"Gisela, let's run away."

"What?"

"Somewhere far away. Yeah? How's Hawaii sound? Think the girls will love it?"

"What are you talking about, Lukas?"

Gisela stared at him, confused and alarmed, as if his words had come from nowhere.

"Just imagine it," Lukas said. "Warm beaches, quiet mornings, no more stress. We could start over. All of us."

Gisela frowned, searching his face as if trying to understand what had prompted this sudden desperation. The kitchen light flickered, and for a moment she saw the exhaustion in his eyes, the fear he was trying to hide.

"Lukas," she said, "you're not making sense."

"Huh? I'm not? Yeah, I guess I'm not."

He tried to laugh it off, but the sound never reached his eyes. Whatever was coming, he knew he couldn't fight it without putting the only people he cared about in danger.

If it had been the Lukas of the past, the man he once was would have laughed at him. He would have mocked him for becoming soft, for letting himself grow attached.

A cold-blooded murderer turned into a husband and a father. It was pathetic by the standards of the man he used to be. And yet, those attachments were exactly what made him human now.

But they were also the very things the Directorate would exploit.

"Gisela, I understand. Okay? I understand you couldn't tell me."

"…"

"But it's alright. I forgive you, okay? I forgive you, so let's just run away. Away from them. Okay?"

"Lukas…"

"You don't have to lie anymore about overtime at work. I understand, completely. You don't have to force yourself to hide it."

"...How did you know?"

Lukas stepped closer, lowering his voice as if the walls themselves were listening. "I figured it out. But it doesn't matter, okay? Let's just run away together. If you were being forced, I forgive you—"

"Lukas."

"What is it?"

"I… I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me… It all happened so fast, and before I knew it, I was swept away…"

Lukas frowned. Something felt off. Her words didn't line up with what he meant. It felt like they weren't even speaking about the same thing, as if they weren't on the same wavelength at all.

"Gisela, what are you—"

"I'm sorry, okay?" she interrupted, her voice breaking. "But I can't go with you. You're too good a man for me. You don't deserve me. This marriage… it's… it's all my fault…"

She looked down, tears falling at the corners of her eyes in a way that didn't match the scenario in Lukas's mind at all.

"Gisela," he said, "what are you apologizing for?"

But she only shook her head, shoulders trembling, as if the truth she carried was the very thing tearing her apart.

"I ruined everything," she whispered. "I should have stopped it. I should have said no. But I didn't. And now you're talking about running away and forgiving me and… I can't pretend nothing happened."

Lukas stared at her, bewildered. "Gisela—"

"But I can't go with you, okay?" she said. "I promise you, it's not because of him. I'm about to get promoted at work, and—"

"Him?"

"Ah?"

"What are you talking about?"

"...."

"Gisela, who's him? What are you talking about?"

For a moment, neither of them breathed. The room felt like the walls had crept closer without either of them noticing. Gisela's eyes darted away, guilt evident on her face, and Lukas felt something inside him crack.

"Gisela," Lukas repeated. "Tell me who you're talking about."

She remained frozen, unable to utter a word. Her silence felt louder than any confession.

And Lukas felt like his whole world was falling apart.

Because the woman he loved, the one he built a life with, the one he trusted more than anyone alive, was speaking as if she had betrayed him in a way he had never even considered.

He took a slow step back.

"Gisela…" he whispered, barely managing the words. "Who is he?"

"...I'm sorry."

Before he could respond, before he could even move, Gisela rushed past him with tears trembling in her eyes. The door swung open as she fled into the night, leaving Lukas frozen in place.

"Haa…"

He reached out a hand, but it hung uselessly in the air. By the time he took a single step forward, she was already gone. The front door remained wide open as the cold night air breezed into the house.

Lukas stood there, staring at the dark doorway, unable to understand how everything had fallen apart so quickly.

Only moments ago, he had been terrified that the Directorate was closing in. He had been prepared to protect his family and to do anything to keep them safe.

"Why is this happening to me?"

Lukas ran out into the night.

"Gisela!"

His screaming voice echoed down the quiet road. He looked in every direction for any sign of Gisela.

"Gisela!"

But the darkness swallowed his cry, offering nothing in return.

"Let's talk about this, okay?!"

The night felt endless, and he realized how impossible it would be to find her.

Still, he shouted again.

"Gisela!"

It was then.

———!

A streak of light flashed through the darkness. Lukas's body moved on pure instinct. Even after years of staying dormant, the old reflexes surged back in an instant. He caught the blade with his bare hand as crystalline magic erupted across his palm.

"Tsk."

The figure came into view, rain slicking over his coat. A Directorate operative. Someone Lukas didn't recognize. Brown hair and blue eyes. That single blow Lukas had absorbed told him everything he needed to know.

This man was powerful. More powerful than the operatives Lukas had dealt with in the past.

Lukas's grip tightened around the blade as crystalline shards crawled up his arm, spreading across his skin like armor.

His open palm slowly closed into a fist.

Crackle——!

A metallic crack rang out as the force of the punch sent Gabriel flying across the street. The impact threw him into the pavement, rolling through the wet gravel before he finally skidded to a stop.

Lukas didn't allow himself a moment of relief. Figures emerged from the shadows one by one.

In that moment, Lukas realized the truth.

These weren't Directorate operatives.

They were Revenant Knights.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Blades clashed against the crystalline armor covering his body, sparks flying with every strike. His form expanded as more layers of crystal burst outward, molding over his frame until he towered like a monstrous behemoth.

His silhouette warped into an imposing figure, yet his movements remained frighteningly fast. Just as Julius had warned the Knights, Lukas could wrap his entire body in crystal armor without losing speed.

A terrifying combination of strength and agility that no ordinary knight could handle alone.

The Revenant Knights tightened their formation.

"Damn, I thought we had him!" Dieter screamed, stumbling back as shards of shattered crystal rained across the ground.

"Don't let your guard down," Gabriel said.

Gabriel launched himself toward the behemoth of crystal and muscle. His figure cut through the rain, closing the distance. Behind him, the other Knights repositioned, tightening their formation as they prepared for another coordinated strike.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lukas towered over them as steam rose from the cracks where blades had shattered against him. Despite his massive form, he moved with alarming speed.

"Cornelia!"

"Roger!"

Cornelia slammed both palms into the ground. A wide magic circle burst to life beneath Lukas's feet. The air warped with heat as torrents of flame formed a blazing tower meant to swallow him whole. Sparks scattered across the night sky, lighting the dark street with a fiery glow.

The flames roared, attempting to isolate him long enough for the others to reposition.

Crash——!

Metallic pillars dropped from the sky, slamming into the street with enough force to shatter the streets. The flames Cornelia summoned scattered as the ground shook beneath the impact.

"Good job."

A single voice echoed from above.

Julius stood on a rooftop with one hand extended downward. Nanites swirled around his arm like a dark cloud, warping into massive steel pillars that weighed more than the crystal behemoth they were meant to restrain.

"A veteran is still a veteran," Julius said. "Even with his mind falling apart, he still refuses to stop fighting."

This was the moment he had been preparing for across three long months.

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