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Annalisa 56
56ANNALISEAs the portal opened before us, I felt the familiar pull of magic surge through my veins. The incantations I had chanted moments earlier echoed in my mind as the swirling light formed into a doorway. Adrian stood beside me, his jaw set in determination. Molu, our guide through this journey, nodded solemnly. This realm, the one Marcus had banished his enemies to, stretched far beyond the portal’s light. Without hesitation, we stepped through.The other realm greeted us with its eerie silence, the deep woods stretching endlessly around us. Tall trees loomed overhead, their twisted branches casting long, distorted shadows across the forest floor. I could feel the weight of the oppression here—Marcus’s darkness hung thick in the air like a suffocating cloud. Molu walked ahead, leading us further into the woods. The silence was heavy, broken only by the crunch of leaves under our boots.“Is Janet truly here?” I whispered to Adrian, though the forest seemed to absorb every sound
Annalisa 57
57JANETFLASHBACKI was only twelve when my father sent me away, far from the Rivers clan’s lands. It was the day I learned that my destiny had been decided long before I even understood what it meant to rule. My father stood tall and resolute, his broad shoulders framed by the burning torches of our ancient hall, as he told me that I was to become the future alpha of the Rivers clan. His voice, deep and commanding, echoed in my ears for years after.“You are the chosen one, Janet. You will lead the clan when my time comes.”His words were meant to inspire pride, but all I felt was the weight of responsibility crushing down on me. I was sent to a distant part of our realm, a place far removed from the lands I called home. It was a barren and unforgiving place, the kind of place where you either learned to be strong or were swallowed whole by its harshness.I was trained there—mentally, physically, emotionally. Every day was a test, a challenge to prove I was worthy of my birthright.
Annalisa 58
58JANETI’ll never forget the day my father first spoke to me about choosing a mate. It had been a crisp autumn morning, the kind where the air is just cool enough to sting your cheeks but the sunlight makes everything feel warmer. He stood in the doorway of our family hall, his eyes scanning the distant hills like he was searching for something beyond the horizon.“You’re of age now, Janet,” my father began, his voice deep and steady. “You must think about the future of our clan. You’ll need to pick a mate soon, someone who will help you produce the next alpha.”I had always known this moment would come. It was the responsibility of the alpha’s daughter to secure the line of leadership. But even as he spoke, my mind drifted to Marcus. I had already made my choice, though my father didn’t know it yet. Marcus had captured my heart, and I had fallen for him in a way that I couldn’t explain. His charm, his presence—it had all consumed me, and I had allowed myself to believe that he was
Annalisa 59
59JANETFLASHBACKI stood in the middle of the clearing, my chest heaving, my heart pounding in my ears as I waited for Marcus to show. The moon hung heavy in the sky, casting an eerie light over the woods, and the wind carried the scent of pine and earth. It was the place where we used to meet, where everything between us had felt so real, so pure. But now, that purity was gone, shattered into pieces I couldn’t pick up.When Marcus appeared, his figure cutting through the shadows, I could barely look at him. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, betrayal, heartbreak. How could he? How could he lie to me, deceive me so easily, and make me believe that what we had was true?“Janet,” his voice broke the silence, soft and pleading. “I know you’re angry, but please, listen to me.”I met his gaze, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “Angry? You think I’m just angry, Marcus? You knew who I was from the very beginning, didn’t you? And you didn’t care.”He took a step toward me, b
Annalisa 60
60JANETFLASHBACKThe battlefield was quiet now, but the silence felt more ominous than the chaos of battle. The scent of blood hung thick in the air, and the cries of the wounded echoed in the distance. I stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the remnants of Marcus’s forces retreat into the woods, defeated again.My heart ached as I thought of all the lives lost—my parents, warriors from my pack, even Marcus’s own brother. All this death, all this destruction, and for what? Power? Revenge? It had consumed Marcus completely. He wasn’t the man I had once known, once loved. That man had died long ago, replaced by a monster driven by hatred.My pack had triumphed today, as they had so many times before. We were stronger, smarter, more united. But victory no longer felt sweet. It felt like a hollow, bitter thing, one that left me with nothing but grief.The war between our clans had been raging for years now, ever since that fateful day when Marcus killed my parents in cold blood.
Annalisa 61
61ANNALISEThe air was thick with sorrow as I stood beside Janet. The battlefield was quiet now, but the silence felt louder than the clash of swords had. I could feel the weight of her grief pressing down, but I also felt my own, a burden I had carried for too long. Marcus was gone, banished to the realm of utter darkness, but the scars he left behind would remain forever.Janet stood there, her eyes distant, her body trembling with barely contained pain. She had lost so much—her parents, her trust, her innocence—and I could see that she blamed herself. I understood that feeling all too well.I reached out, resting my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t do this to yourself, Janet,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “Marcus never loved you. He wanted to use you for a purpose, one that had nothing to do with love.”She turned to me, her eyes red and swollen from crying. “But I should have seen it,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. “I should have known who he was, what he was cap
Annalisa 62
62ANNALISEThe air around us was heavy with anticipation. Janet’s words echoed in my mind—Marcus had become more powerful, more dangerous than we could have imagined. He was no longer just a threat to our realm, but to the earth realm as well. The chaos he had unleashed was spreading, and I could feel it in every corner of our world.Janet stood across from me, her face hard, but there was a glint of determination in her eyes. She was ready to fight, but I knew that this fight wouldn’t be easy. Marcus wasn’t the same as when we last encountered him. He had grown in strength, his dark energy feeding on the mayhem he had caused.I crossed my arms, feeling the weight of the decision that lay before me. My powers, once a force to be reckoned with, had weakened over the years. The connection to the energy that had once flowed through me had thinned. Janet believed I could take Marcus down, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t as strong as I used to be. Not without regaining what I had lost.“I’
Annalisa 63
63ANNALISEThe air was thick with the scent of pine and earth as I stood in the clearing, watching the sun begin its slow descent behind the mountains. The sky was painted in hues of orange and gold, but my mind wasn’t focused on the beauty of the evening. My focus was entirely on what lay ahead. Training. Regaining what I had lost.I flexed my fingers, trying to remember the sensation of the raw energy that used to flow through me. It had been years since I’d felt that power, that connection to the realm’s energy. Now, I was nothing more than a shadow of who I had once been. And if I was going to defeat Marcus, I needed to become that warrior again.Janet stood nearby, her sharp gaze watching me closely. She had been patient with me, but I could sense the urgency behind her calm demeanor. There wasn’t much time. Every day that passed, Marcus grew stronger. And every day, we were one step closer to disaster if I didn’t recover my abilities.“Breathe deeply, Annalise,” Janet’s voice c
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