𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑, luke castellan

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Luke stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, his hands failing to splash water on his face.

The bathroom, like the rest of the club, was dimly lit, consistent with the overall ambiance. It was situated beneath the dance floor, accessible through a staircase. Even in this underground space, the colorful lights persisted. The black marble, adorned with elegant golden veins, exuded sophistication, complementing the reflections of the lights. Everything had a regal and divine aspect to it.

Realizing the recent encounter with Keira, Luke was actively trying to lessen the impact of the alcohol's effects. Damn Keira, this had to be another one of her games. The abrupt way she had distanced herself from him, downplaying the intensity of the moment, must have been one of her tactics.

But she had addressed him by his name.

That was what echoed most in Luke, even more than the almost-shared kiss. What was so special about his name slipping from her red lips? That was something anyone would expect at any moment. Keira was toying with him again. She was probably outside at this moment, calmly smoking a cigarette, enjoying the night air by the coast, and laughing at how he had reacted to her touch.

Or perhaps the alcohol was affecting her too. Maybe there was no real reason for her to almost kiss him, but in that moment, it seemed like a playful way to gauge his reaction, and she had asked herself, "What would kiddo do if I playfully provoke him?" It could be a tasteless joke or just a social experiment.

Then there were all the things she had said about the supposed connection. What had that meant? Reflecting on it now, it didn't make sense, but in that moment, Keira seemed to be articulating reality, and things sounded exactly as she expressed them. Luke couldn't help but feel somewhat affected by what she was saying. The connection had seemed more present than ever, and he felt foolish for not having noticed it before while she described the situation.

Luke shook his head dramatically, his blue eyes wide in terror at the bathroom mirror, gripping the sides of the sink more tightly. Those thoughts shouldn't be crossing his mind; they hadn't that morning. It was clearly the effect of alcohol.

Next to him, a guy a few years older, tall and skinny with black hair, was arranging lines with a credit card on one of the tables where people left their belongings to go to the bathroom. Luke must have looked troubled because the guy raised his head and, looking at him with sympathetic eyes, said, "Everything cool, buddy? Maybe you want in on this?"

Luke slowly shook his head after giving a furtive glance at the cocaine lines and looked back at the mirror. Too many substances for that night.

He remembered what Jon had told him about charmspeaking and how he believed that Keira, at first, could possess that talent. He didn't know if that possibility made him feel better or not—if she had it, it would explain a lot of things, but it was a very dangerous weapon in the hands of the blonde, and it could become a big problem for him. If she didn't have it, it would be a relief, but still, his reaction on the dance floor was worrying.

In any case, it was pointless to dwell on that possibility. Keira clearly didn't have that ability. She wasn't even a child of Aphrodite. It would have simply been another one of her strategies and mental games stemming from her cunning to confuse him. In fact, she achieved deeper effects than charmspeaking just by reading people and trying to decipher their intentions. Her cleverness helped her manipulate people more effectively than any other divine power she could have inherited.

Her most powerful weapon was her sharp mind.

Luke had nothing to be concerned about, he reassured himself. He had survived the Empousa, not falling for her scheme and strong powers. Why would he fall for something similar with Keira? The events of that night were the effects of alcohol, and that was it. Tomorrow he would return to his usual routine of being in a bad mood when she was around.