ARTEMIS’ POVI'm floating in an abyss of nothingness, my consciousness no more than a stranded soul with nowhere to go and no place to return to, my existence but a distant memory of who and what I was, what I was fighting for. I feel and see nothing except the heavy feeling of regret and loss, like a dark hole inside me that only seems to grow with every moment. I don't remember anything except a desire to fight, to protect something precious, and a single promise to someone I loved.A light appears in front of me, beckoning my spirit to draw closer, to rest and let go of all my worries, of every single one of my desires, and to find peace. The light, emanating nothing but peace and happiness, something I've yearned for more than anything, engulfs me whole as I reach for it, shining as bright as the sun. Blinded by it, I close my eyes until it subsides, and when my eyes open again, a new presence stands in front of me, a woman adorned in white light as if a garment, her eye
ARTEMIS’ POVBoth her hands come up in surrender. “Relax… please,” she says, trembling with a hint of fear in her eyes yet with a little softness. She hangs her head low the next second. “I was trying to save your life; that’s why you’re here. Though I didn’t think it would work. Your heart was gone,” she says, a hint of disbelief in her voice and the way she stares at me like I'm some ghost. Even she wasn’t expecting me to be alive, and truly, all of it feels strange. The sudden energy in my blood, the sensitivity of my eyes and ears picking up the slightest sensations quickly. I can feel the change, doubting if I truly am a Lycan or if I was just dreaming the whole encounter.“I don’t need saving, especially not from you,” I say, rushing to get up before the pain from my wound hits hard. I wince from the pain, unknowingly grabbing too hard at the headrest of the bed frame. It shatters with ease in my grasp from the little force, crumbling like sand. I stare at my han
ARTEMIS’ POVI gently drop her thin, cold, lifeless wrist by her side, brush a lock of hair away from her face, and stare at her for a moment. Long enough to feel too much and to wonder what could have been. If I had been nicer to her, if I had helped her fully escape the influence of her father and realize her own self-worth. If we could have been real actual friends, simply existing side by side as comrades, what would it have been like? I clench my fist, turning away from her. It’s too late now, and there’s no more time to wonder and regret. Sera’s in grave danger, and every moment I spend wallowing in the what-ifs is a moment more she spends in that hellhole. I allow myself to dwell in the pain of her death and my regrets before I move forward, deciding the time to mourn could come once all of this is over. Once I make Gideon pay for all his inhumane crimes. I make a solemn promise to her lifeless form to take him down and bow my head forward before I walk towards the
SERAPHINA’S POVI am nothing… nothing but a pound of flesh, an offering meant to strengthen the enemy and bring more suffering to the remnants of a world that once meant everything to me. I lack the strength and the will to shed even a single tear; I dare not cry for myself, for the end that looms ominously close, nor do I mourn for those I've inadvertently harmed by merely existing, by believing I had any right to the breaths drawn from the universe. I exist in silence, awaiting my tragic conclusion.All I feel is Grendaline, like a restless soul hovering around me, basking me in warmth that desperately tries to reach a heart I no longer possess. Though she does not speak, I feel her—her fretting and sadness, her worry for me when there's no point. I was never a good witch, despising what I was whenever the opportunity presented itself, fleeing from the power in my blood. Then again, I was never a good person either, bringing death wherever I went, ruining the lives of ever
DARK SERAPHINA’S POV .After 500 years of waiting, of anguish and hunger, it has finally come to an end. Now, we possess flesh and power, energy far surpassing that ever wielded by a witch, and flesh to exist in the mortal realm again. As she falls into a deep slumber, tucked away in the back of her subconscious, giving us full reign over her, the body and magic become completely ours. The blade strikes forward but shatters into a hundred pieces before it can break our flesh, and an energy wave pushes the wolf and everything around us backward, blowing out the candles as well. The flimsy trinket on our wrist shatters, unable to contain our power any longer."Impossible!" he stands again, staring back with horror and confusion. "You aren't supposed to be able to do anything. I bound your worthless magic... I killed your mate!" He screams, like a child throwing a tantrum from not having his way.Instead of responding, we display our power, rising from the altar, levitating of
SERAPHINA’S POV "Wake up, princess," a high-pitched feminine voice cuts into my comfortable sleep, tugging me back and forth. Yet, I don't remember falling asleep, and the realization has me waking up with a start, sitting up abruptly and breathing hard. "Good morning, princess. Rise and shine..." greets a woman with the same voice, her short silver hair and green eyes complemented by a wide smile as she moves towards the window. She pulls the curtain open, casting the sun's vibrant light into the entire room—a large, vast space I don't recall entering, furnished with a wonderfully soft bed. My clothes have been replaced with garments of the softest, richest silk. Now, she approaches me, moving to touch me until I recoil, terrified. "Who are you?" I ask, then glance around. "Where am I?" "Who am I?" she echoes, her puzzled look momentarily seeming almost offended, her brow raised. She draws closer, and I instantly panic, pulling back until I hit my back against the grand headbo
SERAPHINA’S POVI blink my eyes for only a second, and suddenly I'm in a garden with the sun setting, showing that half the day has passed. Half the day just breezed past me without being present, almost as if I’m running through today. I'm startled for a second, not remembering coming here at all. I could have sworn that I was back in the hall accepting my new title just a second ago. Yet, I'm sitting on a bench holding the book in my hands, its skin feeling and looking awfully familiar, as if I’ve had it long before now.“How does it feel being Queen now?” A voice cuts through my train of thought from behind me. I pause and look around, meeting my mother walking towards me in her always slowly paced walks. I’d never seen her run, even in times of distress and emergency, and always wished I could be half as regal and calm as she is. “Mother,” I say, standing to my feet and hugging her for a while. Somehow calling her my mother leaves a feeling of yearning in my heart, des
ARTEMIS’ POVI'm violently shaken awake by someone, and my eyes open, staring at the gruff, manly face looking down at me with concern—a face I recognize as one of the soldiers on my side. "Your majesty," he cries the second my eyes are open, giving me enough space to sit up. I feel as though I've only woken up from a deep, restful sleep, my body relaxed and fully energized once more, which is confusing for an entity claiming to save me for last after wiping an entire race out.I look around the room, everything being the same aside from Sera’s presence. She’s really gone. I look at the large hole in the wall, at the sky that suddenly seems like a darker red shade with clouds hanging around. It really does look like the end of the world. "Report," I say to the soldier, getting to my feet again. "The witch..." He begins, pausing the second I cast a deathly glare his way. "...I mean the princess managed to change the color of the sky as soon as she left the building, casti