Chapter 14: Beyond the Iron Gates
The walk down the long gravel driveway toward the estate's main entrance felt like a march through history. The iron gates stood wide open, unlocked for the first time in living memory. Parked on the country road outside was a modest blue sedan, its engine idling softly in the cool morning air. A young woman with striking blue eyes—Clara’s younger sister, standing in as the court-appointed guardian—waited by the open passenger door, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.
Viktor walked steadily, carrying the heavy trunk in his left hand and holding Custa securely with his right arm. The boy pressed his face against Viktor’s dark suit jacket, breathing in the familiar scent of wool, cedar, and old iron.
"Is this the outside?" Custa asked quietly as they reached the edge of the property line.
"Yes," Viktor said, stopping just before the pavement. He set the trunk down on the gravel and gently lowered the toddler to his feet. He knelt down so they were eye to eye one last time. "Never look back, Custa. The road ahead belongs to you."
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The woman from the sedan hurried over, falling to her knees with tears streaming down her face, pulling Custa into an embrace that was warm, fierce, and entirely unconditional. The boy hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder as she whispered words of comfort he had never heard in the halls of the Vance estate.
Viktor stood up, watching them with an expression of absolute, unburdened peace. He didn't say goodbye. He simply turned around and began the long walk back up the gravel drive toward the towering iron gates.
