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Chapter 72: Into the Rift

Penulis: Nnenna
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-23 05:04:43

Cassian’s body went cold the instant he let go. The world around him vanished, and the weight of reality slipped away.

He wasn’t falling.

He wasn’t moving.

He just was.

A breath—if he could call it that—echoed around him, soft and slow, like the Rift itself was breathing him in.

Then—

Lena’s scream.

The sound shattered the silence, raw and desperate. It didn’t come from in front of him, or behind. It came from everywhere.

Cassian forced himself forward, even though there was no direction, no path. He followed the pull of his instincts, the tether that bound him to Lena, and the shadows twisted around him, shifting and writhing like something alive.

Then he saw her.

She was on her knees before the dark throne, her body trembling, her hands clutching at her head. She looked smaller than he had ever seen her. Vulnerable. Trapped.

And standing over her—

Her shadow.

The other Lena.

Cassian didn’t hesitate. He stepped forward, fire surging through his veins. “Get away from her.”

The shadow
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  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 73: The Mark’s Price

    The mark burned.Not in a way that seared flesh or caused pain—but in a way that felt wrong. Like something foreign had slipped beneath Lena’s skin and taken root.She clenched her fingers against the sensation, willing it to stop, but it pulsed again—slow, rhythmic, like a second heartbeat.Like a claim.Cassian’s gaze hadn’t left her chest, his expression carved from stone. “We need answers.”Dorian scoffed. “Oh, you mean beyond ‘Lena’s cursed, the Rift is a manipulative bastard, and we’re all about to die in a horrifyingly poetic way’? Because I think we’ve covered that.”Idris ignored him, stepping closer. “That mark…” He didn’t touch it, but his fingers hovered near her skin, his magic stirring in the air. His eyes narrowed. “It’s layered.”Lena swallowed. “What does that mean?”“It’s not just Rift energy. There’s something else—something alive.”Cassian went rigid. “Alive?”Idris nodded. “Like a binding spell… but more intimate. As if the Rift isn’t just connected to her—it’s wa

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 74: The Rift’s Whisper

    The air crackled with magic.Idris knelt before Lena, his fingers moving in careful, precise motions as he drew symbols in the space between them. The lines of energy glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with the mark on her skin.Cassian sat at her side, his presence solid, grounding. His fingers brushed hers, a silent promise that he was here.Lena focused on that touch, anchoring herself as Idris began to chant.The words weren’t in any language she recognized. They were ancient, raw—power woven into sound. The symbols he’d drawn pulsed brighter, casting eerie shadows against the walls.And then—The mark on her chest burned.Lena sucked in a sharp breath, clutching at her skin as a searing heat spread through her veins. The world around her twisted, the study fading—No. Not fading.Peeling away.A dark wind howled, pulling at her, dragging her into something deeper.Cassian’s grip tightened. “Lena!”She tried to answer, but the Rift took her.—She landed hard, her knees slamming ag

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 75: Bound by Shadows

    The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken fears.Lena still felt the Rift’s presence coiled inside her, like a shadow waiting to unfurl. She could sense Cassian’s steady grip on her shoulders, grounding her in reality, but something deep inside her had shifted. She wasn’t sure if she was stronger now or if she had simply invited something far more dangerous into herself.“We need to know what this means,” Idris finally said, his voice measured but tense. “If you’ve claimed part of the Rift… then what has it claimed from you?”Lena exhaled sharply. That was the question gnawing at the edge of her mind.“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I felt something. Beyond the throne, beyond her.” She hesitated, then whispered, “Something was watching me.”Cassian stiffened, his fingers tightening against her.Dorian muttered a curse. “Well, that’s not horrifying at all.”Idris’s eyes flickered with unease. “Describe it.”Lena searched for words, but all she could recall was the sens

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 76: The Road to the Capital

    The night air was thick with tension as they prepared to leave.Lena adjusted the cloak around her shoulders, the fabric heavy with the scent of old magic. Idris had insisted she wear it—an enchanted weave designed to mask her presence.Cassian stood beside her, double-checking the straps on his weapons. His golden eyes flickered in the dim torchlight, scanning the darkness like he expected an attack at any moment.Dorian leaned lazily against a tree, but the sharp edge in his gaze betrayed his usual nonchalance. “So, let me get this straight. We’re sneaking into the capital, breaking into the most secure library in the kingdom, stealing forbidden knowledge, and trying not to get murdered by the High Council?” He smirked. “Sounds fun.”“No one’s getting murdered,” Cassian said flatly.Dorian snorted. “That’s optimistic.”Idris tightened the straps on his satchel. “If we move quickly and keep our magic concealed, we’ll be in and out before anyone notices.”Lena exhaled slowly, ignoring

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 77: Whispers at the Gate

    The capital loomed ahead, its towering stone walls rising against the night sky. Golden torchlight flickered along the battlements, illuminating the armored guards patrolling the perimeter. The city’s massive iron gates were shut, sealed for the night, with only a small side entrance open for the late-night supply caravans.Lena’s pulse quickened.The Rift stirred in her chest, an unsteady current beneath her skin. She took a slow breath, grounding herself. Control it. Don’t let it control you.Cassian’s voice was low. “We only get one chance at this.”Idris nodded, keeping his voice hushed. “The caravan will reach the checkpoint in five minutes. Once it’s inside, we follow.”Dorian smirked, adjusting the hood of his cloak. “And if the magic fails?”Cassian didn’t even glance at him. “Then we fight.”Lena closed her eyes, reaching inward. The Rift’s energy curled at her fingertips like smoke. She focused on it, shaping it, molding it—not letting it pull her under, but guiding it.A ve

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 78: Beneath the City

    The night was thick with silence as Lena followed the others through the winding backstreets of the capital. Every step felt heavier, every breath more controlled. The further they moved toward the lower district, the stronger the tension in the air became.Cassian led the way, his movements precise, his golden eyes sharp as they scanned the alleys ahead. Dorian walked beside Idris, their cloaks pulled low to obscure their faces, while Lena stayed close behind, her pulse a steady thrum against her ribs.The Rift’s presence was stronger now.Not overwhelming, not unbearable—but there. Whispering. Crawling beneath her skin.She didn’t know if it was the city itself or something waiting for them below.They reached the lower district’s outskirts within minutes, slipping through the narrow streets where the wealth of the capital faded into something grittier. The scent of damp stone and burning tallow filled the air, and the distant sounds of a drunken argument echoed from a nearby alley.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 79: The Guardian’s Warning

    The chamber shifted.Not physically, but the very air seemed to warp, growing heavier, pressing against Lena’s chest like a vice. The flickering blue flames lining the walls cast eerie, dancing shadows that twisted unnaturally, moving in ways that defied logic.Lena’s breath hitched.“Did anyone else hear that?” Dorian muttered, hand drifting to his sword.Cassian didn’t answer. His body was taut, golden eyes scanning the chamber as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows. Idris took a slow step back, his fingers glowing faintly with defensive magic.Then—The whisper returned, curling through the air like smoke."You should not have come."The flames burned brighter, licking against the stone walls. The shelves groaned, books trembling as if something unseen moved through them.Lena swallowed hard. Not real. Not real.Except—she knew it was real.The Rift inside her reacted violently, pulsing against her ribs as if trying to answer whatever was in this room.And then, the s

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23
  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 80: The Awakening

    The tunnel shook.Lena barely managed to keep her footing as she sprinted after Cassian, the book clutched to her chest. The air was thick with dust, the scent of ancient stone splitting apart filling her lungs.Behind them, something rumbled. Moving.Not just the collapse of the chamber—something else. Something alive.Dorian cursed as a chunk of the ceiling cracked and fell, missing him by inches. “This is exactly why we don’t touch cursed books in haunted tombs!”“No one forced you to come!” Idris shot back, his fingers glowing as he traced a rune in the air. A shield of shimmering light spread above them, catching falling debris before it could crush them.But it wouldn’t last.Lena felt it now. The pull of something vast, like the Rift had stretched its fingers into this place and refused to let go.Cassian grabbed her arm, his voice sharp. “Move!”She forced her legs to keep going, even as a whisper curled through the tunnel behind them."You cannot run."Lena’s breath hitched.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-23

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  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 142: The Rift’s legacy

    The cavern felt wrong.Even though the Riftgate had disappeared, something lingered in the air—an unnatural stillness, thick with expectation. The Riftfire still simmered inside Lena, coiled like a beast waiting for permission to strike. But it wasn’t just hers anymore.It belonged to her.And she belonged to it.A cold shiver crawled up her spine, but she forced her body to move. One step. Then another.Behind her, Cassian exhaled sharply, shaking his head as he slid his daggers back into their holsters. “Alright. I have questions. Many, many questions.” His voice was light, but his eyes were sharp as they flicked toward her. “Starting with what the hell just happened?”Lena flexed her fingers, watching the faint traces of violet fire dance along her skin before flickering out. The Riftfire wasn’t resisting her anymore. It wasn’t raging. It was waiting.The realization made her stomach twist.“I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice quieter than she meant it to be. “I—I felt it. The R

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 141: The Rift’s Voice

    Lena’s pulse roared in her ears. You were meant to open it. The King’s words curled around her mind like smoke, insidious and inescapable. She wanted to deny them, to cast them away like a lie. But the Riftfire inside her didn’t reject them. It recognized them. She staggered back, breath ragged. “You’re wrong.” The King only watched her, his golden eyes steady, unreadable. “Am I?” Lena clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms. “I came to close this gate, not—” A sharp pulse of power cut through her words. The Rift trembled. And suddenly, she wasn’t alone. Not just with the King. But with the echoes of something long buried. The vision struck like a lightning bolt to the skull. A battlefield. The air thick with Riftfire, burning violet against the endless night. Creatures—monstrosities—crawling from the gate, their shrieks tearing through the void. And at the center of it all— Her. Or rather— The woman who wasn’t her. The woman who was. A w

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 140: The Rift’s Song

    The pull tightened around Lena like invisible chains, wrapping around her ribs, her spine, her mind. It wasn’t violent. It wasn’t forceful. It was patient. A silent whisper, a presence at the edges of her thoughts, waiting. "Lena?" Ronan’s voice cut through the haze, grounding her. She blinked. The tunnel stretched before her, Cassian and Ronan already a few steps ahead, both watching her now—Cassian with wary confusion, Ronan with something closer to understanding. She forced herself to move. One step, then another, until the pull loosened its grip. It didn’t leave. But it let her go. For now. She exhaled slowly and followed them into the narrowing passageway. The tunnel walls pressed in, rough stone scraping against her arms. The air smelled of damp earth and something older—something untouched by time. Their footsteps echoed, the sound swallowed too quickly, as if the Rift itself was listening. No one spoke. Cassian led the way, navigating the uneven terrain wi

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 139: The Rift’s Truth

    The cavern still hummed with the remnants of Lena’s power, the air thick with the scent of scorched flesh and magic. The Riftfire coiled around her fingers like a living thing—no longer wild, no longer resisting. It had chosen her. Lena’s breath came in ragged pulls, her heart hammering against her ribs. She wasn’t just standing in the aftermath of battle; she was standing at the edge of something irreversible. She could feel it. The Rift’s presence, no longer just a force that haunted her, but a part of her. Her. Cassian took a hesitant step forward, his daggers still in hand, though his grip had loosened. “Lena… what the hell was that?” Lena swallowed hard, but the words tangled in her throat. She didn’t know how to answer. Because she didn’t fully understand it herself. Ronan was watching her closely, his jaw clenched. His sword was sheathed, but his stance hadn’t relaxed. “Your fire—” He cut himself off, then exhaled sharply. “It’s different.” Lena flexed her fingers, st

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 138: The Rift's Curse

    The ground trembled beneath Lena’s feet. Not with violence, but with recognition. The Rift knew her now. And it wanted her back. Lena’s breath came in sharp, uneven pulls as the air around her thickened, reality bending at the edges. She could feel the Rift pulling, not with brute force, but with something far worse—familiarity. She was sinking into it. Becoming part of it. No. Lena clenched her fists, summoning every ounce of willpower to push back against the weight pressing on her chest. Riftfire surged at her fingertips, flickering wildly, caught between obedience and rebellion. The King watched her struggle, his burning gaze unreadable. “You still resist.” Lena swallowed against the rising panic. “I don’t belong to this place.” The King tilted his head slightly. “No,” he agreed. “But it belongs to you.” The words struck something deep inside her, something she wasn’t ready to face. Because part of her felt it. The Riftfire inside her wasn’t just reacting

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 137: Riftborn King

    The cavern trembled as the Rift’s energy expanded outward, swallowing the air, pressing against Lena’s skin with a force so dense it was almost suffocating.The King stepped forward.He wasn’t like the mindless creatures that had come before. He wasn’t grotesque or malformed.He was whole.His form was cloaked in shadows that moved like living smoke, shifting around him in slow, deliberate waves. Beneath the darkness, glimpses of something ancient and inhuman flickered—jagged obsidian armor, silvered veins pulsing with Rift energy, a face that was too sharp, too perfect, too unnatural to belong to anything mortal.His eyes—twin voids of fire and stars—settled on Lena, and the cavern dimmed, as if the very world was bracing for what came next.A voice, low and endless, rumbled through the chamber."You are the one."Lena’s pulse pounded in her ears. Her Riftfire reacted violently to his presence, rising in defense or recognition—she wasn’t sure which.But she forced herself to stand he

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 136: Blood of the Rift

    The world tilted.Lena’s breath caught in her throat as the weight of realization slammed into her. The Rift’s power thrummed beneath her skin, but it was nothing compared to the force radiating from the woman standing before her.Her mother.No. That couldn’t be right. Her mother had died when she was a child. She had no memories beyond fleeting warmth and a lullaby whispered in the dark.And yet—The woman’s presence felt familiar.Ronan shifted closer, tension coiled in his frame. “Lena…?”Cassian didn’t speak, but his fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade.Lena swallowed hard. “Who—who are you?”The woman smiled, stepping forward. The edges of her form flickered, like she existed between realms. “You already know, child. You’ve always known.”Lena’s pulse roared in her ears. “That’s not possible.”“And yet, here I stand.”The Riftfire in Lena’s veins surged, responding to the woman’s presence like a long-lost tether being pulled taut.“No.” Lena shook her head. “You can’t

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 135: Riftfire

    Lena exhaled, steadying herself as the cavern pulsed with anticipation. The Herald stood motionless, hand still outstretched, its offer tangible in the air. The Rift’s power thrummed beneath her skin, no longer just a whisper but a steady, insistent call.This was the moment.She reached forward—then clenched her fist, drawing her hand back. “No,” she said, her voice stronger than she expected.The Herald’s expression didn’t falter, but the cavern trembled in response. “You refuse?” it asked, tilting its head.Ronan let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, but his stance remained guarded. Cassian edged closer, his eyes never leaving the Herald.Lena swallowed hard. “I’m not a pawn in whatever game the Rift is playing.”The Herald regarded her with something that almost resembled amusement. “A pawn? No, Riftborn. You were never a mere piece. You were meant to be the one who shapes the board.”The cavern walls pulsed again, and the Rift’s energy surged forward like a wave.Le

  • His Hunger, My Curse    Chapter 134: The Fall

    Darkness swallowed them whole.Lena’s breath caught in her throat as the air rushed past her, cold and unrelenting. The abyss stretched endlessly below, an empty void that felt like falling through time itself.Ronan’s grip on her wrist was iron-tight. He refused to let go.Cassian was just ahead, his body twisting midair, trying to prepare for whatever awaited them below.But there was no ground.No end.Just falling.The Rift’s presence coiled around Lena’s mind, whispering in a voice that sounded so much like her own.You are home.You were never meant to run.The air shimmered.Lena gasped as reality split apart.For a single, horrifying second, she saw it—the Rift in its true form. A world between worlds. A chasm of shifting energy, pulsing with life and death, beginning and end.And at the center—a throne.A throne waiting for her.Her blood burned. The mark on her skin pulsed in time with the Rift’s heartbeat.It was trying to pull her in.No. No, I won’t—“Lena!”Ronan’s voice

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