"Are you out of your damn mind asking for a military truck?!"
Kael Voss swerved sharply, tires screeching as he narrowly avoided rear-ending the car ahead. He whipped his head toward Elara, who stared straight ahead—cold, calm, and utterly unapologetic.
She didn't even blink. "Got a problem with that?"
Her tone was sharp as a shard of glass, cutting through the tension.
"Hell no!" Kael Voss choked back the flood of questions burning in his throat.
He'd spent years walking on eggshells around her, and he wasn't about to ruin their fragile truce now. "Whatever you want, princess—I'll make it happen."
"Good." Elara leaned back, outlining her demands without a hint of emotion.
"Reinforce the carriage with the thickest steel bars. Install a double bed inside—leave the rest empty. The bigger the space, the better, the stronger the material, the better. Make it tough enough to take an elephant's hit. Got it?"
Kael Voss gritted his teeth and nodded. Her orders were insane, but he'd move mountains for her—even if it killed him.
"And I want guns. Lots of bullets."
Creak!
Another ear-splitting brake. Kael stared at her blank, beautiful face, searching for any trace of jest—there was none.
"Gods, Elara… what the hell do you need guns for? If someone's messing with you, I'll crush them—no need for you to get your hands dirty."
She ignored his outburst, dropping another bombshell.
"Sell dad's antiques in the vault. Trade them for gold, ginseng—any precious herbs you can find."
Kael Voss nearly choked on his own spit.
The antiques were his father's pride and joy—his old man would have a heart attack. But when he met Elara's icy gaze, all he could growl out was, "Fine. Whatever you say—I'll handle it."
Elara's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk.
She'd known he'd fold. He always did.
Kael Voss dropped her at her rental, mumbled he'd pick her up at noon, then peeled out to scramble for her impossible list.
Elara didn't waste time. She hailed a taxi to the suburban flea market.
In her past life, she'd scoffed at such messy, unapologetic places. But now, she remembered a wood-element Superpower user who'd once had a stall here. Befriending him now, before he rose to power, was smarter than begging for favors later.
The market was a warren of three-story stalls—junk, antiques, used goods, all dirt cheap.
She searched every corner but didn't spot the man.
Just as she was leaving, a faint tingle in her Superpower made her pause.
She pretended to browse a near-door stall, eyes scanning the jumble of old vases, tattered books, and cheap jewelry.
Her fingers brushed a small object, and the tingle intensified.
It was a peach stone—carved into a tiny tree, blackened with age, strung on a frayed red cord.
Ugly, unremarkable… yet it hummed with faint energy.
"How much?" she asked, sliding a few bills across the counter without haggling.
She wasn't about to risk losing it.
By the time she got back to her rental, Kael Voss was already there to fetch her for lunch.
After eating, he dropped her home and raced off to fulfill her demands—no questions asked, no complaints (out loud, at least).
Elara locked herself in her room, scrubbing the peach stone until her fingers ached.
It still looked ordinary—until she held it, and her Superpower thrummed faintly, growing stronger by the second.
She grabbed the dagger she'd condensed the night before and tried to pry it open.
The stone was harder than steel—she split a chunk off the mahogany table before giving up.
"Damn it!" She gritted her teeth, prying harder.
Suddenly, pain lanced her finger—blood dripped onto the stone.
Before she could react, the peach stone vanished into thin air.
"Shit!" She searched the room top to bottom, but it was gone.
Mother Voss fussed over her bleeding finger, bandaging it up while Elara seethed.
The stone was useless anyway—good riddance.
Later, she snuck down to the basement.
Her father's antique vault was locked with a combination and a padlock—but a gold-element Superpower made short work of metal.
She slipped inside, switching on the light.
Shelves lined the walls—porcelain, jade, calligraphy, all fragile, all worthless in the apocalypse.
She needed to sell them fast, but she couldn't let her father find out.
Just as she was debating how to pull it off, the door creaked open.
Kael Voss stood in the doorway, a strange pendant clutched in his hand.
He froze, panic flashing across his face—he'd never been allowed in her room, let alone touch her things.
He'd spotted the unfamiliar pendant on her desk and couldn't resist picking it up, desperate for any clue about what was going on with her.
Elara sighed silently.
In her past life, she'd screamed at him for less—called him a brute, a trespasser, anything to drive him away. But now, looking at his tense shoulders and guilty eyes, she just said flatly, "Need something?"
Relief flooded his features.
"The truck's bought. I got the best steel and a veteran mechanic—you'll be safe." He hesitated, then held up the pendant. "This isn't yours. Where'd it come from?"
"Lila Marek's."
Elara's voice softened slightly—for once, she didn't feel like snapping. She'd swapped her agate bracelet for it on purpose, knowing the pendant's secret from her past life.
"Traded my agate bracelet for it. Changed my mind, though—it's not as nice as I thought."
Kael Voss's eyes lit up.
He slipped the pendant into his pocket—anything of hers, even something she discarded, felt like a treasure.
"I'll handle the antiques. Make a list of anything else you need—spare no expense. I'll store it somewhere safe."
Elara nodded, then remembered her other demand. "The guns?"
Kael Voss's jaw tightened. He hated the thought of her near weapons, but he couldn't say no.
"I got a new shipment coming in. Was gonna sell it, but it's yours now—no questions asked."
He braced for her disgust—smuggling arms was illegal, everything she'd always hated about him. But her expression didn't change.
"Good." She paused, tone firm. "Stock up. As much as you can."
Kael Voss's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't care about his dirty business. He stared at her, greed and longing darkening his eyes—this new, quiet Elara was still a mystery, but he'd take any crumb of her attention.
"Whatever you want, Elara. I'll get it."
Downstairs, Mother Voss smiled softly as she watched them through the kitchen door.
Father Voss nodded, a faint look of relief crossing his face—after years of tension, their children were finally speaking civilly.
Kael Voss might be a brute, but his devotion to Elara was undeniable.
Next Chapter Teaser
The jade pendant Kael stole hides a space secret Elara craves—will he discover its power before she reclaims it? And when Kael's smuggling ring is exposed, will Elara's cold indifference shatter his last shred of hope… or will she stand by him, for the first time in two lifetimes? The apocalypse countdown begins, and their tangled fate is about to ignite in blood and fire.