Elixir’s POV The world imploded. Stone crumbled. The walls that once caged us turned to dust, sucked into the gaping void beyond. A force- ravenous, all-consuming- ripped through the ruins, swallowing the torches, the air, the very fabric of reality. I tumbled backward, my body weightless, plummeting into a darkness so absolute it devoured my breath. My scream never left my throat. Then- impact. A shockwave tore through me as I crashed onto an unseen surface. But it wasn’t stone. It wasn’t solid. It pulsed beneath me, a sick, shifting mass. Lucian landed beside me, his sword already drawn, his eyes scanning. Ewen and Soren weren’t here. Just the two of us. The space around us was vast yet suffocating, shifting in unnatural ways. Faint pulses of red light flickered in the air, illuminating the truth. We were standing on something alive. My stomach twisted. The ground beneath us slithered, a thick, pulsating mass of flesh and bone, stitched together by sinew. Faces
Lucian's POVLucian stood still. The darkness below stirred with each breath Elixir took. It felt like an old friend to her, wrapping around her like a loyal pet waiting for a command. His hands turned into fists. This felt wrong. Elixir had always been strong, but this- this was unnatural.Veylan thrashed against the shadowy tendrils holding him. He was halfway lost in the nothingness. His screams turned into something growly and animal-like. Every struggle made the shadows squeeze tighter, pulling away his life. The air was thick and heavy, almost like it was alive. “Elixir,” Lucian called, keeping his voice steady. “Let go.” Nothing happened. Her eyes, once filled with fire and defiance, now held an emptiness that sent a shiver down his spine. The glow around her hands pulsed, growing stronger, as if the abyss recognized her. As if it welcomed her.“Elixir,” he tried again, stepping closer. She took a slow breath, and the tendrils around Veylan squeezed tighter. A hor
Elixir’s POVThe ground opened up beneath me.One second, I was running. The next, I was falling into a dark pit. I barely had time to scream before the air rushed past me. I gasped for breath. I clawed at nothing, hoping for something to grab. But there was nothing. No ledge, no rope, no helping hands. Just empty darkness.The wind howled around me. Or was it something else? It felt alive, sliding through my hair and chilling my skin. It seemed to know who I was. It called my name in a mix of voices that wasn’t mine.I twisted in the air, heart racing and stomach churning. How long was I falling? Seconds? Minutes? Time felt strange, twisting around me.Then I hit something.It wasn’t the hard landing I expected. Instead, I landed on something soft. It felt like sinking into thick mud. I gasped, forcing my body to move.My hands pressed into the surface. It was warm and pulsing.I jerked my hands back. Panic shot through me.This wasn’t stone or dirt. This was flesh.The thought mad
Elixir's POVThe air got really cold. I touched Lucian's hand. But just as I grabbed his wrist, that old, decayed hand pulled him into the darkness.“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the crumbling room. I lunged forward, but the darkness swallowed him whole. The walls around me twisted, like they were alive and eating my hope. The floor cracked beneath me.Lucian was gone.Soren and Ewen struggled to keep their balance on the shifting ground. The whole temple shook, like a big animal waking up. When Veylan disappeared, it felt like the place was deciding our fate.“Where is he?” Ewen shouted, panic in his voice. “Where the hell is Lucian?”I had no answer. My hands shook, stretching out to where he used to be. I knew something dark was watching me. I could almost feel it lurking.“We need to go!” Soren cursed. “Before this place crushes us!”The temple groaned, the floor splitting wider. My heart raced. I wanted to jump into the dark and save Lucian, but Soren pulled me back.“Eli
Elixir’s Point Of View The moon hung heavy in the velvet sky, a silent spectator to my misery. Its silvery light streamed through the cracks in my attic window, illuminating the meager space I called a room. The scent of damp wood and dust filled the air, clinging to my skin as I sat on the creaking mattress. My body ached from the day’s work, scrubbing floors, hauling firewood, and preparing meals for people who barely acknowledged my existence. I was exhausted, but not just physically. My soul felt tired, like an overworked thread fraying at the edges.Ever since my father’s death, my life had become a cruel caricature of the promises he made me believe in. “Elixir, my love,” he used to say, “you’re destined for greatness. You’re special.” Those words were now a distant memory, buried under the weight of his widow’s cruelty.*Flashback begins*His breathing was labored, every exhale sounding like it would be his last. I sat by his bedside, clutching his frail hand in mine. My stepm
Elixir’s POVThe woods had become my prison and my refuge. For three years, I had wandered these endless trees, my only companions the sounds of rustling leaves and distant howls. The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting an eerie glow over the forest floor as I scoured for food. Hunger clawed at my insides like a restless beast, but the ache was familiar. Survival in exile was nothing new.Three years. That’s how long it had been since the day I was cast out, burned in the most literal and figurative sense. My stepmother and Amaya had been the first to call me a monster, their screams fueling the pack’s rage. It hadn’t mattered that I didn’t understand what was happening to me. My half-shifted form, the raw, untamed power surging through me, had been enough for them to judge me unworthy of the pack.So here I was, nothing more than a shadow of the girl I used to be, wandering the edges of a world that no longer wanted me.I tightened the tattered cloak around my should
Lucian’s POVThe soft crackle of the fireplace was the only sound in the room, but it did nothing to ease the storm raging in my head. I paced back and forth, each step a futile attempt to shake off the tension coiling tighter in my chest."What the hell were we thinking?" I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair. My boots scuffed against the wooden floor as I turned sharply, my eyes darting to the unconscious girl lying on the bed.Soren sat beside her, his chin resting on his hand, studying her face like she was some rare artifact. Meanwhile, Ewen leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed and his expression as unreadable as ever. The man could remain calm in the middle of a damn hurricane, and it drove me crazy."Lucian," Ewen said, his voice steady and deliberate, "if you don’t stop pacing, I swear to the gods, I’ll tie you to that chair."I glared at him, my fists clenching at my sides. "How the hell are you so calm right now? We don’t even know if she’s the
Elixir’s POV"You have to eat something," Soren said, his voice calm but firm, like he was talking to a stubborn child. He gestured to the plate of food he’d placed on the bedside table earlier. "You’ve been through a lot. You’ll need your strength."I sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at the food but unable to stomach the thought of eating. My throat felt tight, my chest hollow. Everything that had happened was too much, too fast.Three men.. no, three Alpha's had taken me from the woods and brought me here, claiming I was part of some prophecy. It sounded ridiculous, like something out of a bad story, and yet… my body still ached from the transformation I couldn’t explain. The symbol, their words, the way my very essence had responded, it was all too real."Who even are you people?" I finally managed to ask, my voice hoarse.The dark-haired one with an air of authority that made the room feel ten degrees colder, stepped forward. His movements were deliberate, his gaze piercing. "
Elixir's POVThe air got really cold. I touched Lucian's hand. But just as I grabbed his wrist, that old, decayed hand pulled him into the darkness.“No!” I screamed, my voice echoing in the crumbling room. I lunged forward, but the darkness swallowed him whole. The walls around me twisted, like they were alive and eating my hope. The floor cracked beneath me.Lucian was gone.Soren and Ewen struggled to keep their balance on the shifting ground. The whole temple shook, like a big animal waking up. When Veylan disappeared, it felt like the place was deciding our fate.“Where is he?” Ewen shouted, panic in his voice. “Where the hell is Lucian?”I had no answer. My hands shook, stretching out to where he used to be. I knew something dark was watching me. I could almost feel it lurking.“We need to go!” Soren cursed. “Before this place crushes us!”The temple groaned, the floor splitting wider. My heart raced. I wanted to jump into the dark and save Lucian, but Soren pulled me back.“Eli
Elixir’s POVThe ground opened up beneath me.One second, I was running. The next, I was falling into a dark pit. I barely had time to scream before the air rushed past me. I gasped for breath. I clawed at nothing, hoping for something to grab. But there was nothing. No ledge, no rope, no helping hands. Just empty darkness.The wind howled around me. Or was it something else? It felt alive, sliding through my hair and chilling my skin. It seemed to know who I was. It called my name in a mix of voices that wasn’t mine.I twisted in the air, heart racing and stomach churning. How long was I falling? Seconds? Minutes? Time felt strange, twisting around me.Then I hit something.It wasn’t the hard landing I expected. Instead, I landed on something soft. It felt like sinking into thick mud. I gasped, forcing my body to move.My hands pressed into the surface. It was warm and pulsing.I jerked my hands back. Panic shot through me.This wasn’t stone or dirt. This was flesh.The thought mad
Lucian's POVLucian stood still. The darkness below stirred with each breath Elixir took. It felt like an old friend to her, wrapping around her like a loyal pet waiting for a command. His hands turned into fists. This felt wrong. Elixir had always been strong, but this- this was unnatural.Veylan thrashed against the shadowy tendrils holding him. He was halfway lost in the nothingness. His screams turned into something growly and animal-like. Every struggle made the shadows squeeze tighter, pulling away his life. The air was thick and heavy, almost like it was alive. “Elixir,” Lucian called, keeping his voice steady. “Let go.” Nothing happened. Her eyes, once filled with fire and defiance, now held an emptiness that sent a shiver down his spine. The glow around her hands pulsed, growing stronger, as if the abyss recognized her. As if it welcomed her.“Elixir,” he tried again, stepping closer. She took a slow breath, and the tendrils around Veylan squeezed tighter. A hor
Elixir’s POV The world imploded. Stone crumbled. The walls that once caged us turned to dust, sucked into the gaping void beyond. A force- ravenous, all-consuming- ripped through the ruins, swallowing the torches, the air, the very fabric of reality. I tumbled backward, my body weightless, plummeting into a darkness so absolute it devoured my breath. My scream never left my throat. Then- impact. A shockwave tore through me as I crashed onto an unseen surface. But it wasn’t stone. It wasn’t solid. It pulsed beneath me, a sick, shifting mass. Lucian landed beside me, his sword already drawn, his eyes scanning. Ewen and Soren weren’t here. Just the two of us. The space around us was vast yet suffocating, shifting in unnatural ways. Faint pulses of red light flickered in the air, illuminating the truth. We were standing on something alive. My stomach twisted. The ground beneath us slithered, a thick, pulsating mass of flesh and bone, stitched together by sinew. Faces
Elixir’s POVThe walls creaked like they were alive. The old stone pressed around us, closing in. The air smelled rotten, thick enough to choke on with every shallow breath.I forced myself up, pressing my palm against the icy floor. My ribs hurt, and my mind fogged. I couldn’t break down now.Lucian stood a few feet away, sword ready, eyes fixed on the empty hallway. It looked empty, but it felt anything but.Veylan’s presence hung in the air, tightening around us like a noose.Ewen wiped blood from his forehead. “Tell me we’re not trapped.”Lucian didn’t say anything.Soren looked at me, his eyes sharp. “Elixir, you sensed it first. Does he have control here?”I swallowed hard. “Not just control. This place bends to him. He isn't just in the temple; he is the temple.”Lucian straightened. “Then we burn it down.”I wanted to believe it could be that simple. Destroy the place and watch Veylan’s hold crumble.But the temple was alive. It was tied to Veylan in ways we didn’t get.Ewen’s
Lucian’s POV The darkness was unbearable. Not the kind where your eyes adjusted, where shadows took shape, and flickering torchlight could carve through the black. This was something else. Something alive. A suffocating void that swallowed even the thought of escape. I couldn’t see Elixir. Couldn’t hear Soren or Ewen. But I felt him. Veylan. His presence seeped into the air, thick and cloying, curling like smoke in my lungs. The laughter from before had stopped. Now, only silence remained. A silence that pressed in on all sides, so heavy it felt like the temple itself had closed its mouth around us. Then- A whisper. Low, right at my ear. "You should have buried me deeper." Ice shot through my veins. My grip on my sword tightened, the leather-wrapped hilt digging into my palm. My body screamed at me to move, to strike, but there was nothing to strike. Another whisper. "You think your blade can stop me?" This time, I felt breath against my skin. I swung. Th
Lucian’s POVIt was dark. Really dark. I could barely remember what light felt like. My breaths were slow. My grip on my sword was strong. But I felt fear knotting in my stomach. We weren’t just stuck. We were trapped.“Elixir,” I whispered. My voice vanished into the silence. No reply. Panic squeezed my chest. I reached out, but all I felt was cold air. “Elixir!” I called again, louder this time.Still nothing.Then I heard a whisper. But it wasn’t hers.“She's listening, Lucian.”The voice slipped through the darkness. It felt old and wrong. It was Veylan.The air shifted. I felt a breeze that shouldn’t be there. It grew stronger, wrapping around me. Then I heard it- a slow, dragging footstep. Another one followed.I turned fast, raising my sword, but there was nothing. The footsteps came from something else. Something that was watching me.The darkness shifted. A shape moved, slow and careful. It didn’t step out, it came apart from the dark. Then I saw him.Veylan.He looked like h
Lucian’s POV The name still echoed in my mind. Veylan. It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t have been possible. Yet Elixir had seen him. Heard him. And that meant we were standing at the edge of something far worse than we had imagined. We moved quickly through the crumbling temple ruins, our steps echoing in the eerie silence. The torches lining the walls flickered as though disturbed by an unseen force, casting long, twisting shadows that stretched unnaturally across the ground. I kept Elixir close, my hand hovering near the blade at my hip. She was silent now, her expression unreadable. But I could see the tension in her jaw, the way her fingers curled into fists at her sides. She was unraveling. “Elixir,” I said quietly, slowing my pace just enough to walk beside her. “Talk to me.” She didn’t look at me. “There’s nothing to say.” I exhaled sharply. “You just told us that a *dead man* is alive. A man we buried. A man who shouldn’t even exist anymore. That’s not noth
Elixir’s POVI couldn’t believe I said it. My breath seized as the name left my lips, barely louder, yet it carried the weight of a thousand nightmares, suffocating, and undeniable.Veylan.I instantly regretted it. Saying his name felt like waking something that should have stayed asleep.It felt like breathing life into something long buried- something that should have stayed beneath the earth. Lucian gripped my arm tightly. His eyes were sharp, full of disbelief. There was something else, too- something dark.“Say it again,” he said, his voice calm but urgent.I shook my head. No way I could say it again.I felt exposed. My mind was stuck in a terrible memory. It wasn’t just some bad dream. I had been there, frozen in place, hearing those awful words.“You were never meant to survive.”The air around me felt thick. It pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in, the torches throwing crazy shadows- no, they weren’t shadows. They we