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-"

isn't just disturbing, it's disrespectful to me...

agitation in Raven's mind reflected on the scowl on his face, which turned into shock for a split second before impassiveness took over as he glanced at the tears that streamed

know the depths of Raven's heart, but I was certain he cared about Nyssa. Whether it was as a friend or something more, that wasn't

You may not get tired of

wipe Nyssa's tears, but she stepped farther away

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

held his gaze in plea and in defeat. Today, Raven wasn't

point I can fight this entire world for you, but I can't fight you. I don't want to be your distraction or your regret." Her chin quivered as she bit down on her lower lip. "But I can't give you up either. But for the

painful words I had heard in a while - and also

she fought for composure. But each tear she wiped away was soon replaced

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

way his

was

of herself and just when she yearned

an important surgery. Take care

out to her, but she had already

deep breath, Raven scrubbed his palm over

breathing heavily as he tried to collect himself. With weary steps, he trudged closer to the glass pedestal the dragon's skeleton

settled onto the floor, legs stretched out in front of him, his back and head resting against the pedestal

years ago with the pain that created who he was today. But the pain he felt today would shape him into

had spent most of his university days

whispered weakly to the dragon before shutting his

his own wings to trigger the metamorphosis of his soul. And according to father, transformation into one's stronger version was always a painful, lonely and dark process. But I was

felt as if his tormented heart had finally found the peace it was suffocating

***

and the white serenity around Raven

here? 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 kid are found," another

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a few seconds to realize who they were addressing and once they did, both of them went down to their knees, their

did you say about the were-cat? And what kid?" He

they

for Raven to piece together what was happening; after all, he had once helped

towering behind him as glowing red butterflies swirled around his silhouette,

said Raven always had deeper reasons behind everything he did,

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

glimpses of everything he could have been in Xanthea, and in that moment, the truth came

a heavy price for it. He couldn't let Xanthea make the same mistake and for his guilt towards Ezra to deepen. He couldn't allow history to repeat

already taken a step toward

out about the boy. I

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

***

of the Glass palace, waking her up to a message from Lana

in your room.

at the message with wide eyes,

breathing, she texted Lana,

you please tell Mavka to pick

in a hurry, restlessly checking her

"Angel?"

her back facing Ezra as he strolled into the living room, holding a steaming mug

somewhere?"

on her lip before she turned around to face him, acting as normal as

if I leave now. I might

"NO!" she yelled.

his

maid, to

I take you. Get