“Nathan, where are you going?” a woman's voice called from behind, laced with a tone of concern, as I trod towards the underground jail. I turned to find Clarie hastening towards me, her gown billowing slightly with her hurried steps.“What are you doing here, Princess?” I asked, a hint of surprise in my voice. In Eclipse, that was our nickname for her, for she was the daughter of Ferdinand. She walked beside me, her steps mirroring mine. Observing her closely, I noticed the similarity she bore to Aurora - a resemblance not just in features but in the subtle expressions that danced across her face.“You won the fight, didn’t you? Don’t you think that means I will be your mate, Nathan?” Her voice was sweet, tinged with a mix of hope and uncertainty.A pang of pity struck me as I thought of her entanglement in a political marriage. “Don’t worry about it, Princess. I have already sought Aurora’s hand in marriage. And your likely mate is Ivan the Russian.” I continued walking towards the
AuroraDo I believe in Nathan? Would he help me? The answer is yes. I believe in him, and he will help me. We grew up together in Oakhaven. He loved me, or so I had thought. It seemed impossible for him not to help me, especially now that I'm in danger.“Soon, we will go out together. Forgive me, Aurora,” my mother's voice quivered, heavy with a guilt that seemed to suffocate the very air around us. “I put a tapping device on Ferdinand. I heard he plans to kill us. We must find a way out from here.” Her eyes, once vibrant, now mirrored the fear that had rooted itself deep within her soul.“Nathan!” My mom's voice cracked with a glimmer of hope as she saw Nathan approaching with Claire. But her face turned pale, drained of all color, as six security guards, armed to the teeth, rushed in. Ferdinand followed, his presence casting a shadow that seemed to darken the already gloomy cell.“Miranda, I never knew you would betray me.” His voice was a sad melody, a stark contrast to the coldnes
The first rays of the morning sun caressed the dew-laden green field, casting a golden glow over the landscape. Majestically, the castle stood, a silent sentinel through hundreds of years, witnessing generations rise in power and fall into oblivion.Now, the same castle would bear witness to the brewing storm of war. General Victor, now hailed by his people as King Victor, stood resolutely at the forefront of his army, a formidable force of 20,000. Opposite him, Ferdinand, alongside his son Charles, commanded an even larger army of 50,000.Ferdinand's voice thundered across the field, his words laced with contempt. “Victor, you are a traitor. How dare you kill your own king! A traitor does not deserve the crown. Those who follow Victor, have you no shame in supporting such treachery? If you are a man of honor, you are supposed to cut his head and present it to the late king!”Winning the war wasn't merely a numerical clash of forces; it was also a moral and ideological battle. Those w
Outside Victor's tent, a palpable tension filled the air. Victor's general exuded determination, clearly focused on defeating Ferdinand and Charles to secure victory in the war. It was their only option, given their smaller number of soldiers. He and his companion hurriedly advanced toward the location of Ferdinand and Charles. With relentless determination, they swiftly overpowered the enemy in their line of sight, displaying both speed and deadly precision.They traded wounds, roars, blood, and lives. Some of them collapsed to the ground, never to rise again. Others had their arms torn apart by the enemy's attacks. People screamed in both fury and agony."Father, you need to get to safety!" Charles, bravely fighting on the front line, held onto his father's arm, his eyes filled with urgency. As Victor's general approached them amidst the chaos, he requested, "General Thomas, please help my father move to the rear!""Yes, young master," General Thomas replied, his voice a steady anch
"If you don't understand how it works, then let me tell you," Xanders adjusted her glasses while explaining to Ferdinand. "Four of our agents, disguised as members of General Thomas's soldiers, are always ready on Charles's back, helping him. But once they receive the command, they will forget their disguise and either eliminate his enemy or finish them off, then they'll stab Charles from behind. They'll then drag his body and throw it to the enemy," Xander detailed coldly. "And when the enemy gets Charles's body, my team will start yelling, 'Charles has died, Charles has died.' What do you think will happen when General Victor's people catch wind of that?"Xander put his ear to the wind. Between the sound of waves, soon the shouts from the war zone could be heard. People were shouting eagerly and thunderously. "Charles has died! Charles has died!""That's the sound you will hear," Xander looked at Ferdinand with a deep sense of conviction. "Your son just died, and soon you and your d
In disbelief and numb with emotion, I approached the precipice of the towering cliff, my eyes drawn to the jagged rocks below where furious waves crashed relentlessly against the sheer rock face. It was a dizzying drop, easily fifty to a hundred meters. The wind was thick with the tang of salt and the roar of the ocean below.Ferdinand turned into a wolf and with a decisive motion, bit Xander's neck and leapt off the cliff edge. Yet I couldn't see their bodies below. My mother, witnessing this, stood at the brink, her tears flowing as she screamed Ferdinand's name in a heart-wrenching plea.Panic erupted among the shadow soldiers. They were frantically calling to their leader through the radio, their voices sounding unbelieving about the incident, "Ferdinand took Xander and jumped off the cliff!"The memory of Xander's smile, so serene and unsettling, flashed before me. I recalled vividly how Ferdinand had bitten into his neck, a moment that seemed to freeze my emotions, leaving me fe
‘What time is it already?’ ‘I didn’t really care.’ ‘Is it morning or night?’ ‘Again, I didn’t care.’ How many days have passed since Xander left me? I simply didn’t know. “Aurora, please eat.” Grandma’s voice, though close, seemed to drift from a distant world. “Open your mouth.” I mechanically opened my mouth, allowing her to feed me. As the food touched my tongue, a flood of memories crashed over me. Xander’s death – my fault. I had killed Xander, the one who loved me. And like a wave retreating from the shore, my stomach rebelled, and I threw up again. “Aurora, you cannot be like this; it’s been a month. You barely eat anything, you’ve become so thin.” Grandma’s words were laced with worry. I had been hiding in my room for what felt like eternity, shunning the outside world, yearning only for Xander. Tears began to form in my eyes, unbidden. “Please don’t cry again; you cry almost every day.” Grandma protested softly, her voice a mix of concern and despair. How had I never
“Grandpa.” I want to stop him baut Grandma take my hand..“Aurora, just forget Alexander, find a new love for you. You need to be strong.” Grandma said but his finger on my hand was wariting in silance. Saying, ‘it is not time yet, too may eyes still following you.’“Go get healrty, travel the worls, we will recommend you a few good place.” Gradna ma Stood. “But before that. I must prepare yourself.”“What do you mean?” I asked.Two weeks after my discharge from the hospital, my recovery was progressing slowly. The weight I had lost - a staggering 18 kilos in a month due to sadness. Now, slowly but surely, I was regaining my strength and weight. Sitting in the garden, enveloped by the nurturing presence of Grandma and Grandpa Robert, the world seemed to stand still, each moment a step towards recovery.The tranquility was punctuated by Lucas's arrival. He joined us, his presence a quiet comfort.“I am sorry about Xander,” Lucas said, his voice soft and laden with unspoken emotions.I