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
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’
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
64ANNALISEThe morning air felt crisp and fresh as I stepped out of the tent, the sunlight spilling through the trees like golden syrup. Today was different. I could sense it in the way the wind rustled the leaves and how the birds chirped cheerfully, as if they knew something I didn’t. Janet had told me she had a surprise for today, and I was both excited and anxious about what that might entail.“Are you ready?” Janet stood beside a woman I had never seen before. The woman had long, flowing hair and wore a robe that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. Her presence radiated a sense of calmness that drew me in, even though I felt a flicker of doubt.“What’s happening?” I asked, my heart racing.“This is Selene, a spiritualist. She’s here to guide you today,” Janet explained, her eyes sparkling with encouragement. “I thought it might help you find some peace and focus on forgiveness.”“Forgiveness?” The word felt heavy in my mouth. I didn’t know if I was ready to forgive anyone, least
65ANNALISEThe sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm glow over the dining table. It felt good to finally relax. I sat at the table with Adrian, Janet, and Molu, surrounded by the scent of grilled meat and roasted vegetables. We laughed and shared stories, the kind of moments that made everything else fade away, even if just for a little while.“Do you remember the time you tried to cook that fancy dinner for me?” Adrian’s voice was teasing, his eyes sparkling with mischief.I groaned, pretending to cover my face in embarrassment. “Don’t remind me! I almost burned the kitchen down.”Janet burst out laughing, her laughter ringing like music. “You almost burned the water! I still can’t believe you thought boiling water was a cooking technique.”“Hey, I was trying to impress you!” I shot back, a grin creeping onto my face. “And I thought boiling pasta was a good start.”“Boiling pasta is definitely a start,” Adrian chuckled, “but you forgot the sauce. All I got was plain noodles. I f
66ANNALISESitting across from Adrian at the dinner table, I felt a mix of comfort and nervousness. The warmth of the meal we shared was overshadowed by the weight of everything that had happened. The shadows of the past loomed over us, especially the memories of Spencer and Marcus. The candle flickered between us, casting playful shapes on the walls, and I wondered how to begin unraveling the tangled web of feelings inside me.“I’ve been thinking a lot about Spencer,” I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. “It feels like he’s always there, lurking in the back of my mind.”Adrian leaned back, his gaze steady. “I get that. He had a big impact on you. But you’ve grown so much since then.”“Maybe,” I admitted, swirling the remnants of my pasta on the plate. “But I can’t shake the feeling that I let him control my life for too long. I trusted him.”“You weren’t wrong for trusting him,” Adrian said. “He was a friend, and you opened your heart. That’s not something to regret.”I
67ANNALISEThe night air was thick with tension as Adrian and I crept through the shadows toward the sacred cave. The moon hung high, casting silvery light over the rocky path. My heart raced, not just from the thrill of sneaking around but from the fear of what lay ahead.“We need to be quiet,” Adrian whispered, his breath warm against my ear. “Marcus’s pack is around here somewhere.”I nodded, scanning the area. A few of Marcus’s men loitered at the entrance, their eyes scanning the darkness. They looked relaxed, but I knew better. We couldn’t afford any mistakes.Closing my eyes, I focused on them, picturing their bodies sinking into a deep sleep. “Just a little longer,” I thought, pushing the image of their peaceful slumber into my mind. I opened my eyes, and to my relief, they dropped down, unconscious, sprawled on the ground like fallen trees.“We need to move!” Adrian urged, grabbing my hand. Together, we slipped into the cave, the entrance cool and shadowy.Inside, the atmosp
68JANETI watched as Annalise stepped into the portal, the swirling energy surrounding her like a whirlwind. The air crackled with electricity, lifting her off her feet. My heart raced, a mix of awe and fear flooding through me. This was it. She was embracing her destiny, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of danger looming just out of sight.“Hold on, Annalise!” I whispered, even though I knew she couldn’t hear me. The power surged through her, illuminating the cave, and I felt the energy pulse like a heartbeat.Suddenly, she vanished, swallowed by the light. I stood frozen, my mind racing. I had to trust her. She was strong, and she had come so far. But the thought of what awaited her on the other side sent a chill down my spine.Time seemed to stretch as I waited, anxious and restless. I closed my eyes, trying to center myself. “She can do this,” I repeated in my mind. “She has to.”Then, the cave rumbled again, and I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. I opened my eyes just in t