosen to be born with these powers, and she certainly hadn’t agreed to fight a Demon King. Yet her parents had spent years carrying the weight of that knowledge, afraid that the day would come when their daughter would have to make a choice that might cost her everything.

Her chest tightened.

"Mom," she said softly.

Her mother lifted her head, quickly wiping her cheeks.

Amelia reached forward and took her hand. "I’m not going anywhere right now, okay?"

Her mother’s eyes filled with fresh tears. "You can’t promise me that."

"No, I can’t." Amelia swallowed, her own throat tightening. "But I’m here now. And I’m not going to make a decision just because someone tells me I’m supposed to."

Her father looked at her over her mother’s shoulder, some of the tension left his face.

"That’s all we’re asking," he said. "Take your time. Learn about your powers. Understand what you’re being asked to do before you decide anything."

Amelia nodded, squeezing her mother’s hand. She still didn’t know what she would choose.

But at least now she understood why her parents had been so afraid to tell her the truth. And somehow, that made the decision ahead of her feel even heavier.

**

The next day...

Amelia sat cross-legged on the living-room couch, wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of soft shorts. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she had a half-eaten chicken drumstick in one hand.

The television murmured in the background, replaying footage of the previous day’s attack. News reporters stood outside the school, speaking about the casualties, the destruction, and the mysterious creatures that had left so many people injured.

Amelia chewed slowly, her eyes fixed on the screen.

She had already heard everything her parents had to tell her before they left the house that morning.

Amelia leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

"Well, this is just great," she muttered around another bite of chicken.

She had barely survived one attack, and now she was supposed to decide whether to dedicate her life to fighting some ancient evil. She didn’t even know where to begin learning about her powers, much less how she was supposed to defeat a Demon King.

"Could’ve at least given me a handbook," she grumbled.

The television continued playing in the background.

She took another bite, then paused with the drumstick halfway to her mouth.

What if she refused?

The thought had crossed her mind several times since the previous night. The Moon Goddess had given her these powers, but that didn’t necessarily mean Amelia had to accept the responsibility that came with them.

At the same time, she couldn’t forget the people who had died at the school. If more creatures like that existed, then refusing to get involved might not make the problem disappear. It might simply leave someone else to face it.

Amelia sighed and dropped her head against the back of the couch.

"Why can’t my life ever be normal?"

The doorbell rang.

She sat up, blinking toward the entrance.

Her parents weren’t supposed to be back for at least another hour, and she wasn’t expecting anyone else. She glanced down at her clothes, then at the drumstick in her hand.

Amelia put the drumstick on a napkin, wiped her fingers, and hurried to the door. She pulled it open without checking who was standing outside.

Then she froze.

Three men stood on her porch.

Enzo, Reid, and Dean.

For one ridiculous second, Amelia simply stared at them.

They looked unfairly good in ordinary daylight. Enzo stood at the front, dressed neatly, his grey eyes fixed on her with that calm, assessing look of his. Reid was beside him, looking relaxed and charming as usual, while Dean stood slightly behind them, holding a basket.

All three were tall, handsome, and put together in a way that made her suddenly aware of every questionable decision she had made that morning.

Especially the decision to answer the door looking like she’d just rolled out of a homeless shelter.

Her eyes dropped to her oversized shirt. Then to her bare legs. Then back to their faces.

Oh, absolutely not.

She slammed the door shut. Silence followed. Amelia stood with her back pressed against the door, eyes wide and cheeks burning.

"What is wrong with me?" she whispered to herself.

She hadn’t even said hello. She had just slammed a door in the faces of three men who looked as though they had stepped out of some expensive fashion campaign.

A knock sounded from the other side.

"Amelia?" Reid called.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Are you all right in there?"

"I’m fine!" she called back.

There was a brief pause.

"Did we do something wrong?"

"No!"

"Then why did you slam the door in our faces?"

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shirt, hurriedly smoothed down her hair, and opened the door again.

All three men were still standing in the same positions.

Reid’s lips twitched the moment he saw her.

"I’m perfectly fine." She glanced away, feeling the heat creeping up her cheeks again. "Sorry. You startled me. I wasn’t expecting anyone, and I’m dressed like this."

She gestured vaguely at herself, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her.

Reid’s gaze flickered over her oversized shirt before returning to her face. "You don’t look bad at all."

Amelia’s cheeks grew hotter. Enzo cleared his throat, drawing her attention back to him.

"May we come in?"

His tone was calm and polite, though the faint amusement in his eyes suggested he hadn’t missed her reaction either.

Amelia stepped aside at once. "Yes. Of course. Come in."

She moved out of the doorway, then watched as the three brothers entered her home. Suddenly, her living room seemed much smaller than it had a few minutes ago.

She shut the door and turned toward them, folding her arms loosely across her chest.

"So..." She glanced between them. "What brings you here?"

Dean stepped forward, holding out the basket he had been carrying.

Up close, Amelia could see that it was filled with carefully wrapped gifts. The packaging was elegant, the ribbons neatly tied, and even the arrangement looked deliberate. Whatever was inside, it certainly hadn’t been thrown together at the last minute.

"What’s that?"

"A gift," Dean answered.

Dean’s blue-grey eyes met hers, and for a moment, Amelia forgot the question she had been about to ask. There was something unexpectedly gentle in his expression, a softness that didn’t quite match his usual quiet, detached manner.

"We came to thank you," he said. "For saving our asses yesterday."

Amelia blinked.

Then the events of the previous day came rushing back. She had been so consumed by everything her parents had told her that she had almost forgotten the three men standing in front of her had been there when her powers awakened.