CHAPTER 182: GET OUT

Viktor’s eyes dropped to the coat clutched tightly in the older woman’s hands. "And why do you have my coat? What’s going on?" His voice was cold, stripped of any warmth.

Vanessa swallowed hard, slowly lowering her hands but still gripping the coat tightly. She drew in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then opened them again. "There’s something important I must tell you."

"Sure there is," Viktor replied, his tone sharp. "I need a damn good explanation why you were in my room sniffing my clothes."

"Can we sit down?" she asked quietly.

"No," he said firmly. "We’ll stand. Start talking. Now."

She drew another breath, steadying herself. "I know you’re confused. I know this must not make any sense, but I’m going to explain everything to you." She paused, sighing heavily. "A long time ago, I met a man. I fell in love with him. We married shortly after, and a year later, we were blessed with a child, a son. I loved him dearly with all my heart. He was... he was my perfect child."

"Can you spare me the sentimental story and just get to the point?" Viktor cut in, folding his arms across his chest.

Vanessa nodded slowly. "Forgive me. I got carried away." She gathered herself. "Years later, I had another child. Everything was going well, until one day, my husband and I were forced to flee our village. We were under attack by scavengers, people who wanted to hurt him and our children. In the chaos, we got separated. My husband took our son, and I was left with our baby. I searched for them for months but found nothing. They were gone. My son was gone." Her voice broke. "It shattered me."

Viktor’s jaw tensed, but he remained silent, watching her carefully.

"I eventually made my way to Eryndor. I married Gerald and told him I was a widow. I truly believed I’d lost my son forever. For years, I grieved. I wept. I prayed. And now..." her tear-filled eyes rose to meet his, "...the gods have finally answered my prayers."

Viktor’s throat tightened, a lump rising painfully as he narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?"

Vanessa took a cautious step toward him, her voice trembling,

"You are my son. Rune. You are him. The child I lost. The gods have brought us back together at last."

She reached out as if to touch him, but Viktor instinctively stepped back, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"How... how is that possible? You can’t be my mother. I don’t know you. I should have remembered you."

"You were just a child. It was traumatic for you. Your young mind couldn’t hold on to those memories." She shook her head, desperate. "But none of that matters now. What matters is that you’re here. We’ve found each other again. I have my precious son back."

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Viktor raked his fingers through his hair, struggling to steady his breathing. "You’re mistaken. This... this must be some misunderstanding. You’ve got everything mixed up."

"No, no, you must believe me," Vanessa pleaded, desperation thick in her voice. "I have never been more certain of anything in my entire life. You are my son. I am your mother. I.."

"Stop this nonsense!" Viktor snapped, his voice louder than he intended. "You have no proof that I’m related to you in any way. How are you so sure I’m your son?"

Vanessa’s eyes glistened as she steadied her trembling breath. "The scar on your upper chest, I know how you got it. You were playing in our garden while your father chased you. It was an accident. You didn’t see the sharp rod in front of you and you ran right into it. It pierced your skin badly, and even after it healed, it left a scar."

Viktor’s face paled. Without thinking, he yanked the his shirt from over his shoulder to reveal the scar that had always been there, hidden beneath the fabric. His mind spun, there was no way she could have known about it. He had never spoken of it to anyone.

Still, he forced himself to push back. "I... I still don’t believe you," he muttered, but the crack in his voice betrayed him.

Vanessa offered a sad, knowing smile. "This necklace..." she whispered, pulling a heart shaped pendant from under her dress, "was crafted by your father. He made a pair, one for me and one for himself. It could never be recreated, at least not this intricate. Before the attack, your father gave his to you. For years, I searched for that necklace. I never expected to find it... until I saw Charlotte wearing it."

Viktor’s breath caught.

"She told me her father bought it from the market, but I knew she was lying. She had it because it was with you when your father handed you over to her family."

Viktor stumbled back, his heart pounding violently against his ribs. He remembered the necklace around Charlotte’s neck, he had seen it but paid it no mind. Now the pieces fell into place, fitting together with clarity.

She was telling the truth. She had been all along.

His mind reeled as he truly looked at Vanessa, noticing, for the first time, the undeniable similarities in their features and that of... Lilith!

"You... you said you had another child," Viktor whispered, his throat dry. "Was that child... Lilith?"

Vanessa hesitated, her silence stretching painfully before she finally answered, "Yes. Lilith is my second child."

Viktor’s chest tightened. "T...this means... she’s my... sister?" he stammered.

"Yes," Vanessa said softly, tears continuing to spill down her cheeks. "She’s your younger sister, Ru..."

"Viktor," he cut in sharply. "My name is Viktor. Don’t call me Rune." The name Rune had always made his skin crawl, it never sat right with him. Now he understood why.

"Does she know?" he asked.

"No. Lilith is unaware of everything. I wanted to tell you first, the right way." Vanessa stepped closer, her gaze pleading. "You must know, I loved you dearly, I still do. If I could have chosen, I would have picked you over and over again. If I had known we would be attacked and separated for so long... I would have chosen you, I would never have let you go. You have no idea how much I missed you... how I pretended I was whole when I wasn’t. You were always the part of my heart I had to learn to live without for so long." Her voice broke as more tears poured from her eyes. "And now... I’m glad you’re back."