Crossed Spells

Chapter 20: Family Confrontation (Part 2)

Night had fallen on Ravenswood, enveloping the town in a cloak of darkness dotted with stars. Lucas Blackwood was walking quickly through the deserted streets, his travel bag bouncing against his back with each stride. The cool night air caressed his face but failed to calm the turmoil reigning in his mind.

Shade, his familiar, glided silently beside him, his dark form blending almost perfectly into the shadows of the night. "Young master," Shade whispered, his voice barely audible, "are you certain this is the best decision?"

Lucas didn't slow his pace. "I have no other choice, Shade," he replied, his voice tense with emotion. "I can't stay in that house for another minute. Not after... not after all that."

His father's revelations still echoed in his head. His mother, murdered. The ancestral pact that bound their family to Ravenswood. The dangers that lurked for him and Aria. It was too much to take in at once, too many long-buried secrets resurfacing all at once.

As they turned a corner, the Luminosa house appeared before them. Lucas instinctively slowed down, a wave of apprehension suddenly overwhelming him. What was he going to say to Aria? How could he explain his presence in the middle of the night, with a travel bag on his back?

He stopped a few meters from the front door, hesitating. Shade floated near him, his form gently undulating. "Lucas," said the familiar, rarely using his first name, "think carefully. Your father, despite his mistakes, is trying to protect you. Maybe you should..."

But before Shade could finish his sentence, the front door suddenly opened. Aria stood there, dressed in pajamas, her blonde hair tousled as if she had just woken up. Her eyes, however, were perfectly alert and fixed on Lucas.

"I felt you coming," she said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Lucas remained frozen in place, surprised by Aria's sudden appearance. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. How could he explain the storm of emotions raging inside him?

Aria seemed to understand without him needing to say a word. She stepped aside, opening the door wide. "Come in," she said softly. "My mother is asleep, we can talk in my room."

With a last hesitant glance at the dark street behind him, Lucas crossed the threshold of the Luminosa house. The interior was plunged into darkness, but a soft glow seemed to emanate from Aria herself, guiding their steps in the darkness.

They silently climbed the stairs, carefully avoiding the creaking steps. Once in Aria's room, she gently closed the door behind them and turned on a small bedside lamp, bathing the room in a dim light.

"Lucas," she began, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "what happened?"

Lucas dropped his bag on the floor and sat heavily on the edge of Aria's bed. The emotions he had repressed during his night walk now threatened to overflow. "My father," he said, his voice trembling, "he discovered... he knows about our research, about the sound portals, about everything."

Aria sat down next to him, placing a comforting hand on his arm. At the contact of her skin, Lucas felt a gentle warmth spread through him, slightly calming the chaos of his emotions.

"He told me everything, Aria," Lucas continued. "About our heritage, about the pact that binds our families to Ravenswood. And my mother..." His voice broke on these last words.

Aria gently squeezed his arm. "What did he tell you about your mother, Lucas?"

Lucas took a deep breath, struggling to keep control of his emotions. "She didn't die in an accident like I always believed. She was murdered, Aria. By people who were after our powers, our secrets."