The air was damp and heavy as muffled voices filtered through the walls of the dimly lit room where I sat bound to a chair. My wrists ached against the ropes, but fear was the sharper pain, gnawing at my chest as Adrian’s parting smirk replayed in my mind. He had delivered me here, to the heart of the rival faction’s lair, like a lamb to the slaughter. The door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped in, his face shadowed by the dim overhead bulb. His presence sent a chill down my spine—a mix of raw power and simmering malice. “Daniel,” he said smoothly, his voice like silk over steel. “Welcome. I trust your stay has been... enlightening.” “Who are you?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the pounding in my chest. “I am the one who will show you the truth,” he replied, stepping closer. His features came into focus: angular, severe, with eyes that seemed to pierce through my very soul. “Unlike your protector, I won’t hide things from you. We could have avoided this m
The tension in the air was suffocating as Rigel and I finally reached the safety of our makeshift hideout after I carried him. The small cabin, nestled deep in the woods, was barely more than four walls and a roof, but it was better than nothing. Rigel leaned heavily on me as we entered, his steps faltering. “You’re bleeding,” I said, helping him to the worn-out couch in the corner. “I’ll heal,” he muttered, brushing me off. His glow, once vibrant and protective, was now faint and erratic. I wasn’t convinced. “You need rest. Or help. Or—I don’t know—something!” as much as I tried to control myself, I just could not sit and watch him in pains, it made my heart ache probably because I was the reason why he was in that situation. He shot me a sharp look. “What I need is for you to stop questioning me. I handled it.” “Handled it?” My voice rose, anger bubbling to the surface. “You nearly got yourself killed back there! And for what? To drag me back here so we can wait for the next am
The journal sat heavy in my lap like it carried the weight of the world—or at least mine. Rigel was asleep on the couch, his head tipped back, exhaustion softening the sharp lines of his face. The faint glow that usually surrounded him had dimmed to a mere flicker. I couldn’t stop myself from opening the journal again, even though every instinct screamed at me to leave it alone. Each page felt like peeling back a layer of Rigel’s soul, exposing truths I wasn’t sure I was ready for. The early entries were familiar, echoing the same cryptic warnings he’d given me. But the further I read, the darker the words became. “Human bonds have always been fragile. They’re drawn to us like moths to flame, unaware that the fire will consume them. I’ve seen it happen—time and time again.” I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. “The bond amplifies them, yes, but it also destroys them. Their bodies, their minds—they’re not meant to hold this much power. And yet they always try. Always fail.” T
I groaned and twinkled my eyes as I quickly jerked up and realized that it was all a dream unfolded like a trap, the edges of reality slipping away until I found myself standing in a space that felt both familiar and foreign. It was the cabin—Rigel’s cabin—but the air was heavy, crackling with an unseen energy and sweet dripping all over my face. Shadows danced along the walls, their movements unnatural, almost alive. “Feeling lost?” The voice was silk and steel, drawing my attention to the figure leaning against the doorway. My eyes went wide as I realized that it was Lucian that stood there, his presence commanding yet unnervingly casual. He wore a smirk that didn’t quite reach his cold, calculating eyes. “This isn’t real,” I said, stepping back instinctively,shut my eyes tight and opened it again hoping to wake up from the dream which actually my reality. He tilted his head, his smirk widening. “Isn’t it?” “You’re in my head,” I snapped, my voice steady despite the fear coilin
The ambush came without warning. One moment we were trudging through the dense woods, Rigel scanning the surroundings with his usual vigilance. The next, shadows burst from every direction, their guttural growls slicing through the eerie stillness. “Stay behind me!” Rigel barked, his blade flashing as he leapt into action. But there were too many of them. Dark, sinewy figures swarmed us, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light. Rigel moved like a force of nature, slashing and dodging with precision, but even he was starting to falter under the sheer number of attackers. They were way too much and fast for him to handle alone. I felt some type of bitterness in my stomach as I saw him struggling with everything he had just to save me.A creature lunged at me, its claws outstretched. Panic surged through my veins as I stumbled back, my heart hammering in my chest. My mind screamed for me to run, but my body refused to obey. “No!” I shouted, throwing my hands up in a desperate attem
I woke to the soft crackle of a fire and the faint smell of pine. My body ached, every muscle screaming in protest, but the warmth of the flames soothed some of the chill that lingered from the battle. I groaned so deeply as the sting of pain banged just right under my arms. Rigel sat across from me, his face shadowed in the flickering light.“Finally awake,” he said, his voice low, almost tentative.I pushed myself upright, groaning as a sharp pain shot through my side. “What happened?”“You passed out after the fight,” he said, his eyes meeting mine briefly before flickering away. “Your body couldn’t handle the strain.”I studied him, noting the tightness in his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. He looked... tired. More than that—haunted.“Rigel,” I said carefully, “what aren’t you telling me?” I asked looking deeply into his beautiful eyes.He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached for a small, battered flask at his side, taking a long sip before finally speaking. “You’re s
The peace of the refuge shattered in an instant. One moment, the air hummed with quiet conversations and the rustling of leaves; the next, a deafening explosion ripped through the clearing. I was thrown backward, landing hard against the packed dirt. My ears rang as the acrid scent of smoke and magic filled the air. “Daniel!” Rigel’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding. I scrambled to my feet, my heart racing as figures emerged from the smoke—familiar faces twisted with fury and determination. The rival faction. “Stay close to me,” Rigel barked, unsheathing his blade in one fluid motion. I barely had time to nod before the first attacker lunged at us. Rigel moved with a lethal grace, cutting through the enemy with brutal efficiency. But they just kept coming, their movements coordinated, their eyes locked on me. “This isn’t random,” Rigel growled, his back pressed against mine as we fended off the relentless onslaught. “They’re here for you.” What Rigel had been s
The aftermath of the battle left me feeling like I was walking on a razor's edge. The hideout was supposed to feel safe, but the air was heavy with tension, I could not stop looking around to be sure that we were not under another attack. The rival faction had been relentless in their assault, and even though we managed to drive them back, it was clear their attacks were growing bolder—and more coordinated and I was sure that at some point, we would not be able to hold them back.Rigel was silent as we returned, his jaw tight and his eyes stormy. The way he avoided meeting my gaze made my stomach churn. He was hiding something, and it was becoming harder to ignore.Once we reached the hideout, Rigel issued orders in his usual clipped tone, sending the other allies scattering. His voice carried an edge I wasn’t used to hearing from him, as if the battle had rattled him in a way he didn’t want anyone to see. Then, without so much as a glance in my direction, he disappeared into his priv
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