We finally reach the hallowed lands. The air is thick with magic-the hum of it in the ground, a surge of it across the firmament. It's alive, this place. It watches and waits, waits for us to prove ourselves. There's a great stone arch before us, and through it, an ancient pathway leading further into the heart of the sacred lands.The voice booms from the arch, just as it had at the sanctuary. "There are five tasks to get through. You shall have three trials for each. Fail, and you shall be here forever."Those words send shivers down my spine, but I know there's no turning back now. We step forward, and the first task appears before us.First Task - The Family PuzzleThe ground in front of us shifts, and a huge stone slab rises, carrying a puzzle. The pieces are from polished marble, each one engraved with symbols of different family members. There were six pieces in all, each containing markings related to our family, symbols of wolves, magic, and elements of who we are. The p
The sacred lands are nothing like my imagination. Ancient, alive with magic pulsating in the air like a heartbeat. The moment I stepped into that secluded clearing it pulled at me asking me to plunge deep into the mysteries that lie within.Hours melted away, and before me, the holy grounds unfolded like pieces of what I was looking for. Just a wanderer, lost in a labyrinth of very old trees and shining pathways, I come to the small stone-built altar with its face covered in unknown runes. The air is thick around it with an omen-like energy as if the very earth speaks secrets.I approached the altar, where, under a faint, evil smelling luminance, a scroll lay coiled. I steeled myself and reached to unroll the ancient parchment. The words on it appeared to twist and writhe as I read them aloud:Sacrifice the most dear to gain the power to protect what is cherished. The blood of sacrifice doth carry with it life and death.".This is a forbidden ritual, written upon this scroll, and
"Stay here," I whisper, my voice low and tight as I clutch the blade tightly before stepping outdoors.The night is chilly, and the darkness weighs a bit heavier tonight. I scan the perimeter, and the back of my neck prickles as if warning me that something may be lurking in the dark. And then, I see a huge shape towering in the distance, getting closer.The creature steps into the moonlight, and my breath catches in my throat. It's a monster I have never seen, standing high above us, its thick, leathery skin looming with eyes that gleam with malice.Its limbs are twisted with razor-sharp claws at their ends that look like they can tear through steel. The earth shakes beneath its weight as it roars; its voice is deep and growling.Serafine emerges from behind me, her eyes widening in horror as she sees the beast. "What in the-?" she gasps, reaching for her weapon."I don't know," I reply, my voice barely steady, "but we're not facing it alone."Daniel and David are instantly at my
I sat at the edge of camp, the scroll containing the forbidden ritual tucked away in the folds of my cloak, while the sun dangled below the horizon. This knowledge weighed upon my mind since finding it in the sacred lands-with words that seemed chiseled into my brain. "Offer up that which is most precious." It is a phrase whose echo would keep on ringing, and I know all too well the choice that faces me will not be an easy one.The air is cool tonight, and the stars start to come out one by one, but tonight, it is different. There's some sort of thin, silvery light that remains on the horizon. It's as if the moon tugs on something deep within me, a soft tug, my gaze upwards. Suddenly, Amara cuts through the silence with an urgent undertone in her voice."Serafine, you need to see this," she calls out.I get up and follow her to where the rest of them are gathered around a small clearing. Above, high, the moon fills up the space, bright, and its pale light shimmers with an unearthl
I still don't know whether I will go through with it, Mom echoes within my head as I sit alone under the bright moonlight glowing on the camp in a silver glow. The rare occurrence of the moon fills the air with almost electric energy, humming in the air and tingling on my skin. Thick energy surges all around me, and I almost feel it choking.The visions have been intensifying, and getting clearer, since we entered the sacred lands. It is as though the lunar event amplifies them, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot get away from them. If I shut my eyes, I find myself right back inside those visions-standing beside Lucian, being in command of what feels like unlimited power.I envision myself flicking my wrist and casting spells, calling fire and bending water without any hindrance at all, as Lucian's face beams with pride over my shoulder. The magic is coursing through my veins, and I am. Unstoppable. When I open my eyes, though, the truth clouds over me like thick fog. I'm no
The tension within the camp has become all but oppressive since the close of the moon event. The air is heavier, but it is not just the looming threat of Lucian hanging over our heads, it is the secrets each of us is keeping from the others since the sacred lands. Every word spoken seems laced with weight from what remains unsaid and I see it in the eyes of every person. We are concealing something from one another, and it's eating away at us.I'm working with David to reinforce the perimeter, and we turn to the campsite to see Abigail pacing around the fire, furrowing her brow. She is in a distant place,just moving up and down . Visions have taken a huge toll on her, and I'm not sure what they might be showing her."Have you spoken with her?" David whispers, following my gaze to our sister.I shake my head. "She hasn't said much, and I don't want to push her. She's got a lot on her mind.""Don't we all?" David murmurs, his voice tinged with weariness.As we return to our work, I
Isolde leads us to the edge of the Fiery Fang territory. "The closer we get, the stronger his magic will be," she says, the echo still in my ear. And she is right. Since crossing the border, strange things have been happening: the air feels heavy and crackling with energy, it is as if the earth itself hums with Lucian's dark magic. Yet, it isn't only the environment but something inside me also feels.off.It's as if the fire, the water, and earth running in my brothers and me are rebelling, pressing against the confines of our control. The marks on our bodies flare up at random, bringing with them surges of magic that are powerful but capricious. One moment, I can feel the earth shifting beneath my feet, its movements a response to my whim; another, and it's as though the earth itself is spitting me out.Pay attention," I hear Damien's voice behind me, his tone clipped. He's been having a hard time with his fire mark-the flames on his arm spark when he moves an inch, his powers th
The camp quiets down, the glow from the Triskelion Stone gradually diminishing as Amara and Susan turn to each other. Faces set in a mask of grimness, their silence is high-volume messaging to each other. I catch Serafine watching them, curiosity and suspicion flitting across her features like fireflies across a summer lawn. Secrets let loose by the triplets hang heavy in the air like an expectation that more truths are going to unravel at any moment.Finally, Susan clears her throat; her voice is low, tentative. "There's something I need to tell you, Serafine," she begins, her eyes drifting toward Amara before returning to her daughter. "Something about Lucian. and our past."Amara steps forward, her jaw set tight. "It is time we told you the truth," she says, her voice marked with both regret and resolution. "About our connection to Lucian and the prophecy."Serafine narrows her eyes as she listens, tense. "What are you talking about? What connection?"Susan inhales deeply and b
"Let's get this over with."The words are still on my lips when the dungeon door swings open, and the man steps out, pulling me along with him. But before we can take more than a few steps, the sound of heavy boots echoes down the corridor. I froze, my heart pounding as Lucian's familiar silhouette emerged from the shadows, his cold eyes narrowing at us.What are you doing here?" Lucian demands, his eyes flicking with suspicion from the man to me and back again.The man's hand tightens on my arm for a moment before he releases me, his face smoothing into casual indifference. "Just checking the prisoners," he returned smoothly, his tone didn't betray him."I wanted to make sure everything was in order.A mocking smile curls around Lucian's lips. "You're not normally this watchful" he says, stepping closer to him. "What's the real reason you're here?Nothing in the man's face alters, but I catch a flicker in his eyes that says he works something out. "The ritual draws near," he says
"We are left alone again, imprisoned by this impossible choice and its weight presses upon me now more than ever."Days run together in a haze of dark depression. The chill, wet air rises up from the dungeon, filling our bones, and constantly reminds us that we are imprisoned. Every moment seems like a fight to cling on to that little hope. But despite all, I find myself awaiting Abigail's visits with a mind set to expect little or no warmth, yet still hoping something may penetrate that wall she has thrown up around herself.The next time she comes, she lingers by the door longer than she usually does, hesitates a second before stepping into the dim light. I see it in her eyes now, something flickering inside that wasn't there before. Is it a doubt? Or regret? I cannot tell, but enough to make my heart beat just a little bit faster.She sets the tray down in front of me, her eyes not even flicking in my direction before she turns to leave, but I just can't let her go. "Abigail,
"As much as I try to keep hope alive, I couldn't help this nagging feeling that Lucian's grip on Abigail was increasing. and the time for all of us was running out."The air was thick in this dungeon like the walls were closing in on us. Days will pass in tense silence, our minds focused on nothing else but the ritual that closes in with each passing heartbeat. We know we can't wait any longer. The more time we spend here, the more powerful Lucian will become over Abigail, over our combined destinies. And the more his power grows, the smaller our window becomes.We sit in the darkness, tired, and on our shoulders weighs the heavy mantle of our tiredness. No one needs to say it, but it's there, hanging in the air amongst us, like a ghost not invited.Susan breaks the silence. Her voice is soft but firm as she turns to each one of us. "We have to accept that man's offer," she states. "There's nothing else we can do.And then the words came like a kick to the stomach, and a moment pa
"I don't know. I really don't know."The words just seem to hang in the air, heavy with weight, almost choking. It is as if the dark dungeon walls are closing in on me as my mind finalizes the weight of our situation. The others are staring at me, their eyes drilling into me for some sort of answer, a decision that would somehow change everything. Only I don't have one. The very thought of agreeing to the terms of that man makes my skin crawl, and yet… the desperation in our situation is simply not to be denied."No," I whisper, shaking my head. "We can't… I can't do this.The triplets exchange a glance, their faces filled with a mixture of pain and uncertainty. Damien steps forward, frustration and sorrow etched on his face. "Serafine, we gotta think this through," he says in a low, urgent tone. "I hate the thought of it as much as you do, but what choice do we have?I glare at him, narrowing my eyes. "There must be some other way," I answer, though my voice carries no convictio
"Am I really on the right side?" The sound of Abigail's question echoes through her head The creaky door to the dungeon drags me back into the reality before me.I look up, expecting to see Abigail or another of Lucian's followers come inside to mock us some more. Instead, it is him, the man who has been to see us before the one that proposed such a crazy deal. He steps inside, into the poor light and as I have come to expect, a dark silhouette greets me with a curled smile that truly chills.Well, well," he says, his voice dripping with mockery. "It would appear that you still have not made a decision. I gotta say, for one so hesitant, it's quite disappointing." He moved closer, his eyes glowing with amusement and annoyance. "I am a busy man, and I don't like waiting around."We got nothing to say to you," Damien growls from the corner, his voice weak but defiant. "Go back to wherever you came from."The man chuckles, shaking his head. "You're in no position to make demands, w
This dungeon is cold,the walls heavy with the weight of despair. Every day is no different: I pace down the narrow corridor, carrying trays of food to my family,if they still are, that is. Chains rattle around me, their metallic clicking no louder than the guilt whispering in my ear. I force myself to remain calm, my expression cold, detached. I have nothing else for them to see. If I do, it all will fall apart.I set a tray down in front of my mother, and she reaches out, catching my wrist. Her touch is soft in every movement. "Abigail," she murmurs, her voice hoarse. "Please, you don't have to do this. You are stronger than what Lucian's influence has done. Come back to us.I pull my hand away, the gesture sharp, deliberate. "It's too late" I say, keeping my tone as flat as possible. "I've made my choice.But even as I say it, an ache burns hollow in my gut. I glance around at Serafine, the triplets, Amara, Susan,all of them shackled, weakened. They have been reduced to mere
"The last thing I see before they shove us into the darkness of the dungeon is Abigail's silhouette, bathed in the pale light of the moon."It was ironic that it would be a heavy iron door slamming shut behind us, right in the heart of cold, damp walls of a dungeon that seemed to swallow every echo of such shutting. Darkness seemed to choke, weighing in from every side, the weight of our failure pressing down on us literally. The air was thick with mold and damp earth, while faint tricklings of water somewhere only made it hang in the air even more heavily.I tug at the chains spellbound onto my wrists; with a tingling of magic, the metal seems to have sucked the strength out of me. I try and try but I cannot raise even a spark, much less the smallest manifestation of power. It would appear that my magic has been snuffed out, and the hollowness that does feel to leave me so-never before-has rendered me vulnerable.We need to get out," Daniel says in a hoarse voice from the fight.
"The battlefield erupts once more, but this time the threat comes from within. Abigail's power surges forth, and everything I thought I knew about this war shifts in an instant."I stand in shock as Abigail steps forward, her magic alight like an inferno. I can feel it-a raw, dangerous energy that I have never felt before. It's the kind of power that makes you feel the weight of air, makes it hard to breathe, one that rattles you down to your bones. And it's coming from my granddaughter.Abigail !" Serafine's voice breaks as she screams her name, trying to reach the little girl lost behind this veil of darkness and fury. "Please, listen to me! This isn't who you are!But Abigail doesn't heed my warnings. Her face is distant, her eyes aglow with that unnatural brilliance and the air between us grows thick with every passing second. Lucian is standing just behind her, the satisfaction twisted within his face, as if he revels in the view of his masterpiece unfolding.Damien then appe
The moment Abigail stepped forward, a dark storm of magic swirling around her, my heart sank. She was different, no more the little girl that I had seen growing up. Now she was strong and terrifying, an aura cloaked in shadows. The density of her energy was everywhere on the battlefield, and it was hard to breathe."Abigail!" I screamed, my desperation clawing at my throat. "You don't have to do this! Remember who you are!"But my words fell on deaf ears. Lucian stood behind her, an irritating smirk stretched across his face; he was enjoying some sort of grand performance. "You see how easy it is to manipulate a child?" he said, his voice slick as oil. "Abigail is the key to my plans, and nothing can stop us with her by our side!The pack was in disarray. Fear and confusion spread like wildfire, and I could see Serafine and David trying to break through to her, pleading that she remember love for her family. But Abigail's face remained cold, really implacable, her power crackli