HEARTS OF DIVINE RUIN (The MoonGoddess and The AlphaKing)

Chapter 24 : Lingering Footsteps

Luna stood frozen as Alex's silhouette disappeared into the darkness. The cold air wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud, chilling her to the very bones. She felt hollow, as if something essential inside her had been ripped away. She wanted to scream, to release the torrent of emotions raging within her, but no sound would come. Instead, she was left standing in that empty, aching silence, staring blankly at the spot where he had been just moments before.

Why? Why did it have to be him?

Her eyes fell to the dagger he had left behind. It gleamed dully in the dim light, catching her gaze and pulling her in. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she knelt down and picked it up. The weight of the weapon was heavier than she had anticipated, its cold metal pressing against her skin like a silent reminder of everything she had lost. She turned it over in her hands, the blade reflecting a fractured version of herself in its pristine surface. She could still feel the phantom sensation of Alex's hands trembling as he offered it to her, could still hear his voice whispering that broken apology.

Luna clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe. With a steady hand, she slipped the dagger into her belt and turned her gaze in the direction he had gone. Despite everything, she could still feel his presence lingering in the air—raw, broken pieces of his emotions trailing behind him like a wounded beast.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to move. Her steps were slow and hesitant, each one pulling her further into the suffocating silence. But then, her eyes dropped to her feet—the soft leather shoes now covering her bloodied skin. 

His shoes.

She froze, the sight of them breaking something fragile inside her. Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them, spilling down her cheeks as a choked sob tore its way out of her throat. All the pain she'd been holding back came crashing down at once—the agony of knowing he had been there that night, knowing that he even after knowing the truth that she wasn't the one who played with the lives of wolves still decided to remain quiet, knowing he had stood among those who had watched her fall.

It made her want to shatter under the weight of that betrayal, to break apart from the bitterness of a truth she had tried so hard to avoid. These emotions were raw, sharp, cutting through her as relentlessly as steel. They were human emotions, unbearable in their strength, and she could feel herself cursing this mortal form, this fragile, confining skin. As a goddess, she had known only the faintest brush of these feelings, mere whispers of sorrow, of hurt. She had been immune, her divine nature sheltering her from the storms of the heart. But now... now she felt it all in brutal clarity.

This human skin was a curse, each emotion hitting her with the strength of a violent sea crashing against cliffs. She had become susceptible, unguarded, forced to face each feeling as it swelled within her—raw and unfiltered. The grief, the anger, the betrayal—they consumed her, pulling her under in a way her godhood had never allowed. It was as if the very essence of humanity was tearing her apart from the inside, showing her just how vulnerable she truly was.

But no matter how hard she tried to push it away, the grief kept coming, wave after relentless wave. He was supposed to be her ally, her partner. Instead, he had become one of those who stood against her, one of those who had let her fall.

And yet... he was still here.

A soft, almost inaudible sound reached her ears—footsteps. Luna stiffened, her entire body going tense. She glanced over her shoulder, just enough to catch a glimpse of a shadow moving in the distance. It was him. Alex. She bit her lip, turning away quickly before he could see the fresh tears streaming down her face.

Why? Why hadn't he left?

The sound of his footsteps seemed to echo louder in the still night, a constant reminder of his presence. He wasn't following closely, but he was there, lingering just out of reach. Watching. Waiting.