The forest was eerily quiet as we left the hollow sanctuary, as if holding its breath after our narrow escape. The cool night air did nothing to calm the fire raging inside me. My legs felt like jelly, but I forced myself to keep moving until we reached a clearing.“Here,” Selene said weakly, her hand gripping my shoulder. “Set me down.”I lowered her onto a moss-covered rock, the faint moonlight revealing the blood staining her sleeve. She winced, but her sharp glare dared me to fuss over her.“Don’t you dare faint on me now,” I said, trying to mask my worry with sarcasm.“I’m not the one trembling,” she shot back, though her voice lacked its usual bite.I ignored her and turned to him—Rigel—who leaned against a tree, silent as ever. His face was unreadable, but his body language betrayed him: his shoulders were tense, his breathing uneven. He did not die but rather he came back more injured.“That’s it,” I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “We’re not moving a
The campfire crackled softly, its warm light casting glinting shadows on the trees surrounding us. The forest had become unnervingly quiet, as if the world itself held its breath, granting us this rare truce from chaos. Each step I took, I took in fear. Never did I think my life would get this chaotic—that every minute would feel like an attack. It felt like a scene straight out of a movie.Selene slept a few paces away, her figure curled against the cool night air, while I sat closer to the fire, struggling to process the storm of emotions brewing within me. I felt so fucked in that moment. I wanted to close my eyes and snap back to my former boring, shitty life, but I couldn’t.I glanced at Rigel, seated across the fire. His face was illuminated by the orange glow, the sharp lines of his features softened by the flickering light. He looked distant, lost in thought, yet there was tension in the way he clenched his jaw and held his shoulders taut, as if bracing for something inevitabl
My eyes fluttered open to the pale light of dawn filtering through the dense canopy above. The world felt heavy, like I was waking from a dream that had seeped too deeply into reality. Every muscle in my body ached, and my arm burned like fire. The mark—it was still there, its dark lines etched into my skin, now more intricate and sprawling than before.“Daniel,” a voice pulled me back to the present. Rigel was crouched beside me, his face drawn with worry.“What happened?” I croaked, my throat dry and raw. Memories of the previous night rushed back—the mark flaring, the pain, the explosion of power I couldn’t control.“You lost consciousness after the surge,” he said, his tone clipped, though his eyes betrayed a tenderness he rarely showed. “We couldn’t wake you for hours.”I pushed myself upright, my head spinning as I took in our surroundings. The campsite was a mess—fallen branches littered the ground, and the fire had been completely extinguished. Selene sat nearby, poring over a
The fire burned low, casting muted light against the uneven stone walls. The night air was heavy, laden with an unspoken tension that coiled tighter with each passing second. I sat on the hard ground, legs folded beneath me, staring at the flames yet feeling none of their warmth. My chest felt too heavy, burdened with thoughts that made no sense but refused to leave me alone. Rigel stood at the mouth of the cave, his stance rigid as he watched the night beyond. Selene sat across from me, her face turned away as if the silence wasn’t suffocating. It felt like we were mourning the dead.I couldn’t hold the words in any longer. They clawed at my throat, demanding release.“I heard you earlier,” I muttered softly, my voice slicing through the oppressive stillness.Selene’s head turned slightly, her profile caught in the firelight, surprise flashing briefly in her eyes. Rigel stiffened, his broad shoulders a dark silhouette against the dim backdrop. Neither of them spoke immediately, and t
The tension in the air was palpable, a fragile thread threatening to snap at any moment. The fire burned low, casting flickering shadows across the cave walls. Rigel’s gaze lingered on me, heavy with an unspoken intensity that made my chest tighten. Across from us, Selene sat in silence, her face unreadable as she stared into the dying embers.“I can’t keep running like this,” I muttered, breaking the oppressive silence. My voice sounded hollow, even to my own ears. “I’m tired of being hunted, of feeling powerless.”Rigel shifted closer, his movements deliberate. Usually, his presence grounded me, but tonight, it felt charged—alive with a tension I couldn’t quite place. “There’s a way to change that,” he said, his voice low and steady.I turned to him, suspicion flickering in my eyes. “What do you mean?”He hesitated, the firelight casting flickering shadows across his face. “There’s a ritual,” he began cautiously, his tone measured. “An ancient one that could strengthen our bond. If
The night erupted into chaos, the silence shattered by the sharp clash of steel and the guttural cries of enemies lunging from the shadows. Their forms were barely visible, moving with an unnatural swiftness and precision that made my blood run cold.Rigel was a blur of movement, his sword slicing through the darkness as if it were an extension of his very being. Each strike was calculated, deadly, and filled with a desperation I could feel in the air. I could see him fighting with his whole being just to keep me safe. Selene moved just as deftly, her spells lighting the battlefield in brief bursts of blinding brilliance. Yet, even with their combined strength, the sheer number of attackers overwhelmed us.I froze, rooted to the spot as fear coiled around my chest like a serpent. The noise, the violence—it was too much. I was useless, a burden, and it gnawed at me with every passing second. I desperately wanted to help as I watched them being overwhelmed.“Daniel, move!” Selene’s voic
Selene led us to the library, determined to uncover the answers we sought. This was no ordinary library; it was a towering monument to centuries of secrets and forbidden knowledge. Shelves stretched impossibly high, humming faintly with an otherworldly energy, while golden chandeliers cast intricate patterns of light over the marble floors.“How did you find this place?” I asked, my voice echoing as I took in the breathtaking sight.Selene glanced back, a rare smile softening her features. “Not everything about my past is dark,” she said cryptically. “This was my sanctuary once. It still holds some of the answers we need.”Rigel remained silent, stationed near the entrance with watchful eyes scanning the room. His tension hung heavy in the air, a quiet barrier that had grown between us since our last encounter.Selene led me deeper into the library, her fingers skimming the spines of ancient tomes. Finally, she paused, pulling a book bound in cracked leather from the shelf. “Here,” sh
The air was still, yet heavy with the promise of danger. The trees surrounding me swayed in the phantom wind of my own panicked breaths. Rigel’s last words hung in my ears like a haunting echo: "Stay alive, Daniel. No matter what happens, keep running."But how was I supposed to run when the shadows themselves seemed to move against me? The path ahead felt endless, the darkness closing in on all sides. My heartbeat pounded like a drum, its rhythm unsteady and frantic.I stumbled over an exposed root and caught myself against a tree, the bark biting into my palms. My breaths came shallow and fast, my body trembling with a cocktail of exhaustion and fear.“Lost already?” a voice called out, smooth and venomous, breaking the silence like a crack of thunder.I froze, my body going rigid as a figure emerged from the shadows. He was tall and gaunt, his skin pale like it had never known sunlight. His eyes glowed faintly crimson, twin embers that pierced through the darkness.“Well, well,” he
The tension in the sanctuary was like a drawn bowstring, taut and ready to snap. None of us trusted one another fully, not anymore. The events of the past few days had left deep cracks in whatever fragile unity we’d once had, and now we were expected to decide whether to risk everything.Adrian stood at the center of the room, leaning against the edge of the map table with his arms crossed. His usual charm was gone, replaced by something colder, sharper. “We don’t have time to debate this endlessly,” he said, his tone clipped. “The stronghold isn’t just their base. It’s their heart. If we take it out, we cut them off at the source.”Rigel, standing stiffly in the corner, folded his arms across his chest. “And what happens if this is just another one of your games, Adrian? We follow your lead, walk into a trap, and end up dead—or worse.”Adrian didn’t flinch, but I saw the flicker of irritation in his eyes. “I’ve risked my life to help you this far,” he shot back. “What more do you wan
I followed Adrian through the lit corridors of the sanctuary, my footsteps light but my heart heavy. Something about the way he’d insisted we talk in private had set me on edge, but it wasn’t just his words. It was his expression—a fleeting mix of guilt and urgency that he hadn’t managed to mask.He turned sharply down a passage I hadn’t noticed before, leading us into a secluded alcove. The air felt cooler here, damp with an unsettling stillness.“I need to know what’s really going on,” I said, breaking the silence. “No more cryptic warnings, no more half-truths. If you want my trust, you’re going to have to earn it.”Adrian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You think I don’t want to tell you everything?” he said, his voice low and strained. “You think I don’t want to lay it all out, clear as day? But it’s not that simple, Daniel. Not with the stakes we’re dealing with.”“Try me,” I said, crossing my arms.He hesitated, his gaze darting toward the shadows as if someone might
The air in the sanctuary felt heavy, like it was carrying the weight of unspoken accusations and unresolved tension. Adrian sat in the center of the room, his face was a mask of anger and defiance, but beneath that, I could see something else—maybe hurt, maybe frustration. I couldn’t tell. Across from him, Rigel stood rigid, his arms crossed over his chest, radiating a mix of fury and suspicion.Everyone else had scattered after the initial confrontation, though I could feel their eyes lingering on us from the shadows, waiting to see how this would play out. I stayed rooted to the spot, stuck between two men I didn’t know how to reconcile.“This is ridiculous,” Adrian said, breaking the silence. His voice was sharp, cutting through the room like a blade. “You’re accusing me of betraying the group with no real proof. Just a bunch of convenient coincidences that make me an easy target.”Rigel’s laugh was cold and bitter. “Convenient?” he echoed, stepping closer. “We found a blood-staine
The breach was chaos incarnate. The sanctuary, once a place of calm and relative safety, now swarmed with the rogue faction’s dark figures. Their presence was suffocating, an ominous tide of shadows moving with precision and deadly intent.I could barely hear myself think over the clash of weapons, the shouts, and the guttural cries of pain. My mark burned hot on my chest, its steady pulse growing erratic with every moment of danger.Rigel was at my side, his movements lethal and efficient, cutting through the attackers with ease. Selene commanded the others like a general, her voice sharp and clear even amidst the chaos. And then there was Adrian.Adrian was... everywhere. His blade gleamed as he fought off three attackers at once, his movements fluid and almost theatrical. He turned the tide at every corner, stepping in to save others with a heroism that should have been reassuring. But something didn’t sit right.Every door they breached, every point of attack—it was as if they alr
I didn’t sleep much that night. The faint glow of my mark, now spreading across my chest, felt like a brand—warm, steady, and impossible to ignore. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw it pulsating like a living thing, as though it had its own heartbeat.Rigel had insisted on keeping watch, his figure a shadowy sentinel by the doorway. He hadn’t said much after I’d caught him staring at the mark, his expression unreadable but heavy with something that felt like dread. Adrian, of course, had smirked his way through the tension, tossing out half-hearted reassurances as though nothing could rattle him.“Get some rest,” Rigel had muttered to me at some point, though his tone carried none of the softness it usually did.I hadn’t responded. What could I say? That I was terrified of what was happening to me? That I didn’t know if I trusted either of them—or myself?By morning, the unease hanging over us had thickened into something palpable. Selene’s sharp, no-nonsense demeanor didn’t help. Sh
The sanctuary was still, the kind of quiet that felt both comforting and unsettling. For the first time in days, we weren’t running or fighting for our lives, but the tension between us made the air feel heavier than ever.We all sat around a flickering fire in the main hall, its light playing off the rough stone walls. Selene, who was usually the picture of strength, stared at the flames like they held some kind of answer.“This place reminds me of home,” she said after a while, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it.I glanced at her, surprised. Selene didn’t talk about her past. Not ever.Adrian, leaning back against the wall like he had all the time in the world, tilted his head. “You never mentioned where you’re from. What was it like?”Selene hesitated, her fingers tightening around the edge of her cloak. “Small. Quiet. Just a little village where nothing much ever happened.” Her eyes didn’t move from the fire. “We weren’t important. Just farmers. But we were happy.”Her voice
Adrian’s sanctuary was nothing like I expected. We followed him through winding paths deep in the forest until he led us to a hidden clearing, surrounded by towering trees that formed a natural barrier. Beyond the clearing stood an old, weathered stone structure, half-covered in ivy and moss. Despite its age, there was something undeniably sturdy and welcoming about it—a fortress carved out of time itself.“Welcome to my humble abode,” Adrian said, gesturing grandly as he pushed open the heavy wooden doors.Inside, the air was cool and smelled faintly of cedar and smoke. The central hall was lit by a massive fireplace, its flames casting dancing shadows on the high, vaulted ceiling. The walls were lined with shelves filled with books, maps, and an assortment of objects that looked both ancient and dangerous.“This place,” Adrian began as he moved toward the fire, “is a refuge. A sanctuary for those who’ve been caught in the crossfire of supernatural wars. No one finds it unless I want
The sunlight peeked through the trees, casting long shadows on the forest floor as we packed up our things. Despite the tension hanging in the air, Adrian moved around like he didn’t have a care in the world. His every move was smooth, deliberate, and annoyingly confident.I didn’t know how he managed to make a simple task like rolling up a bedroll look like some kind of performance, but he did. The guy even whistled a tune like he wasn’t on the run from people—or creatures—who wanted us all dead.“Daniel,” he called out, his voice laced with amusement. “You’re going to wear out those boots if you keep staring at them like that.”I looked up from the straps I’d been fumbling with and found him leaning against a tree, arms crossed and a grin on his face. That damn grin.“Just trying to make sure they’re secure,” I replied, probably a little too defensively.Adrian chuckled, pushing off the tree and sauntering over. “Or maybe you’re trying to avoid the fact that you’ve been unusually qui
The forest’s oppressive darkness pressed in from all sides, the faint rustling of leaves punctuated by the distant growls of the creatures still hunting us. My legs felt like lead, each step harder than the last as adrenaline began to wane. Selene stumbled ahead, her breaths sharp and uneven, her usual confidence cracked under the strain of the fight. In fact everyone was tensed.Behind me, Rigel loomed, his presence as solid and overwhelming as ever. But his silence was more unnerving than any sound. He hadn’t said a word since the creatures attacked, and the tension between us was thicker than the fog that clung to the forest floor.“Daniel, we need to stop,” Selene panted, leaning against a tree. Her face was pale, her hands trembling as she tried to summon another spell.“We can’t,” Rigel growled, his eyes scanning the shadows. “They’re still out there.”“And we’re sitting ducks if we collapse from exhaustion,” she shot back, her tone sharper than I’d ever heard it.A sound—a low w