Fated reborn - Chapter 284: Chapter 284

Luciano's Pov.
The air was thick with tension. Every step I took toward the training grounds felt heavier than the last, but my mind was clear. I knew what I had to do.
Today was it. My last fight. After this, I was gone.
The others were already there when I arrived. Some warming up, others just watching, waiting for the next match to start. But when they saw me, the energy in the air shifted. People whispered, some just stared. They knew.
I walked straight to the center. I didn’t need to say anything. They already knew why I was here.
Then he stepped forward.
A top-tier fighter, one of the best in the pack. The kind of opponent who didn’t go down easy, the kind that pushed you past your limits. Exactly what I wanted.
The moment our eyes met, I knew he understood. This wasn’t just another fight. This was something else.
We stepped into the ring.
No words. No ceremony. Just the quiet understanding between two warriors.
Then the signal came, and we moved.
He was fast. Faster than I expected. He came at me hard, no hesitation, fists flying. I dodged the first hit, blocked the second, but the third landed clean against my ribs. Pain exploded through my side, but I didn’t back down.
I countered. A sharp strike to his jaw, then another to his ribs. He grunted but didn’t fall back. He swung again, aiming for my head. I ducked just in time, pivoting on my heel, bringing my elbow up to slam into his side.
He stumbled. Just for a second.
But a second was all I needed.
I pressed forward, unleashing everything. Every hit, every strike, every bit of strength I had left in me. He blocked some, but not all. My fists found their marks—his jaw, his stomach, his ribs. I could hear the crowd, the gasps, the murmurs.
Then, he made a mistake.
He left himself open, just for a fraction of a second. And I took it.
A final strike—clean, powerful, straight to his chest. He staggered, eyes wide. And then he went down.
Silence.
For a long moment, no one moved. No one spoke.
Then, the official stepped in, checked him, and raised my arm.
Winner.
I stepped back, breathing hard. My body screamed in pain, but I didn’t care. It was done.
I looked around one last time. At the people watching. At the place that had defined so much of my life.
Then I turned and walked away.
And I didn’t look back.
I moved fast. I knew I didn’t have much time before someone figured out I was gone.
Through the trees, past the borders, keeping to the shadows. My heart pounded, but I didn’t slow down.
I knew where I was going.
Home.
The place I should have never left.
It took hours, but I didn’t stop. Not until I saw it.
The estate.
My home.
I stepped out of the tree line, breathing heavy, my body aching from the fight and the run. But none of that mattered. Because standing at the entrance, waiting, was Victor.
And the moment he saw me, he smiled.
“Welcome back, Alpha.”
His voice was steady, calm, like he had never doubted I would return.
Behind him, the guards stood at attention. The pack maid, the same one who had cared for me since I was a child, had tears in her eyes.
And then, all at once, they bowed.
Not out of obligation.
Not because they were forced to.
But because they had been waiting.
Waiting for me to come home.
I stood there for a long moment, taking it all in. The estate, the people, the way they looked at me—not with judgment, not with hesitation, but with something else. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Belonging.
Victor stepped forward first. His sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe, lingering on the bruises and cuts from the fight. His expression didn’t change, but I knew him well enough to see the tension in his shoulders.
“You look like hell,” he muttered.
I smirked, rolling my shoulders despite the ache. “Yeah? You should see the other guy.”
Victor just sighed, shaking his head. “Come inside.”
The guards parted as I walked past them. They still had that disciplined look on their faces, but I could feel it—the relief, the respect. No one asked questions. No one demanded explanations.
I was home. That was enough.
The estate hadn’t changed. The grand halls, the high ceilings, the scent of cedarwood and something familiar—something that reminded me of my father. His presence still lingered here, even if he was gone.
The pack maid rushed forward, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You need to rest, Alpha,” she said softly, already fussing over me like she used to when I was a kid. “I’ll draw you a bath, get some food ready—”
“I’m fine,” I interrupted, but the exhaustion in my voice betrayed me.
Victor arched a brow. “You sure about that?”
I didn’t answer. Because the truth was, I wasn’t sure about anything.
I exhaled, running a hand through my hair. “I just need a minute.”
Victor nodded. “Take all the time you need.”
I left them standing there, making my way upstairs. The weight of everything—of the past months, the training, the fight, the decision to leave—pressed down on me.
When I reached my room, I hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open.
It was exactly how I left it.
The massive bed, the fireplace, the old bookshelf in the corner with books I hadn’t touched in years. Everything was the same, but it felt different.
Because I was different.
I walked over to the balcony, pushing the doors open. The night air hit me, cool and sharp. I leaned against the railing, staring out over the land that belonged to me.
My pack. My home.
I had been running for so long, chasing something—strength, purpose, whatever the hell I thought I needed. But standing here now, I realized something.
I already had everything I needed.
I wasn’t just strong. I wasn’t just a fighter.
I was their Alpha.
And it was time I started acting like it.