Serafine's POVWhat do we do?" Serafine asks, barely above a whisper."We prepare," Damien answered.There's silence as the battle draws near. The weight of all of it weighs upon me, a suffocating feeling. My powers are growing increasingly beyond my control, like some kind of stormy tempest brewing inside of me. Every day I wake up, I feel less and less like myself-less and less like a real person, more and more like a chess piece in some kind of game that I have absolutely no comprehension of.And Abigail… she's growing more unstable by the hour. Her magic surges at the worst times, sparking chaos around her, and I can barely keep her calm. The look of fear in her eyes every time she loses control, it rips me apart.I glance at her now, sitting near the window of the packhouse, staring out at the horizon. She is so small, so fragile, yet the power inside her is terrorizing. She doesn't understand it,hell I barely do it myself but I must protect her, even when I am not sure th
Abigail's POV"Lucian is my father."Mom's words were heavy and suffocating. I don't know how to comprehend everything. Mom looks shaken and hurt but there's something else in her gaze which is determination. She's not going to let Lucian control her anymore, and neither am I. But as I watch her turn away, a strange tension fills the air. Something's off.I shifted in my seat as I was brushing the glass. The sun was beginning to set as it was casting long shadows across the yard. The warriors are training outside moving slower than usual. They're still recovering from the illness that tore through the pack. I can feel it deep in my bones. Mom thinks she can protect me, that she can keep everyone safe, but I see the way she looks at me sometimes. Like she's worried I might explode again, like my magic is a ticking bomb. And maybe she's right. Ever since I lost control last time, I have felt different. More powerful, yet more. dangerous."Abigail?I turn at the sound of Uncle David
David's POV"One thing is for sure, time is running out."The only thing I hear in my mind is Abigail's words, as the pack gets increasingly under the grip of the sickness, rattling inside my skull. The warriors, the kids, the elders,everybody gets weaker by the hour. It's faster this time, until our pack will be nothing but a memory. Now, it spreads in a fast wildfire. We don't have much time left.Serafine talked of a place deep in the forest where she found it before, but we had dismissed her. Already the pack is too weak, and to head into the forest, considering the fact that Lucian's men are lurking, is suicide. "We'll find another way," he had said, and I knew his voice because of the resolve therein. "We can't afford to lose anyone else."I nodded along with the others, but in my mind, I wasn't that convinced. What if Serafine was right? What if the cure is once more out there, just waiting for us? What if this is our only chance?I watch Abigail pale and strain with her m
David's POV"David!" Damien's voice slices through the fog as I stumble into the clearing, my body screaming in agony. Arms grapple for me,carrying me up from the ground. Everything is foggy, distant, yet I'm able to make out his concerned face as he tugs me upright, his arms sure, strong."Get him inside!" Serafine's voice echoes with desperation.My legs buckle, and the next thing I know, I am being carried into the packhouse as my body is heavy and limp. I can feel the blood swelling from the wound in my side, and all starts to blur together as the darkness pulls me under.Hours might have passed, even more. It was sometime later that I opened my eyes. My body felt like it had been dragged through a hell of torture. I lay on the bed, and the voices were mumbling around me. My room came into view rather slowly: Serafine, Damien, Daniel, and Abigail standing close and looking strained. "He's waking up," Daniel said in a hushed tone, and then they all pressed forward.David, are
Daniel's POV "Lucian… he has cursed the land.” The thought weighs in my mind as I scan the perimeter, my eyes scouring the dark woods for any sign of movement. Everything that has happened, everything David went through with Lucian's curse.I just can't shake the feeling there are eyes on us out here. The pack remains in a recuperative state, still weak, and we can't afford any more surprises.Not long after,I sensed motion in the shadows, something quick and silent slipping between trees. My heart skips a beat as a surge of adrenaline runs through me as I narrow my focus.A rogue.I wasted no time calling backup but before they could move, I took off running, feet pounding against the forest floor as I chased the shadowy figure. My breath comes in quick bursts, muscles straining as I drive myself faster. This means one thing: a spy. Lucian has eyes on us, and if I lose this rogue, we might never know what they're planning next.The rogue is fast, dodging between the trees with
Serafine's POV"We can't take his word for it," I say, pacing back and forth in the packhouse. My nerves are shot, my mind racing from the rogue's offer: betrayal or sacrifice. It all seems a trap, and yet, this sickness keeps spreading. Time has run out on us. We have no answers, and the pack grows weaker with every passing day.The others huddle around the table, this weight hanging over us, like a cloud in thickness. Damien, Daniel, and David say not a word; each of them lost to his own thoughts, faces worn by lack of sleep. There's just so much tension in the room that no one seems to know what to do next."We must consider it," Daniel says finally, breaking the silence. "We have little other choice. This curse will eventually spread too far, to the point that by the time Lucian makes his move, we will be too weak to push back."Damien shakes his head, clenching his jaw in frustration. "What if this is a trap? What if the rogue is just lying, to break us from within? We can't
Serafine's POV"What if there is no winning this without losing something or someone close to me?It still does now as I sit beside Daniel, my hands shaking while channeling what's left of my energy into his healing process. His wounds are deep, but he is strong,much stronger than I had been aware of. I feel his body respond to my magic, the edges of his cuts knitting back together, though it is far too slow.The fight outdoors had subsided, and to the surprise of all, the forces of Lucian fell back, melting into the trees without delivering the coup de grâce. Damien, David, and the rest of the pack prepared themselves for one last charge, but instead, the rogues simply… vanished.It's Lucian's game. Weaken them. Strike at them bit by bit till they fall. He's just playing with us, breaking us bit by bit.I let out a heavy breath as my body sags, worn out by the exhaustion of the healing magic. Daniel's breathing slows and evens out; his chest rises and falls gently. Hе is gоing t
Daniel's POV"Okay. We wait."Serafine's words echo in her mind but one can see the strain on her face, the frustration in her. As we all walk out of the room, the tension is still in the air and I know we need a break. The pack has been through too much and it feels like there's much more coming.But I've always believed sometimes that laughter is the best medicine.I watch David as he walks down the hall, exhausted and spent, and then one silly notion enters my head. It has been quite a while since any of us laughed good and proper. Maybe it's kinda time to remind everyone that we're still family even with all this sickness and despair.I snuck up behind him trying my best to make as little noise as possible. Right when I am behind him, I try my best to put on the most serious tone of voice."David," I say in a low, no-nonsense tone, "it would appear that Lucian has sent a spy, and I'm afraid I am going to have to take you into custody based on suspicion of suspicious behavior.
"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