Melissa’s POVI felt waves of pain as the mark on my arm burnt once more. I looked down at the blazing symbol and winced. The harsh, unnatural edges of the sign were carved into my skin. I could feel it every time it pulsed, like an unseen thread drawing me nearer to something horrible and gloomy.Hey Melissa, what is it? Damon inquired in a worried tone. He was standing next to me, staring at the mark.With a trembling voice, I responded, "I don't know, Damon." Things are getting worse. Sometimes the ache is intolerable.I gritted my teeth to endure the piercing pain. For a minute, my eyesight became blurry as the mark seemed to hum with an odd energy. For a moment, I could see monsters from The Void, their eyes blazing red, moving in the corners of my consciousness.With his hand on my shoulder, Damon moved closer and asked, "What's happening?"To dispel the visions, I shook my head. "It’s like… like something’s calling me from within it. The Void, maybe."Dennis had been pacing clo
Melissa’s POVThe jungle towered over us like a pitch-black, never-ending tunnel. The branches of tall trees entwined to block out most of the light as they extended into the sky. Every sound made my heart race, even as my boots crunched on the dried leaves on the woodland floor. The faint pulse of the sigil on my arm served as a continual reminder of the curse I was carrying. Dennis followed a little behind, murmuring to himself about maps and old predictions, while Damon strolled next to me, his keen eyes searching the darkness.Damon pointed to a dim trail that wound through the trees and remarked, "We're close." "But we must remain vigilant.""Remain vigilant? I gave him a suspicious look. "Do you believe that the creatures of The Void are pursuing us?"Damon gave a sombre nod. They didn't stop. To them, the mark on your arm is like a beacon.I took a deep breath. Fantastic. Exactly what I required.Then, out of the darkness, came a deep growl. My breath caught in my throat as I f
Melissa’s POVUnease permeated the air around the packhouse, making it feel heavier than usual. My heart thumped in my chest as I walked to the council room. I had seen the sidelong glances and heard the whispers. I was tormented by the betrayal I had heard, but I had to face the traitor before the rifts in our togetherness deepened.The place was quiet as I walked in. One of our reliable spies, Marcus, caught my attention. His eyes darted anxiously, and he stood stiffly. Dennis and Damon stood on either side of me, providing comfort but unable to quell the storm that was building within me."Marcus," I said in a calm yet icy tone. "We must speak."His shoulders sagged as he gulped forcefully. "I, Melissa..."I stepped closer and interrupted, saying, "Don't." "You were heard. I heard everything. You were addressing The Void's servant. You have deceived us.The room echoed with gasps. Marcus looked away, his hands shaking. He muttered, "I didn't mean for it to go this far." They put my
Melissa’s POVThere was a lot of bustle in the packhouse. Wolves frantically prepared for what appeared to be an insurmountable battle. Strategies were whispered, weapons honed. But the air was heavy with tension, like fog.My mark, that damned symbol, pulsed faintly beneath my skin as I stood in the middle of it all. With every second that went by, it felt heavier, as if it were living and becoming stronger. I tried to concentrate, but my mind was racing. There was not much time left.I saw him gathering a group of fighters by the training grounds and cried out, "Damon." "We need to rally everyone," he said, turning as his face softened upon seeing me. Right now.As firm as a rock in a storm, he strolled in my direction. "Melissa, we are making every effort. However, morale is low.I gave a sad nod. "I understand. We can't give up, though. Not right now.Dennis showed up with a dusty old book in his hands before he could reply. “I think I found something you need to see, Melissa,” he
Melissa’s POVThe emblem on my arm burned like a flame beneath my flesh, and my entire body hurt as I stepped outside the packhouse. Since yesterday, the mark's eerie light had gotten brighter, telling everyone including myself that I was no longer just any wolf. But my concerns were more pressing now. At the brink of our frontiers, a stranger who claimed to be an ally stood.Despite my stomach churning, I said firmly, "Who are you, and what do you want?"Slowly and deliberately, the man took a step forward. His steel-sharp, calculating eyes glinted. "My name is Aelric," he introduced himself. "I’ve fought The Void before. I know what it wants and how to stop it."Damon protectively stepped in front of me and hissed, "You’ve fought The Void?" "How convenient. And you just happen to show up now?"Despite his wrath, Aelric's eyes shifted to Damon. "I’ve been watching. Waiting for the right moment. Now that Melissa has been marked, time is running out. If you don’t act, The Void will con
Melissa’s POVThe air was heavy with smoke, and I could hear my packmates howling. Like a never-ending flood of blackness, shadow creatures surrounded us, their crimson eyes blazing with rage. I felt the heat from the glowing symbol on my arm as I tightened my hands. It filled my veins with an unexplained intensity that pulsed like a heartbeat."We must immediately patch up the rifts! I shouted, trying to get my voice heard above the commotion.At my side, Damon slashed down a shadow beast that sprang at us, his blade gleaming. "We're outnumbered, Melissa. We will never prevail in this battle if that creature continues to cause divisions!"I looked toward the biggest gap, a whirling whirlpool of violet and black energy that hung in the air like a real-life wound. With each pulse, it spat out more shadow beings. Like it recognized the energy gushing out of that emptiness, my mark throbbed in response."We cannot give up," I firmly stated. "I believe I can close it if I can."Damon took
Melissa’s POVThe biggest rift, whose edges were blazing with a throbbing, unsettling light, loomed before us like a huge wound in the ground. Dark truths that I couldn't comprehend but could sense in my bones were whispered by the swirling shadows surrounding it. My mark seemed to be answering the rift's call because it was burning brighter than before.Aelric stated, "We have to go in," in a steady yet solemn tone. "If we don’t destroy the source, these rifts will keep opening until there’s nothing left of this world."I scowled at him while crossing my arms. "And what exactly is your plan, Aelric? You’ve been vague about everything so far."Aelric's tone remained composed despite the annoyance flashing in his golden eyes. "The Void’s power has a core living entity that’s creating these rifts. If we destroy it, the rifts will collapse, and the shadows will lose their foothold here."Damon approached me and said sharply, "Destroy it?" "How? With what? You can't just walk into a rift
Melissa’s POVEvery step we took felt like we were travelling through a nightmare because the blackness around us pulsed with its own life. The air felt like it was attempting to drag us down; it was heavy, frigid, and thick. Aelric, Dennis, Damon, and I pushed onward, encircled by shadow creatures that appeared to emanate incessantly from the far ancient being. The insignia on my skin glowed with an odd, unsettling light, burning brighter the closer we came.Damon yelled, "Melissa! Behind you!" in a quick, urgent voice.A shadow thing with its claws extending lunged for me as I turned around just in time. I raised my hand without thinking, and the sigil exploded into light. With a screech, the thing vanished into ash. The strength was like a wildfire burning inside of me, overwhelming.Damon hurried to my side and asked, "Are you okay?"Despite my beating heart, I nodded. "I’m fine. Let’s keep moving. We don’t have time to waste."Aelric took a step forward, his expression serious. "
Melissa’s POVThe earth underneath me trembled. Once full of stars, the sky had become a whirling mass of red and black. I had never seen anything like the full form of the Void, which loomed over us. It was a shapeless shadow that seemed to extend across the sky, a hideous, writhing monster with sharp teeth and flashing crimson eyes.Damon gripped my hand more tightly. "This thing is destruction, Melissa."I took a deep breath. Then we put an end to it. Together.Waves of darkness broke against the shield of our combined force as the Void shouted. With the help of our light, Damon and I managed to push back.Behind us, in formation, the pack channeled the force of the rite by raising their hands. The air was filled with golden symbols that glowed brighter as they infused us with their vitality.Even though he was tired, Eldric's voice was loud and clear. "Hey, Melissa! Make use of the power! Attack its very center!I concentrated as the energy rushed through me. In my palms, a golden
Melissa’s POVFrom within Damon and me, a golden, bright light burst forth. It pushed the darkness aside as it rushed outward. The Void flinched for the first time.I gasped as I sensed our strength entwined, our spirits united. My brightness became Damon's, and his power became mine. We were invincible together.The Void screamed, its dark shape contorting. "Not possible! You can't disobey me!Damon grinned. "It appears that we just did."As the darkness faded, the pack behind us cheered, their spirits rising. Hope flashed for a minute.The Void, however, altered its strategy.Rather than attacking us, it turned to our fighters. The gang stumbled abruptly as a dark pulse sped across the air. Their eyes grew wide with agony.I let out a gasp. "What's going on?"Eldric clutched his skull and yelled. "Our link is being attacked by the Void! It is cutting off our relationship with one another!Damon's face grew serious. "No. It is attempting to separate us from the group.I felt the conn
Melissa’s POVThere was anarchy on the battlefield. Everything in their path was devoured by the shadows that slithered across the earth. The sky was now a whirling pit of blackness.Grasping the shimmering relic tightly, I could feel its warmth pulsing in time with my beating. I understood what needed to be done; the truth had become ingrained in my chest.The Void inside my light needed to be sealed.I glanced at Damon, my fingers shaking. I uttered, hardly raising my voice above a whisper, "I know how to stop it."Damon scowled. "What are you talking about, Melissa?"I inhaled deeply. "I must cage the Void inside of me to put an end to this. I can control it if I unite with my light. However, I will not be able to return.His gaze grew gloomy. "No. Not at all.I took a step toward him and touched his chest. "I can do this, Damon. I must complete this task.With a solid yet desperate grip, he took hold of my shoulders. "You're not giving up anything. I will not allow you to.My eyes
Melissa’s POVThe ground underneath us trembled with a thunderous roar. As the sky grew completely dark, I staggered, barely maintaining my equilibrium. Our planet was completely infiltrated by the Void.As they slithered across the terrain, shadowy tendrils ate everything in their path. Before the onslaught started, the trees withered, the air became dense with a suffocating gloom, and an unsettling hush descended upon the pack's area.First came the creatures. Monstrous, twisted forms sprang from the darkness, staring at us with luminous red eyes."Keep the pack safe!" Damon's voice echoed, firm and powerful.The beasts persisted despite the efforts of our troops. Growls, cries of agony, and claws slamming into teeth reverberated throughout the night. I made a feeble attempt to call forth my light.Panic rising, I muttered, "No... not now."I lifted my fists and pushed energy out. One of the things recoiled when a little flash of light touched it, but the exertion left me exhausted.
Melissa’s POVEldric stood in the middle of the circle, his voice rising in an old chant, and the air crackled with energy. With their hands clasped together and their eyes closed in intense concentration, the pack encircled him. A glistening gap that glowed dimly like a tear, in reality, itself started to form in front of them.My breathing was labored, and I gripped my chest. Weaker than ever, my Celestial Flame dimmed. I was exhausted from the battle.Damon stood next to me, his teeth clenched. "We need to move now, Melissa."A dreadful scream reverberated throughout the domain of the Void. The twisted forms of the shadows writhed in rage as they slithered closer.The voice of the Void bellowed. "You believe you can get away from me?"A wave of darkness smashed upon us, and I flinched. With his claws cutting through the closest shadow creatures, Damon jumped in front of me. "I'm sick of these things!" he snarled.Eldric's gaze flickered. "Avoid them! The rift is still unstable.My
Melissa’s POVThe heavy, oppressive darkness whirled about me. The golden glow of the Celestial Flame flickered like a candle in the wind as I held it tightly in my hands.The Void was different. It had developed shape and was no longer only a collection of shadows. A massive, purely dark figure with empty eyes blazing with insatiable desire loomed before me."Madela, you are nothing." The voice of the Void thundered like a tempest. "Every light bearer before you has been eaten by me. You'll tumble just like everyone else.I forced my fear down with a firm gulp. "How many you've taken doesn't matter to me. I am the one who ends it.The Void chuckled. "What a dumb girl. What has existed for all eternity cannot be stopped.The shadows surrounding us contorted into shrieking faces as it lifted its enormous arms—souls imprisoned in its never-ending hunger. My heart tightened. If I failed, would I end up like this?No.I lifted the Celestial Flame while clenching my teeth. The murky cloud
Melissa’s POVI had the impression that the ground was neither solid nor airy. Above, the sky shifted between angry crimson and deep darkness, twisting in strange ways. Here, time seemed to be fractured, with seconds seeming to drag into hours.All around me, a chilly voice said."Hey Melissa, welcome home."I balled my fists up. "My home is not here."I experienced glimpses of a future in which I stood alone on a throne of darkness while the shadows grew darker and created shifting images. Everything around me was destroyed by fire.Additionally, II was the Void now.Staring back at me was a picture of my face, twisted in the gloom."Fate is beyond your control," the Void said.I gave a headshake. "This isn't real."The vision shifted. Damon was kneeling in front of me, broken. His previously vibrant eyes were now lifeless.The Void went on, "You will ruin everyone you care about." "It is unavoidable.""No!" With my light flashing, I yelled. "I decide my destiny!"I felt the darknes
Melissa’s POVIn my palms, the relic pulsed, its illumination alternating between eerie darkness and golden light. From within came a whisper, a voice old and powerful."Child of light, you're looking for solutions. I am the truth.I took a deep breath. "Tell me."The world around me abruptly changed when the air changed. I found myself in a wide area of whirling shadows and dim light instead of the battlefield. The relic glowed like a fallen star, floating before me.Once more, the voice spoke. "I am more than just a tool of authority. I am a piece of the Void's very center that was left over from the first fight, which took place ages ago.I gasped. "A… a piece of the Void?""Yes. I was made as a test, a means of determining whether mankind was deserving of existence outside the realm of the Void.I gave a headshake. "That isn't rational. Why would something that may be utilized against the Void be left behind?"Because the cycle needs to finish. You must put me back in the core of
Melissa’s POVI could still hear Damon's cry. I glanced at the place where the shadows had pulled him into the abyss, my hands shaking. Something inside of me stirred, even though my heart hurt and the pain was intolerable.A fire, no, a warmth, flared in my chest. My light wasn't the only one. Something deeper, something more powerful.Then from the item beside me came a hushed voice."The Celestial Flame is being reawakened by you."I let out a gasp. “The Celestial Flame?"The voice hummed quietly. “A power your ancestors never reached. A light that may burn away even the deepest darkness.”Like flickering flames, a golden radiance rose from my fingertips. It was fire, not just light. My veins throbbed with heat, more intense than I had ever experienced.I balled my fists up. "I will use this if it can help me defeat the Void."The voice faltered. "The Flame is not so easy to wield. You have to go through a soul trial to manage it.I scowled. "A trial?""You have to face your demons