Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-93. Metamorphosis

[Asher]

For the time being, Xanthea was safe with Ezra in the Glass palace.

As for Raven...

"Why are we here?" Raven demanded an answer from Nyssa, closing the space between them, but Nyssa just hugged herself tighter, avoiding his gaze.

Nyssa had teleported Raven into the empty, dimly lit student lounge in Helxton.

When she didn't reply, Raven stepped closer to her, but she stepped away from him.

"Nyssa? What's wrong with you now?" Raven grunted. "I asked you a question. Why did you bring us here?"

Biting down on her lower lip, Nyssa looked at the majestic dragon skeletons that dominated the dark space.

"Because you always came here. I always found you under this dragon skeleton, staying alone day and night, studying like a madman. So today, I thought you might find yourself here again, under this very dragon," she said, her firm voice wavering slightly.

"What?" Raven frowned.

"You were the brightest student in our batch, Raven. Every professor at Helxton was impressed by your exceptional healing abilities, which you honed through sheer effort," Nyssa said, her voice hard with emotion. Raven squinted his eyes, trying to comprehend Nyssa's words.

"I envied you back then, but now I have nothing but respect for you. You are the best healer and alchemist in the Underworld only because you have earned it through your fucking blood, sweat, and tears." "What the hell are you even saying? This is so abrupt. I thought you wanted to spend the night-" Raven started, confusion dominating his voice.

"How can you be so self-centered, Raven?" Nyssa's voice quivered as she stared into his perplexed eyes. "Forget about me. You're so trapped within yourself that you can't even see how broken you are right now! You are in no condition to have sex, Raven!"

Taken aback, Raven studied Nyssa as she looked away, taking a deep breath and quickly wiping away her tears.

The silence in the lounge stretched as Raven shut his eyes, trying to get a hold of himself.

I knew the only person who could help Raven recover his true self was Nyssa, perhaps because no one understood him as deeply as she did - not even himself.

Nyssa has been a constant support for Raven and even today when she was so badly hurt by his actions, she was standing by his side. But he was about to lose even that support. It was time for him to stand all alone.

"When I first saw you," Nyssa began, her eyes lost in the reminisce of their memories. "I really wanted to ask why you looked so angry. But when I got to know you, I wanted to ask something else - but I didn't, because I was afraid I might break something that was barely staying together. But today, Raven, I really want to know... why did you look so... sad all the time?"

Slipping his hands in his pocket, Raven gazed at the dragon.

It wasn't that he didn't want to reply to her; he simply didn't know what to say.

Nyssa understood his silence, but she couldn't stop herself from snapping at him.

"After everything that's happened, what exactly are you trying to protect? Your ego? Your false reasons? Your hatred? Your envy?"

Raven clenched his jaws, lowering his gaze. She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her.

"That omega is not the only one fucking with your emotions right now. Every hurtful word you said to Ezra is crushing you with a guilt that you know you can't escape."

Raven took a deep breath, allowing the weight of her words to settle on him.

"You'll never accept it, but what you did to Asher is weighing heavily on you." Tears filled Nyssa's eyes, as if she could sense all the pain in Raven's heart.

"Enough-" Raven said, his words shaking with his raging emotions.

"Asher was never your competition!" Nyssa's raised voice drowned away Raven's.

Running his fingers through his hair, Raven ran his tongue across his inner cheek.

"Everything you do has a reason behind it and no, it's not the reason you arrogantly plaster on the real ones. The real reason you made me stand against Viella for the Luna rank is that you knew she wasn't the right woman for Asher. You understood that for whatever political or social reasons, he couldn't just break off his engagement with her."

"This is ridiculous..." Raven scoffed, frustration draining into his eyes as he glared at Nyssa.

"Deny it all you want, but you care about Asher, perhaps more than you care about Ezra or yourself... because you see him. He has always been your coping mechanism. What can be a better relief to pain, insecurities, and inferiority complex than rage and hatred? And since you lost your only coping mechanism today, you turned to me to help you run away from yourself... but I can't do that."

"For devil's sake, Nyssa-"

Not when I know you'll be thinking of some other woman finding her warmth on my skin, wishing her body was wrapped around yours, not mine. That thought isn't just disturbing, it's disrespectful to me... to our relationship. You don't touch a woman to distract yourself from some other woman or to

Raven's mind reflected on the scowl on his face, which turned into shock for a split second before impassiveness took over as

might not know the depths of Raven's heart, but I was certain he cared about Nyssa. Whether it was as a friend

to leave your true feelings vulnerable in someone else's hands. But you can't keep denying them. You may not get tired of running away from them, but the people around you will. And eventually, they'll give up on you because everything isn't always about

wipe Nyssa's tears,

until you accept them and stop comparing yourself to Asher. You can never be Asher Xipher, not because you are any less or more than him, but because you are meant to be Raven Xipher. Until you realize your own value, nothing is going to

and in defeat. Today, Raven wasn't able to look away from

you. I don't want to be your distraction or your regret." Her

had heard in

composure. But each tear she wiped away was soon replaced by a heavier

her into a hug, nullifying all her resistance in his arms as she broke into

way his

was too

of herself and just when she yearned to hold

have an important surgery.

she had already disappeared

breath, Raven scrubbed

himself. With weary steps, he trudged closer to the glass pedestal the dragon's skeleton stood

his back and head resting against the pedestal as he looked up

the same spot years ago

had spent most of his university days under

while...." Raven whispered weakly to the dragon before shutting his hollow eyes and draping

father, transformation into one's stronger version was always a painful, lonely and dark process. But I was glad

the dragon's bones, enveloping Raven in a tranquil ambiance. It felt as if his tormented heart had finally found the peace it was

***

the white serenity

Don't you know the night classes have been canceled?" An officer said, cautiously walking into the lounge. "Students aren't allowed to stay back in the university until the were-cat and the

for the full experience. You won't find the next chapter anywhere else. Happy

they were addressing and once they did, both of them went down to their knees, their foreheads hitting the

about the were-cat? And

glance before they updated Raven with the details about

what was happening; after all, he had once helped weak bloods escape

glowing red butterflies swirled around his silhouette, confirming his suspicions of Xanthea being

when she said Raven always had deeper reasons behind everything he did,

of Xanthea's dreams was because he never deemed himself worthy of having one of

in Xanthea,

price for it. He couldn't let Xanthea make the same mistake and for his guilt towards Ezra to

already too late; he had already taken a step toward the very future he was trying

can't find out about

Aile castle in a hurry, and it didn't take long

***

her up to a message from Lana that

Alpha Raven's in your

with wide eyes, then frantically looked around the

hard, barely breathing, she texted Lana, her fingers

tell Mavka to pick me up from

in a hurry, restlessly

"Angel?"

in her place, her back facing Ezra as he strolled into the living room, holding

somewhere?"

chest, Xanthea nervously bit down on her lip before

important assignment due today. Lana just reminded me. It carries a lot of points. So... if I leave now. I

"NO!" she yelled.

his

to pick

you. Get ready," he said, entering the