Chapter 0525

Nina

By the time I awoke the next morning, the sun was already creeping through the curtains and casting golden shafts of light across the room. Yawning, I rolled over to see that Enzo was already awake and walking around the room, packing his things back into his bag.

"You're up early," I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

He looked up and smiled. "Yeah. I figured we should get an early start."

I sighed, knowing he was right. But there was a part of me that wished we could linger a little longer, put off the inevitable decisions that waited for us on the other side of the portal.

We finished packing our things in a mostly comfortable silence, each of us totally lost in our thoughts. I had no way of knowing exactly what was going through Enzo's mind after last night-his hopes, fears, or even dreams- but I knew that, whatever it was, we would figure it out together.

"Hey," I said gently just before we left the room. I took Enzo's hand and gave it a squeeze. "About last night-" A soft smile broke across Enzo's face, and he reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. "Don't worry about that right now, Nina," he murmured. "Last night was a whirlwind. Today should be a breeze."

Enzo was right; not everything needed to be life or death all of the time. How long would it be after the war with the Luna and the Crescents before I finally realized that?

Downstairs, my parents and Tyler were already waiting. My mother had prepared breakfast, but my appetite had vanished ever since last night.

"Morning, you two," my father greeted, standing up from the table. He looked a little more worn than usual, but his eyes held a warmth that grounded me.

"Morning, dad," I replied, hugging him. "Morning, mom. Tyler."

"Nina." Tyler nodded, sipping his coffee.

a plate of muffins on

forced a smile. "We're just stepping through a portal and we'll be right back at home.

dad cleared his throat, a seriousness overtaking his demeanor. "About yesterday's conversation...

here in the mansion, being checked out by the witch, all of it," my mother added, her eyes locking onto

if complications arise," Tyler

squeezed my hand under the table, a silent display of support. "We'll think about

looked at their faces, each portraying genuine and unwavering concern, and felt myself soften a bit. "I promise to consider

look, then nodded. "Fair enough," my father said. "But promise us you'll at least see

to consider it," I reiterated, a tightness growing in my chest. My gaze flicked to Enzo, who gave me a reassuring nod. Somehow, that made it slightly

me in a hug, whispering in my ear, "Take

murmured back, my eyes stinging with

grip firm yet gentle. "Don't be a stranger,

I smiled. "I won't."

outside, where I opened the portal. The swirling vortex felt like an oddly apt embodiment of my own inner turmoil: a swirling

just before

nodded. Honestly, after everything, I was craving the sweet embrace of home. With a last wave to my

cacophony of sound and movement, something that I had grown all too used to over the past year. Then, mere moments later, we were standing outside

home," Enzo said, chuckling. "Man,

the house, and the

brow. "Not sure. But we're about to

home, I felt something tingling in the air, like my wolf was bristling

out, walking into the

each other a somewhat

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