Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

Much later that day, Adrian stepped through the front door of his grandmother’s apartment, exhaustion weighing heavily on his shoulders. The events of the day—the battle, Knox’s disappearance, rescuing Daniel and Malik—had left him drained, both physically and emotionally.

Evelyn sprang up from the couch as soon as they entered while Leon, with his injured leg, remained on the couch. Adrian noticed the worry lines etched on his grandmother’s face, the tightness around Leon’s eyes.

"Thank goodness you’re all right," Evelyn breathed, pulling Adrian into a quick hug before stepping back to assess the group.

Leon’s gaze darted between them, his brow furrowing. "Where are Zev and Knox?"

The question hit Adrian like a punch to the gut. He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Zev’s still at the hospital. There was someone who needed help, a guy named Malik. He’s staying with him for now."

Adrian paused, the words sticking in his throat. He could feel Daniel and Lyrian’s eyes on him, their silent support doing little to ease the ache in his chest.

"And Knox?" Leon pressed.

Adrian took a deep breath. "Knox… he went back to Veridia. With Caelen."

The silence that followed was deafening. Adrian could see the confusion on his grandmother’s face. She didn’t know what Veridia was, but she must have seen something in his expression, some hint of the pain he was trying so hard to hide. She understood that Adrian had opened himself to love—and that he’d been hurt once again.

Without a word, Evelyn stepped forward and pulled Adrian into another embrace, this one much tighter than the last.

The warmth of her arms around him, the familiar scent of her perfume—it was all too much. Adrian felt his carefully constructed walls begin to crumble. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting against the tears that threatened to fall.

He swallowed hard, and then with a shaky breath, he pulled away from his grandmother’s embrace. He couldn’t break down, not now. There were still things to be done.

"I’m okay, Gran," he lied, forcing a weak smile. "It’s… it’s for the best. Knox had to go back to stop Caelen for good."

Leon’s eyes narrowed, clearly not buying Adrian’s attempt at nonchalance. "What exactly happened?"

Adrian sank onto the couch and made himself recount the events at Caelen’s mansion—the battle, Knox’s confrontation with the Shadow King, and their disappearance through the portal.

With each word, the reality of Knox’s absence settled deeper into Adrian’s bones. He’d known Knox for such a short time, but the incubus had left an indelible mark on his heart. Now, that mark ached like a fresh wound.

"Don’t you think he’ll come back?" Evelyn asked gently, her hand resting on Adrian’s shoulder.

Adrian wanted to say yes. He wanted to believe that Knox would find a way to return, that their connection meant as much to the demon as it did to him. But the practical part of his brain, the part that had been hurt before, whispered doubts.

"I don’t know," he admitted. "I don’t know if he can. The portals closed."

The weight of those words hung in the air. Adrian could feel the others exchanging glances, probably trying to figure out how to comfort him. But he didn’t want comfort.

"I think I need to lie down for a bit," Adrian said, standing up abruptly. "It’s been a long day."

Without waiting for a response, he retreated to his room, closing the door behind him. Here, surrounded by his books and posters, reminders of the world he’d always dreamed of visiting, Adrian finally allowed himself to feel the full weight of his loss.

He slumped onto his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The events of the past few days swirled in his mind like a surreal dream. Monsters from another world, magic, battles—it all seemed impossible. Yet the ache in his chest was real enough.

With a heavy sigh, he reached for his laptop, powering it on almost out of habit. The screen flickered to life, opening to his blog. His gaze fell on the last post he’d written before Knox had crashed into his world. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet it had only been a matter of days.

He scrolled through the post, a review of the latest Monsters of Veridia chapter. Back then, he’d been so certain that Knox was nothing more than a figment of someone’s imagination. A character in a story, nothing more.

Now, he wasn’t so sure of anything anymore.

He thought about the mystery surrounding the author of Monsters of Veridia . Even now, with all that had happened, reporters were still trying to solve that puzzle. Maybe they never would.

Adrian’s fingers absently found the necklace around his neck, tracing the symbol of the Night Court. Knox had been so surprised to see it that first night. The memory made his chest ache.

His hand tightened around the necklace. No matter if Veridia was fictional or real, there was undeniably some connection between their worlds.

And there was a connection between him and Knox.

With his eyes closed, he could feel it.

Knox was real, and if there was any way for him to come back to Adrian, he would.

He would.

And if there wasn’t a way for Knox to come to this world, Adrian would go to him.

Adrian turned to his laptop again, clicked the bookmarked link for Monsters of Veridia . If there was any clue on how to cross over to Knox’s world, it had to be hidden within the web novel’s pages.

But as the browser tried to load the site, a sinking feeling settled in his gut. Instead of the familiar interface, an error message greeted him: "Website Not Found."

"What?" he muttered, refreshing the page. The same message blinked back at him, mocking him. It was as if the website had never existed.

Just like Knox.

"No," Adrian whispered fiercely, refusing to let despair take hold. Knox had been real—his touch, his presence, everything about him was real.

Adrian pushed away from his desk and left his room.

In the living room, Lyrian was having tea with Leon. Adrian stared at the siren—living proof that Veridia was real.

"We need to open another portal," Adrian declared. "So you can go home."

Lyrian arched an eyebrow, guessing what was really on Adrian’s mind. "So you can go to Knox?"

Adrian’s jaw tightened. He wouldn’t deny it. "Yes."

Lyrian’s eyes softened with understanding. "How do you propose we do that?"

Adrian was fully aware that he was grasping at straws, but he had to try, anyway. "I know you picked up the shards of the broken artifact Caelen used," he said. "Doesn’t it still hold magic?"

Lyrian’s expression turned cautious. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch, the broken pieces of the once glowing orb clinking softly within. "It does," he admitted, "but Adrian, it’s extremely risky to use damaged artifacts. We don’t know what might happen. And it might not even have enough magic left to do what you want. Opening a portal between worlds requires an immense amount of power."

Adrian struggled not to cry, faced with that truth.

He was not going to give up now, damn it.

He couldn’t.

But what was he supposed to do?

Leon, who had been quietly observing the exchange, suddenly spoke up. "We should go to Lancefield."

Adrian turned to his friend, confusion momentarily replacing his disappointment. "You want to go home now?"

"No, I’m talking about the portals there," his friend explained. "They were never fully closed, remember? What if we could use the artifact there to reawaken one? Wouldn’t that take less magic?"

Adrian’s gaze snapped back to Lyrian, searching the siren’s face for any sign of agreement or encouragement.

The siren’s brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line as he considered Leon’s suggestion. Then, after what felt like an eternity, Lyrian let out a long sigh. "It’s still dangerous," he said. "But… it might work. And I suppose you deserve the chance."

Relief flooded through Adrian, so intense it made him dizzy. Without thinking, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Lyrian in a tight hug. The siren laughed and hugged him back briefly. "I can’t guarantee anything," he reminded Adrian.

"That’s okay. I know it’ll work."

As soon as Adrian released Lyrian, he turned to Leon. His friend barely had time to brace himself before Adrian enveloped him in another fierce embrace. Leon hugged him back just as tightly, his voice muffled against Adrian’s shoulder. "Be careful, okay? Veridia is a dangerous place."

Adrian pulled back, meeting his friend’s concerned gaze. "I’ll be fine," he assured him, surprising himself with how steady his voice sounded. "As long as I have Knox, I’ll be okay."

Leon nodded, though worry still lingered in his eyes. Adrian squeezed his shoulder, then turned toward his grandmother’s room. His heart pounded as he approached her door. This could be goodbye, possibly forever. The thought made his chest ache, but the pull toward Knox, toward Veridia, was too strong to ignore.

He knocked softly on Evelyn’s door. "Gran? Can I come in? I need to talk to you about something important."

"Of course, dear, come in."

Evelyn sat in her favorite armchair, a half-finished knitting project in her lap. She looked up at Adrian, her eyes filled with understanding even before he spoke. "You’re going after him, aren’t you?"

Adrian nodded, surprised by her perceptiveness. "There might be a way for me to go to Veridia. I know it sounds crazy, but?—"

"It doesn’t sound crazy at all, dear," Evelyn interrupted, setting her knitting aside. "I might not understand everything that’s going on, but I’ve seen enough to know that anything is possible."

She stood up and crossed the room to him, taking his hands in hers. "Adrian, I’ve watched you these past few days. I’ve seen how you’ve come alive, how you’ve found a purpose beyond your books and your blog. If this is what you need to do, then you should do it."

Adrian felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. "But what about you? I can’t just leave you alone."

Evelyn chuckled softly. "Oh, sweetheart. I’m old, not helpless. All I want is for you to go and find your happiness."

"I don’t know when… or if… I’ll be able to come back," Adrian admitted.

Evelyn’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but her smile remained steady. "You’ll find a way," she said with certainty. "And when you do, I’ll be right here, waiting to hear all about your adventures."

Adrian hugged her again, tighter this time. "I love you, Gran," he murmured into her shoulder.

"I love you too, my dear boy," Evelyn replied. "I’ll pack you some sandwiches for the road. Who knows what the food is like in Veridia?"