Rey finds Ace at the car, hands trembling as he struggles to lift his father’s body.
The sight punches the air out of Rey’s lungs.
Ace’s fingers clutch the fabric of Marsel’s shirt, his breathing heavy, uneven. His body is tense, as if sheer willpower alone is holding him together.
Without looking up, Ace orders, his voice hoarse but firm, "Hold his legs for me."
There’s no hesitation.
Rey moves instantly, gripping Marsel’s legs, the weight of the body pressing into his arms. He doesn’t speak. There’s nothing to say.
Ace secures his hold on Marsel’s head and shoulders, cradling him as gently as possible.
They lift together.
The body is cold. Lifeless. Wrong.
Rey swallows hard. His throat feels tight.
They carry him out.
The pack members gather around, silent, their sorrow thick in the air. They don’t need words to express their grief, it’s written all over their faces.
Some lower their heads. Others whisper among themselves, murmuring soft words of disbelief.
Marsel and Elira... gone.
These weren’t just two wolves.
They were the heart of the pack. The ones who listened, who understood, who offered wisdom when everything seemed hopeless.
They were the kind of people whose presence alone made things feel okay.
And now, they are gone, all at once.
Ace keeps walking, his grip tightening. He doesn’t stop. He doesn’t look at anyone.
His jaw is clenched so tightly it aches, his breath coming out in sharp, controlled exhales.
Rey doesn’t speak either, but he feels the weight of it all.
Not just the body in his arms, but the grief pressing down on Ace’s shoulders. The storm swirling inside of him.
Ace leads the way, his steps steady, determined.
The secured quiet room comes into view
,the place where Elira’s body has already been laid.
A place for mourning. A place where anyone can come to pay their respects.
Rey’s chest tightens as they step inside.
Ace doesn’t hesitate. He moves to where Elira rests, carefully lowering Marsel beside her.
A sharp inhale leaves him the second Marsel’s head touches the ground.
For a moment, he just stares.
At them.
At what’s left of the family he had just started to know.
His shoulders shake, but he doesn’t let the sobs escape.
Rey lowers his gaze, giving Ace a moment.
The silence stretches, heavy and suffocating.
Outside, the pack remains gathered. Some will come in soon, to offer their tributes, their final words.
But for now, it’s just the two of them.
And the unbearable reality of what has been lost.
"Can I have a moment." Ace says.
Rey hesitates for a moment when Ace tells him to give him a minute, but he doesn’t argue. He simply nods and steps out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Silence settles like a heavy weight over Ace, pressing against his chest.
His parents lay before him, lifeless, peaceful yet stolen too soon.
His fingers tremble as he reaches out, brushing Elira’s cold hand first, then Marsel’s.
The reality of it all crashes into him, threatening to drown him.
"You should have stayed longer..." His voice is barely a whisper, rough and broken.
Tears well up in his eyes, blurring his vision. He tries to blink them away, but they fall freely down his cheeks.
His legs give out beneath him, and he drops to his knees between them, gripping the edge of the table as his body shakes.
"Thank you," he murmurs, his throat burning, "for letting me know you were my parents. For making me feel what it’s like to have a family, even if it was only for a short time."
A sob forces its way out, and he presses his forehead against Marsel’s arm, gripping it tightly as if he could still hold onto them. His body trembles as he lets out a shuddering breath.
"For explaining why I was left on that road... why I had to grow up without my real parents," he continues, his voice cracking. "I get it now. And I don’t hate you for it."
But it’s not enough. It will never be enough.
His grief twists, darkening into something else. Anger.
His mark pulses.
"This isn’t over," he grits out.
His hands curl into fists, his nails digging into his palms. His flames flicker to life, barely controlled, as his rage builds. His breath comes faster, sharper.
"I swear to you, I’ll make them pay," he vows, his voice shaking with fury. "For you. For everyone they’ve taken. That Adele will pay for everything she has been doing!"
The fire crackles and surges before he clenches his fists, forcing it back down. He breathes hard, his entire body shaking, but he forces himself to pull away.
With one last, lingering look at his parents, he wipes his eyes roughly, swallowing down the lump in his throat.
As he steps out of the room, he doesn’t pause or acknowledge the eyes that land on him. His face is unreadable, his steps steady as he moves through the hall.
He signals for a guard.
He stands nearby, alert and waiting. Ace stops in front of him, his voice quiet but firm.
"I want you to get this news to every pack that The VeilWalkers’ burial will be tomorrow."
The guard straightens, nods once, and immediately hurries off to deliver the message.
Ace doesn’t linger. He keeps walking, his hands slipping into his pockets as if that could hide the tension still coiled in his fingers.
His mind is too full, his body too heavy, but his pace remains controlled.
Rey follows a few steps behind, silent, watchful. He doesn’t try to speak right away, doesn’t push, just walks in sync with Ace’s pace.
The murmurs of pack members grow around them, soft whispers of grief and disbelief, but Ace doesn’t react.
He seems to have some agenda that Rey doesn’t know for now, but what he is not going to do is leave Ace on his own.
He is isn’t himself at the time, and who knows what he might do in this situation.