Rebirth of the Broken Luna A Second Chance at Luna's Heart novel Chapter 272

Chapter 272

XENOIS

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The walk to Riley’s hospital room felt like a death march. Each step carried the weight of everything we’d lost, everything we’d failed

to protect, and everything we might lose still. Lumina walked beside me, her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles had gone white, and I

could feel the tension radiating from her like heat from a fever.

We’d agreed that only the two of us should approach Riley initially. Too many people would feel like an ambush, and our son was

already skittish enough around us. The betrayal he felt over Sophia’s death had created a chasm between us that seemed to grow wider

with every passing hour.

Through the small window in the door, I could see Riley sitting vigil beside Lake’s bed. His posture was rigid with exhaustion and determination, one hand holding Lake’s limp fingers while the other absently smoothed the younger boy’s hair. Even unconscious, Lake

seemed to anchor Riley in a way that nothing else could.

The sight made something twist painfully in my chest. That should have been me comforting my son through his worst fears. That should have been Lumina he turned to when the world felt too dangerous to face alone. Instead, a broken child who’d tortured our family

members had become Riley’s only source of security.

I knocked softly on the door before entering, giving Riley a chance to prepare himself for our presence. His shoulders tensed

immediately, but he didn’t look away from Lake’s face.

“How is he?” Lumina asked gently, approaching the bed with careful, non-threatening movements.

“The same,” Riley replied, his voice hoarse from hours of whispered conversations with an unconscious boy. “The doctors say his brain activity is normal, but he won’t wake up. I think… I think he’s scared to wake up. Scared of what’s waiting for him.”

The pain in Riley’s voice was unbearable. This was what Andy and Sophia had done to my son – they’d taught him that consciousness meant suffering, that safety only existed in unconsciousness or with one specific person who understood that suffering.

“Riley,” I said, settling into the chair across from his. “We need to talk to you about something important.”

His jaw tightened, and I could see him preparing to shut us out again. “If you’re here to try to convince me to leave Lake, you’re wasting your time. I already told XY and everyone else where he goes, I go.”

“That’s not why we’re here,” Lumina said quickly. “Though we do need your help with something urgent.”

Riley’s eyes flicked to her face for the first time since we’d entered, suspicion and reluctant curiosity warring in his expression. “What

kind of help?”

I took a deep breath, knowing that what I was about to ask would hurt him in ways I couldn’t fully comprehend. “We need you to talk

to Andy.”

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Chapter 272

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The reaction was immediate and visceral. Riley’s face went pale, and his grip on Lake’s hand tightened until his knuckles showed

white. “No.”

“Riley, please, just listen-”

“No!” he repeated, louder this time, his voice cracking with emotion. “I won’t see her. I can’t… I don’t want to talk to any of you, and

I especially don’t want to talk to her.”

Lumina moved closer, her maternal instincts overriding the careful distance she’d been maintaining. “Sweetheart, I know this is hard,

but people’s lives are at stake. Marcus and Zade are going to die if we don’t get the antidote to the lover’s curse, and Andy is the only one

who can provide it.”

“Then force her,” Riley said desperately. “Torture her until she gives it to you. You’re good at hurting people when you need something

from them.”

The accusation hit like a physical blow, but I forced myself not to react defensively. Riley’s anger was justified, even if his

understanding of our motivations wasn’t complete.

“We tried,” I admitted. “But the curse is tied to her life force. She has to participate willingly in the ritual, or it won’t work. And she’s

demanding to see you first.”

Riley’s breathing became shallow and rapid, the first signs of a panic attack that I recognized from his early days with us. Before I could move to help him, his hand flew to Lake’s wrist, checking for a pulse with the desperate efficiency of someone who’d learned to fear

abandonment above all else.

“She’s going to try to take me away from him,” he whispered, the words barely audible. “She’s going to tell me I have to choose, and I

can’t… I won’t choose. Not again.”

The broken quality of his voice made me want to gather him in my arms and promise that no one would ever force him to make those kinds of choices again. But we both knew that would be a lie. The world we lived in was built on impossible choices, and Riley had already

learned that lesson far too young.

“We won’t let her take you anywhere,” Lumina promised, settling on the edge of the bed. “The conversation will happen in the dungeons, with all of us present. You’ll be safe.”

“Will I?” Riley asked, looking directly at her for the first time in days. “Because I thought I was safe before, and you still killed Mama Sophia. I thought Lake was safe with me, and he still got hurt because I wasn’t fast enough to protect him.”

The self-blame in his voice was devastating. Somehow, in his traumatized mind, he’d made himself responsible for every bad thing that had happened. Andy and Sophia’s conditioning ran deeper than we’d realized.

“None of that was your fault,” I said firmly. “Sophia’s death was our choice, our responsibility. Lake’s injury happened because you were both trying to save innocent people. You are not responsible for the actions of the adults around you.”

Riley shook his head, tears finally spilling over. “But I am, don’t you see? If I’d been better, if I’d been stronger, if I’d made different

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choices… maybe Mama Sophia wouldn’t have turned bad. Maybe Lake wouldn’t have had to hurt people to survive. Maybe-”

“Stop. The word came out sharper than I’d intended, cutting through his spiral of self-recrimination. “Riley, look at me.”

Reluctantly, he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

“You were a child,” I said, putting every ounce of paternal authority I possessed into my voice. “You are still a child. The adults in

your life failed you, repeatedly and catastrophically. But that failure is not your burden to carry.”

For a moment, I thought I’d gotten through to him. His expression softened slightly, and I could see the little boy he should have

been allowed to be peeking through the armor he’d constructed around himself.

Then Lake stirred slightly in the bed, mumbling something incoherent, and Riley’s attention immediately snapped back to him. The

moment of connection was lost.

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Reborn From Regret A Second Chance at Luna’s Heart