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Chapter 73: The Mark’s Price
Last Updated:
2025-02-23 05:08:21
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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
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His 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
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His 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
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His 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
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His 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.
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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
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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.
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 81: The Rift’s Mark
The cavern air was cold—too cold. Lena’s breath came in short, uneven gasps as she staggered forward, her boots skidding over loose gravel. The weight of the book in her arms felt unbearable now, pressing against her ribs like something alive.Cassian was at her side, his grip firm on her wrist as he guided her through the dimly lit tunnel beyond the collapsed chamber. Idris and Dorian were close behind, their footfalls hurried, tense.No one spoke.Not until they reached the next clearing—a vast, open space carved from ancient stone, where flickering torches lined the walls, casting strange, elongated shadows.Lena exhaled, bending slightly, her hands on her knees. The sensation from before—the pull of the Rift—hadn’t faded. If anything, it had deepened, thrumming in her chest like a second heartbeat.Dorian was the first to break the silence. “Okay, can we just—pause for a second? Because I’d really like to discuss how we just barely survived being crushed to death and that thing in
Last Updated : 2025-02-23
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His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 98: The Weight of Power
The night air was thick with the scent of charred stone and something else—something ancient and electric, like the Rift itself had left its mark in more than just whispers.Lena barely felt Cassian’s grip on her arm as he steadied her. The encounter with the shadow-figure had drained her, but she wasn’t weak. Not yet. Not ever.She inhaled sharply and straightened.Dorian ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. “Well, that was fun.” His voice was edged with tension, a poor attempt at humor.Idris remained silent, but his golden eyes stayed locked on Lena, calculating.Cassian, however, wasn’t in a joking mood. “What the hell was that?” he demanded.Lena licked her dry lips. “Something old. Something powerful.”Something that should have destroyed her—but hadn’t.Cassian’s jaw tightened. “You said the Rift spoke to you. Did it send that thing?”She shook her head, uncertain. “I don’t think so. The Rift… it doesn’t work like that. It doesn’t send messengers.”“It doesn’t have to,” Idris
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 97: The Rift Beckons
The night stretched long and restless, the crackling fire offering little comfort against the weight of Lena’s revelation. The Rift had spoken to her. It had warned her. And now, something waited in the darkness, just beyond the edge of her sight.She could feel it watching.The others had finally succumbed to exhaustion—Cassian, ever the warrior, sleeping in a defensive position near his sword; Dorian snoring lightly, though his fingers twitched as if ready to summon his magic at a moment’s notice; Idris, still and silent, though Lena knew he wasn’t fully at ease.But she couldn’t sleep.Not with the Rift’s energy humming beneath her skin. Not with the whispers lingering in her mind.Not yours. Return it.The words coiled around her like a noose, tightening with each passing second.Lena clenched her fists, pressing them into the cold stone beneath her. The ruins whispered with a forgotten presence, the weight of ancient power pressing down on her shoulders. Whatever had been here be
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 96: Shadows of the Rift
The stillness that followed was deceptive. It lingered, stretching the moment thin, as if waiting for something—or someone—to break it.Lena’s breathing slowed, but her pulse still thundered in her ears. The Rift had answered her. It had obeyed her. Yet the silence left behind felt heavier than the battle itself.She turned to Cassian. His sword was still in his hand, though his grip had loosened. His sharp eyes scanned the clearing, searching for signs of danger.Dorian was the first to speak. “So, uh… what the hell just happened?”Lena exhaled, willing her hands to stop trembling. “I pushed it back.”Dorian snorted. “Yeah, no kidding. But that thing—” He gestured vaguely toward the spot where the collector had vanished. “—it was trying to take you. And then you turned the tables on it.”Idris studied her, golden eyes gleaming with something unreadable. “The Rift answered you. That means something.”Lena swallowed hard. She knew it meant something. But she wasn’t sure she was ready t
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 95: The Rift’s Warning
The night air carried the scent of damp earth and burning wood, but underneath it, something else lingered—something wrong. Lena felt it before she heard it. A pull at the edges of her consciousness, a disturbance in the Rift’s energy. The whispers that had been lurking in the background grew sharper, urgent. They are coming. A gust of wind rustled the trees, but it wasn’t natural. It carried something unnatural, something unseen but deeply felt. Lena turned sharply, scanning the darkness beyond their camp. Cassian noticed immediately. “What is it?” She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. Idris was already on his feet, his golden eyes narrowing as if he, too, sensed the shift in the air. “We’re not alone.” Dorian groaned. “Of course we’re not.” He grabbed his blades, rolling his shoulders as if bracing for an inevitable fight. “Because sleeping through the night would just be too easy.” Lena barely heard him. Her focus was on the Rift. On the way it stirred inside her, reactin
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 94: Bound by the Rift
The night stretched endlessly, the weight of silence pressing against them. Lena could still feel the Rift’s power thrumming inside her, an unfamiliar presence that no longer burned or resisted—it settled in her bones, in her breath, as if it had always been there.She wasn’t sure if that terrified her more than the alternative.Cassian’s eyes hadn’t left her since she demonstrated her control. There was something unreadable in his expression—not fear, not quite trust, but something in between.Dorian exhaled loudly, breaking the tension. “So, what? We just act like everything’s normal now? Pretend Lena didn’t just tap into the literal abyss and come back looking stronger?” He gestured vaguely. “Because I’d love a reality check.”Lena rolled her shoulders, still adjusting to the way her body felt—lighter, sharper, as if the Rift had remade her from the inside out.“I’m still me,” she said, but even she wasn’t sure how true that was.Cassian’s jaw tightened. “For now.”Anger flickered
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 93: Abyss Unbound
Darkness.It wasn’t the absence of light but something deeper—a void that devoured everything.Lena fell.Or maybe she was floating. Maybe she wasn’t moving at all. Time had unraveled, stretched too thin to grasp. The Rift’s presence was everywhere, pressing against her skin, her bones, her mind.The whispering voices grew louder.“You are one of us now.”No.Lena clenched her fists, trying to summon strength, trying to feel her body, but it was slipping away, dissolving into the abyss. Her thoughts tangled, fragmented—who was she? Where was she?“You fight against yourself.”The voice came from all directions, wrapping around her like a shroud.“You were always meant to ascend.”Ascend?A shudder ran through her. The Rift wasn’t just claiming her—it was remaking her.Lena screamed.A light flared in the distance.No—not light.A memory.She saw Cassian’s hand reaching for her, his eyes fierce with determination. She saw Dorian smirking as he tossed a sarcastic remark her way. She saw
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 92: The Rift’s Price
The forest held its breath.Lena’s pulse pounded as the figure stepped forward, his dark robes flowing like liquid shadow. He moved with an unnatural grace, as if he wasn’t entirely bound by the laws of this world. The flickering firelight cast his features into sharp relief—high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and eyes that were nothing but swirling voids.The Rift surged inside her, responding to his presence.Cassian was in front of her before she could blink, his sword drawn, his stance rigid with battle-readiness. “Who the hell are you?”The man did not flinch. His gaze remained fixed on Lena, his expression unreadable. “She knows.”Lena’s throat went dry. No, she didn’t.And yet… she did.This presence—this force—had been watching her for longer than she realized. In her dreams. In the monolith’s whispers. In the way the Rift called to her.It wasn’t just a tear in reality.It had a will.And now, it had taken shape.The Rift was standing before her.Cassian shifted, his blade gleamin
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 91: Echoes of Abyss
Lena’s pulse thundered in her ears as the Rift’s power settled uneasily within her. The ruins of Varelith remained eerily silent, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The creature was gone. The fissure had sealed. But the Rift… it was still inside her. Watching. Waiting. Cassian hadn’t let go of her wrist, his grip firm but not unkind. “You controlled it,” he repeated, his voice quieter this time. Lena’s throat felt dry. “Barely.” Dorian let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, ‘barely’ is better than ‘not at all.’” He shot a wary glance at the monolith, still glowing faintly in the aftermath. “So… what now?” Idris turned to Lena, his golden eyes unreadable. “You felt it, didn’t you?” She met his gaze. She had. The moment she reached into the Rift, something—or someone—had felt her presence. And it hadn’t been just the creature that attacked them. There was something deeper. Something older. Something waiting. “We need to move,” Cassian said, h
His Hunger, My Curse Chapter 90: When the Veil Shatters
The world trembled beneath Lena’s feet.The Rift pulsed violently inside her, a living force that fought against her control. The monolith at the heart of Varelith blazed with unnatural light, its ancient runes shifting, reshaping, whispering things that clawed at the edges of her mind.Cassian gripped her wrist. “Lena, listen to me.” His voice was steady, but she could hear the urgency in it. “If you do this, there’s no going back.”She already knew that.Dorian swore under his breath, his gaze flicking between the monolith and the sky above. The red streaks across the heavens had begun to twist, spiraling inward toward the ruins, as if the Rift itself was unraveling reality.“It’s already happening,” Lena murmured.Idris knelt beside the monolith, tracing his fingers over the shifting runes. “The wards are breaking.” His expression darkened. “And something is coming through.”The whispering grew louder.Not just from the monolith, but from the very air around them. Shadows stretched
