Chapter 54 The Door to OblivionWhen the ancient doors swung open, they emitted a slow guttural noise that made my bones vibrate. That knowing way that the air shifted around the moment I saw the passage—the thickness that pressed against my lungs as if the air itself wanted me turned away.Or keep something in.Ethan gripped my arm more tightly from behind me, his breath shallow and quickening. “Jessica, don’t.”I didn’t look at him. I couldn’t.Because I knew — the second I turned away, the second I hesitated, I would never step through those doors.And I needed to.I needed to know what awaited inside.I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat forcing my voice steady. “I have to do this.”Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Then I’m going with you.”“Not a chance.” I faced him, my eyes hard. “You stay with the others.”His face contorted with disbelief, frustration. “Are you serious? You’re entering an ancient hellhole, full of god-knows-what, and you expect me just to stand here?”I exhaled. “Y
Chapter 55: Truth Which Should Not Be KnownThe vision had broken something in me.I gasped in short, breathless jerks and the reality of what I’d seen hit me at full force. My mother—here. Holding me. And the golden-eyed figure, standing quiet amid the wreckage like he had been waiting thousands of years for this moment.This war did not only concern power.This was not merely about revenge or bloodlines.It was about me.And it had always been.I stepped back shakily and felt my fingers tingle with the residue of whatever the book had felt me. My legs were shaking, my heart pounding in my chest.The golden-eyed figure stood in silence, as though giving me time to process the gravity of my finding.Then, finally, he spoke.“You see now, don’t you?”I forced my breath steady. “See what?”His golden eyes shone in the fading torchlight. “That you were never meant to be simply a wolf.”I clenched my fists. “You’re lying.”He exhaled, then tilted his head slightly, as if I were a childish
Chapter 56: On a Throne Of Blood and ShadowThe moment my fingertips skimmed the surface of the book, the world crumbled.I wasn’t falling. I wasn’t flying. I was unraveling.A million shards of reality shattered around me, warping, folding in on themselves, each with a flickering image—glimpses of things that were, things that could be, things that never were.And at the center of it all—Me.But not just me.Versions of me.One where I was on a battlefield, blood on my hands, shredded wolf and human bodies strewn at my feet.One where I was caged, a collar of silver set about my throat, screaming as the fire ran through my veins.One in which I sat upon a throne of black stone with golden eyes that shone with a malevolence that was the embodiment of inhumanity, a voice that reverberated with power.I gasped and pulled my hand away —But it was too late.The voice of the golden-eyed figure curled around me like smoke."Now you understand."I recoiled, my heart pounding, the pulse thu
Chapter 57: The Burden of an Invisible WarWe ran and we ran until the ruins were far behind us.Until the air stopped being that heavy.Until the murmuring faded to whispers in my brain, leaving a void that felt almost as heavy.But the damage had already been done.I could feel it.Not in my body — in my soul.”Something in me had shifted.I didn’t say anything.Not as the others slowed. It was not as Ethan finally turned to meet my gaze, his golden gaze sweeping over my face as if he could see the war going on inside me.Not as Selene, Dorian, Rhea, and Elias all sat in a loose circle around us, panting, waiting for someone—me—to say something.But I couldn’t.Because I did not know what to say.So Ethan spoke first.“Jessica,” he breathed, voice low and controlled, but I could hear the tension under it. “What happened in there?”I let out a sharp breath, running a hand through my hair. “I—”But the words wouldn’t come out of my mouth.What was I supposed to say?That I had touched
Chapter 58: A Way Made Clear in DarkMorning came too soon.I barely slept.Not that I expected to.Not with all that transpired in the ruins. Not after the whispers, the visions, the figure with the golden eyes whom told me truths I hadn’t wanted to hear.Because even now, the sun rising beyond the horizon, warming the fortress walls, I could still sense it.”That shift inside me.The door that had opened.And I didn’t know how to close it.If I really am one of them, anyway, I amended as I stood at the lip of the courtyard, observing the others as they buckled their gear onto their packs.Instead, Elias checked his weapons, the mischievous smirk that was usually plastered to his face replaced with deep thought.Dorian did not speak, though he sharpened his axe, grim-faced.Selene was busy packing up medical supplies, sharp and efficient and when she thought I wasn’t looking, her eyes flicked to me.Rhea stood slightly away, whispering in Ethan’s ear.And Ethan—He stood at rigid att
Chapter 59: The Haunted MirrorsThe figures were at the very edge of the firelight, their shapes only vaguely solid, roiling like shadows on water.Their voices were no more than a whisper in the darkness, but they filled the night like a choir of ghosts.“You are what you could have become.”The words landed upon me like a weight.Cold. Final.My fists tightened, I forced my breath steady.“Who are you?”The lead figure angled its head, its bright eyes inscrutable. “You already know.”Ethan moved in front of me reflexively, his sword glittering in the firelight. “If you want to tangle, you got one.”The figure didn’t move. “We are not here to fight.”Elias hummed from behind me. “That’s disappointing.”Selene shot him a glare. “Shut up.”This figure paid them no mind, their focus remained throughout on me.“You’re at the crossroads, Jessica.”I forced my voice steady. “I don’t believe in fate.”The figure let out his breath, a sound bordering on laughter. “It doesn’t matter what you
Chapter 60 The Night the Wolves ArrivedLong after the figures turned to smoke, the warning echoed in my mind.“If you don’t claim your power… someone will.”It haunted me. Refused to let go, clung to me like a second skin.But I didn’t have time to think about it.Because the real nightmare was just getting started.The First SignWe made our way back to the fortress just ahead of dawn.The air felt… off.Too still. Too quiet.As if the whole world was on pause.Selene noticed it first. Beside me, the woman tensed, her predator green eyes going laser focused on the treeline. “Something’s wrong.”Ethan frowned. “I don’t hear anything.”“That’s exactly the problem.” Her voice was tight. “There are no birds. No insects. Nothing.”My stomach twisted.The woods were never silent. Not unless there was something to hunt.A chilling tingle shot up my spine.We weren’t alone.Elias spoke next, his signature smirk missing. “We need to move.”Rhea's violet eyes narrowed as she reached for her d
Chapter 61: The Dark KnightThe silence didn’t last long.I had hardly started to register the presence there inside when the air began shifting.A growl. Low. Hungry.Not from within me.From the trees.I pivoted abruptly, my sore shoulder protesting the motion. Dark figures emerged from the shadows — rogues — and my breath caught.Four of them.I could see their eyes glinting in the moonlight, their bodies tight and tensed, ready to strike.I was bleeding. Injured.They could smell my weakness.I gulped and forced myself to my feet. My legs wobbled, my balance faltering, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight.One of the rogues—larger than the others—stepped forward, baring a feral grin. “Looks like we got a stray.”I balled my hands into fists, claws extending. “Turn around and leave.”The rogue chuckled. “Or what? You can barely stand.”I bared my teeth. “Try me.”His grin widened. “Gladly.”And then—He lunged.I barely avoided it, my injured shoulder screaming in protest. My cla
Chapter 102 – The Mirror’s GambitThe void stretched around Jessica, an endless expanse of shadow and starlight where time felt like a distant memory. Her doppelgänger stood before her, golden eyes gleaming with a cruel certainty that made Jessica’s skin crawl. The figure was her in every detail—same dark hair, same hybrid glow in her veins—yet twisted, as if carved from her darkest doubts and sharpened by her deepest fears. The spark within Jessica burned hotter, a warning and a call to action, but it flickered with uncertainty. Could she fight herself and win?“You’re not real,” Jessica said, her voice trembling but defiant. She clenched her fists, golden energy crackling around her hands. “You’re just another trick of the nexus.”The doppelgänger’s smile widened, cold and sharp. “Trick? Oh, Jessica, I’m as real as you are. Every choice you’ve made, every moment you doubted yourself, every fear you buried—I’m the sum of them. And I’m here to finish what you’re too weak to do.”“Eno
Chapter 101 – The Veil of EchoesThe starfield pulsed around them, each tiny light a heartbeat echoing through the vastness. Jessica stood rooted, her gaze locked on the constellations above—the wolf and the witch, their forms shimmering as if alive, with "Unity Is Strength" blazing between them. The words felt like a promise and a warning, heavy with the weight of choices past and those yet to come. Her hybrid blood thrummed in her veins, resonating with the nexus, but something new stirred within her—a faint, unfamiliar spark that made her skin prickle.“Are we just gonna stand here gawking?” Lucas muttered, his voice sharp but unsteady. He shifted his weight, dagger glinting in the starlight, his eyes darting as if expecting the stars themselves to attack.“It’s not about standing still,” Selene said, her spectral form flickering like a candle in a storm. “It’s about listening. This place—it’s trying to tell us something.”Kade’s growl rumbled low, his amber eyes narrowing. “I don
Chapter 100 – The Fractured Dawn The vast plain stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Yet, as they walked, the landscape began to shift subtly—almost imperceptibly at first. Colors bled into one another like watercolors on wet paper, and the horizon seemed to stretch and warp as though reality itself were unraveling at the edges. Jessica paused, her breath catching in her throat as she noticed it: the trees that had stood tall and still moments ago now swayed gently despite the absence of wind. The grass beneath their feet shimmered faintly, not with dew but with something more ethereal—a faint, otherworldly glow that pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. “What’s happening?” Lucas muttered, his voice tinged with unease. He glanced around nervously, gripping his dagger tightly as if expecting an attack from the very air itself. “It’s adapting,” Selene replied softly, her spectral form flickering faintly. Her gaze darted across the shifting scenery,
Chapter 99 – The Shattered Constellation The field of stars stretched endlessly around them, shimmering faintly like a sea of fireflies frozen in time. Each star pulsed rhythmically, casting soft light across the group as they struggled to regain their footing after the fall. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, making it hard to breathe—not from lack of oxygen, but from the sheer weight of what surrounded them. Jessica stared at the constellations above: one shaped like a wolf, the other like a witch. Between them burned the words **"Unity Is Strength,"** glowing brighter with each passing second. Her hybrid nature surged within her, responding instinctively to the celestial display. “What is this place?” Lucas asked hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the hum of energy resonating through the starfield. “It’s not a place,” Selene murmured, her spectral form flickering faintly. “It’s… a nexus. A convergence point where worlds overlap, where choices ripple outward
Chapter 98 – The Fractured Nexus The vast plain stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Yet, as they walked, the landscape began to shift subtly—almost imperceptibly at first. Colors bled into one another like watercolors on wet paper, and the horizon seemed to stretch and warp as though reality itself were unraveling at the edges. Jessica paused, her breath catching in her throat as she noticed it: the trees that had stood tall and still moments ago now swayed gently despite the absence of wind. The grass beneath their feet shimmered faintly, not with dew but with something more ethereal—a faint, otherworldly glow that pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. “What’s happening?” Lucas muttered, his voice tinged with unease. He glanced around nervously, gripping his dagger tightly as if expecting an attack from the very air itself. “It’s adapting,” Selene replied softly, her spectral form flickering faintly. Her gaze darted across the shifting scenery,
Chapter 97 – The Starfield Revelation The field of stars stretched endlessly around them, shimmering faintly like a sea of fireflies frozen in time. Each star pulsed rhythmically, casting soft light across the group as they struggled to regain their footing after the fall. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy, making it hard to breathe—not from lack of oxygen, but from the sheer weight of what surrounded them. Jessica stared at the constellations above: one shaped like a wolf, the other like a witch. Between them burned the words **"Unity Is Strength,"** glowing brighter with each passing second. Her hybrid nature surged within her, responding instinctively to the celestial display. “What is this place?” Lucas asked hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the hum of energy resonating through the starfield. “It’s not a place,” Selene murmured, her spectral form flickering faintly. “It’s… a nexus. A convergence point where worlds overlap, where choices ripple outward an
Chapter 96 – The Shifting Horizon The plain stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the soft glow of dawn. Yet, as they walked, the landscape began to shift subtly—almost imperceptibly at first. Colors bled into one another like watercolors on wet paper, and the horizon seemed to stretch and warp as though reality itself were unraveling at the edges. Jessica paused, her breath catching in her throat as she noticed it: the trees that had stood tall and still moments ago now swayed gently despite the absence of wind. The grass beneath their feet shimmered faintly, not with dew but with something more ethereal—a faint, otherworldly glow that pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat. “What’s happening?” Lucas muttered, his voice tinged with unease. He glanced around nervously, gripping his dagger tightly as if expecting an attack from the very air itself. “It’s adapting,” Selene replied softly, her spectral form flickering faintly. Her gaze darted across the shifting scenery, her
Chapter 95 – The Edge of Twilight The vast plain stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the golden light of dawn. Yet even as the sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the land, an unnatural chill seeped into the air—a reminder that peace was fleeting, fragile as glass on the verge of shattering. Jessica stood at the forefront of the group, her children cradled protectively against her chest. Her hybrid nature pulsed faintly beneath her skin, a quiet hum of power that both comforted and unsettled her. She could feel it now—the weight of what she had become, the duality within her that refused to be silenced. It wasn’t just strength or resilience; it was something deeper, older. Something primal. “We should keep moving,” Kade said finally, his voice cutting through the tense silence. His amber eyes scanned the horizon, sharp and unyielding, though there was no mistaking the tension coiled beneath his calm exterior. “Where to?” Lucas asked, his tone edged with frus
Chapter 94 – The Dawn of Vigilance The plain stretched endlessly before them, bathed in the soft hues of dawn. The air was crisp and cool, carrying with it the faint scent of earth and dew—a stark contrast to the oppressive weight of the fortress they had left behind. For a moment, the group simply stood there, allowing themselves to breathe without the constant pressure of impending doom looming over their heads. But even in this newfound calm, something felt… off. “This isn’t over,” Selene murmured, breaking the silence. Her spectral form flickered faintly as she scanned the horizon, her gaze sharp and calculating. “It can’t be. Not after everything we’ve been through.” Jessica nodded slowly, her hand instinctively tightening around her children as they stirred slightly in her arms. “You’re right. It’s not over. But maybe… maybe it’s different now.” Kade stepped forward, his wolf retreating beneath his skin but still present, coiled and ready. “Different how?” “I don’t k