Chapter 9: Secrets Don't last Forever

Lucas could feel the stares from the other girls as his name was mentioned; Bloom had clearly told them about him.

He glanced at her, seeing that deep down, she had figured it out. Even then, he decided not to acknowledge it, ignoring her and instead pressing the radio on his shoulder as he spoke into it.

"Bravo, report."

He let go of the button and waited, but no response came. Feeling a slight panic coming on, he pressed it again. "Bravo, Charlie, Delta, come in."

It remained silent. Had he missed a report from them earlier? They should have reported if something was going wrong. Maybe he was too into the battle earlier and had missed a radio message. How could he have been so stupid he thought as the expression under his mask morphed into one of annoyance and anger at himself. Sadly he could not blame himself right now, there were bigger priorities.

Without thinking any further, he grabbed Bloom's wrist and turned around to the group of girls behind him. "We need to move. I think there's more. One of you take my daggers with you."

Luckily, the threat of another Burned One took priority over his identity, or maybe it was the way he directed them that was clear he did not leave room for questions at this moment. Dragging Bloom by her wrist with the other girls following behind, he headed in the direction of the warehouse, pulling out his phone to do the one thing he really did not want to.

Texting the same number from earlier, he sent the message, 'There's more. Somehow notify Alfea so they send a squad.'

It was a stupid choice, even he knew it, but he didn't want to risk any more of his people against a threat that should technically have nothing to do with him. He would simply do his part and keep Bloom safe for now—her friends too, he supposed.

As they approached the warehouse, he felt a tug where he held Bloom's wrist and turned around to see her standing still, just staring at him. He could have almost sworn he could see the confusion in her eyes, doubt, which appeared to vanish as soon as he was facing her again.

"You're Lucas, aren't you?" she questioned, her face expression morphing into one of sadness, or maybe betrayal... it was difficult to tell apart. But, what did he do that was so wrong in all honesty... he did not use her, and he did not exactly lie to her, he simply withheld a few truths from her... She did the same from him did she not? Getting annoyed at his logical thinking, he decided to release some of it at her, it was deserved after all.

"And you're an idiot who decides to head into the forest! I warned you last night, I told you there was something out there. I know you're not stupid, so why the hell would you enter it!?" He screamed, well not a scream it was quiet since he did not know how close the burned one, or even if there was another one at all, at them as he sent glares to her friends before her and then focused back on her face.

However, he appeared to have made a mistake. Bloom teared up as she spoke between sobs, "You didn't come... I thought maybe it had gotten you... I just wanted to make sure you were okay..."

There came the guilt. Lucas could feel the pit in his stomach reaching a size it had never reached before. He stood there soundlessly as Bloom's friends reached out and attempted to soothe her.

He took a deep breath as the weight of his actions settled heavily on his shoulders. He knew he had to make this right, to explain himself and his reasons for the deception. But the words seemed to stick in his throat, his usual eloquence deserting him in the face of Bloom's tears. And what is even worse... he did not think he would even be able to explain it.

Not knowing what to say, he turned around and entered the warehouse, reaching up and pulling himself onto the railing he had sat on when he first met Bloom. The girls entered not long after him, clearly preferring the somewhat safer warehouse to the Burned One possibly outside, although, in all honesty, he wasn't even sure why exactly he deemed the warehouse safer.

He could feel all of them staring at him as he pulled out his phone, holding his pistol in his other hand, his daggers still in the hands of Terra, who carried them after retrieving them from the Burned One.

He sent a rapid series of texts to his people, informing them that he was alright for now but had also been discovered and would be relocating back to the Otherworld soon to lead from there.

Finishing his texting, he lowered his phone, placing it on the railing, and looked at Terra as he spoke, "Toss me the daggers please."

He could sense the hostility from her aimed at him, and the guilt did affect him to some degree, but he forced himself to maintain a facade of utter confidence—one he could tell Musa was clearly able to see past, as she was the only one not looking at him with hostility but simply wariness.

Terra did, however, toss him the daggers, one at a time, which he caught and sheathed in a rapid motion, finally regaining his prized weapons. Taking off his mask, he looked down at the group of girls, mainly Bloom.

"Quit glaring at me. I didn't do anything that wrong. Bloom also kept things from me. I'm sure we did it for the same reason—I simply did not want to introduce her to something she wasn't ready for yet," Lucas spoke out, shocked by the confidence coming from him.

Bloom, however, simply stared at him, tears still in her eyes. "How long did you know?"

Looking at her, Lucas glanced down, unwilling to make eye contact as he spoke. "After the third meeting, I suspected something once I found out about the fire. You confirmed it when you told me you were going to an international school."

"W-why didn't you tell me anything then? You knew I was a fairy. You could have told me at that point," Bloom replied, clearly ready to start crying again.

Still refusing to make eye contact, Lucas replied, albeit a bit softly, "You didn't tell me either. You didn't appear to want me to know, so I pretended not to know anything. You were already going through a lot. I didn't want to add more onto it."

Musa stepped forward, her expression thoughtful. "You're not just a regular human, are you, Lucas? The way you fought that Burned One, the weapons, the team you mentioned... There's more to you than meets the eye, are you a part of the Solarian military or something?"

Lucas tensed, his grip on the railing tightening. He knew he couldn't reveal his true identity, his association with 'The Cursed Ones.' It was a secret he had to keep, no matter the cost.

"Not exactly," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I'm not just a regular guy. But the details of who I am and what I do... are not important right now. What matters is keeping you all safe."

Stella scoffed, her arms crossed over her chest. "Not important? You lied to Bloom, to all of us. How can we trust anything you say?"

Lucas met her gaze, his silver eyes glinting in the dim light. "Because right now, whether you like it or not, I have proven myself by already fighting one Burned One with you all. You don't have to like me, but you need to work with me."

Bloom shook her head, a mix of hurt and confusion on her face. "I thought I knew you, Lucas. I thought we were real friends. But now... I don't know what to believe."

Lucas felt a pang in his chest, a twist of regret. He wanted to tell her everything, to lay his secrets bare and beg for her forgiveness. But he knew he couldn't, telling her everything would only make things worse...

"Bloom, I..." he began, but a sudden crash from outside cut him off. The girls whirled around, their hands glowing with magic as they prepared for another attack.

Lucas leaped down from the railing, his daggers drawn and ready. "Stay behind me," he ordered, positioning himself between the girls and the door. "Whatever happens, don't let them, or it, separate us."

As the sounds of approaching danger grew louder, Lucas felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. This, at least, was familiar territory. The fight, the rush of adrenaline, the clarity of purpose.

He glanced back at Bloom, catching her eye for a brief moment. In that instant, he tried to convey everything he couldn't say, all the feelings he had to keep locked away. Which at the moment were honestly fear, but he would not admit that out loud.