For centuries, the Sky Border has kept werewolves and humans gifted with magic apart. Its ruthless Watchers uphold the most sacred law of Parlem—hybrids must never exist. Jade doesn’t know what she is. She only knows something wild and untamed lives inside her. One night, it takes over, robbing her of consciousness. When she wakes—bruised, aching, and surrounded by a group of armed men—she realizes she’s being hunted for a crime she doesn’t even remember. Then Kema saves her—a golden-eyed Watcher with a godlike beauty that steals her breath. He offers her a single path to survival: to hide what she is, she must join the Watchers and survive their hellish training. But as Jade hones her fire magic, the pull between them grows dangerous and undeniable. When the truth of her birth is finally revealed, so is a secret dark enough to start a war between werewolves and humans. Now, Jade is worth more dead than alive. If she runs, they’ll find her. If she fights, she might lose herself. But one thing is certain—she isn’t dying for anybody. Maybe Kema.
View MoreThe first thing I noticed was the chill of the water. My body ached as I stirred slightly, the stream’s gentle current lapping against my legs.
“This damn curse,” I muttered bitterly, groaning at the pounding in my head. I was lying on the bank, half-submerged, with the cool rush of water sliding over my arms. My clothes—or what little remained of them—clung to my skin, heavy with moisture. “Why tonight of all nights?” I grunted, almost weeping. “Celene’s going to raise hell on my head for coming back late again.” I barely had the strength to lift myself, forced to wait a few seconds for the beast to fully settle into the void before I could regain control of my body. This was the fourth time she had taken over in the past six months—the beast inside me. A demonlike creature that dragged my consciousness into the dark void at the back of my mind when her hunger grew too strong. That was the part I hated the most—the dark void. It was a suffocating, empty space where I couldn’t see, hear, or feel anything. The second worst part? Waking up afterward. Because when I came to, she was gone, and I was left to deal with the aftermath of whatever she had done. Now, with her energy finally settled, I forced myself upright, trembling. The water had rinsed away most of the filth from my body, but faint streaks of red still clung to my skin. My heart sank as I stared at them, the metallic scent of blood lingering faintly in the air. I splashed water over my arms and legs. “It’s not what it looks like,” I whispered to myself. “She only hunts animals. She’s done this before. Just rabbits . . . maybe deer.” I scrubbed at the stains until my skin stung. The stream carried the blood away, but the sinking feeling in my chest stayed. Then—flashes. Quick and violent. So sudden they felt like physical blows. A sharp cry. A figure falling to the ground. Eyes—wide, utterly terrified—staring back at me. “No,” I muttered, shaking my head. “That’s not real. It can’t be real.” “The beast only hunts animals,” I told myself again. “She’s never . . ." But the more I tried to push the images away, the clearer they became. The sound of tearing fabric. A woman’s voice, pleading. My claws ripping through something soft. I clenched my eyes shut, hands trembling. “It’s not real,” I whispered. “It’s not real.” But one name rose in my mind, unshakable. Elaine. She was the timber merchant's daughter, the one who worked at the shop next to my father's forge. I didn't know her well, but she always smiled at me in passing. 'Could the beast have . . . ?' "No!" I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. The idea was unthinkable, impossible. She wouldn't kill a person. She wouldn't. 'Would she?' I staggered to my feet, my clothes dripping onto the riverbank. My reflection in the water was pale, my eyes wide and haunted. The beast's energy still hummed faintly in my veins, urging me to move. To run. I didn't know why, but I felt it—danger. The faint sound of voices reached my ears, distant but growing louder. "Spread out!" a man shouted. "The killer couldn't have gone far!" His thick voice was filled with rage, causing my heart to race. Panic gripped me. I didn't need to hear more to understand. Someone had been killed tonight, and the villagers were searching for whoever—or whatever—was responsible. I stumbled forward, my feet slipping on the muddy bank. My legs felt weak, but the beast stirred within, and my pace quickened. I ran faster than any human should, the beast lending me her strength despite the chaos I feared she'd caused. The trees loomed ahead, their shadows stretching like long fingers in the moonlight. If I could reach the forest, I could lose them. 'DON'T STOP RUNNING,' the beast's voice urged in my mind. A spark of adrenaline surged through me, and I sprinted faster toward the treeline. The forest was darker than I expected, the canopy above blotting out the moon, but the beast Instincts heightened my vision. My senses were likewise sharpened as I moved frantically in search of a place to hide, the damp earth cool beneath my bare feet. Every sound seemed louder in the quiet—my breathing, the crunch of leaves, even the distant shouts behind me that had me thinking hard. 'I can't let them catch me,' I thought, my heart racing. The beast's memories flashed again. A clawed hand. A scream cut short. Blood splattering the ground. "No," I whispered. "It's not real." A rustling sound made me pause. My head whipped around, scanning the underbrush. My enhanced vision picked out a small grey rabbit hopping through the shadows. Its moonstone eyes locked on mine for a moment, and a strange calm washed over me. The rabbit twitched its nose, then darted away, vanishing into the bushes. I swallowed hard, turning my focus back to the path ahead. The villagers' voices were growing fainter now, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep moving. Then, I heard it—a soft growl behind me. I spun around, my breath catching in my throat. Two piercing yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, fixed on me. A massive figure stepped into view, its bloodstained fur gleaming faintly in the moonlight. A werewolf. 'What is a werewolf doing here . . . in human territory?' The beast within me moved unpleasantly, her energy crackling like static. I took a shaky step back, but the werewolf growled low, its claws glinting as it moved closer. "Stay back," I whispered, my voice trembling. It didn't listen. I collapsed, warm liquid trickling down my legs as fear stole any control I had of my bladder. 'No . . . this can't be happening . . .' A woman's voice echoed in the distance. "The forest! It went into the forest!" The werewolf growled as it looked away from me, its massive frame radiating a feral energy that made my heart slam my ribcage without mercy. "You all would be the ones to suffer if we don't catch that monster tonight!" The enraged man's voice sounded closer this time. The werewolf's ears twitched on hearing him, and with a powerful leap, it disappeared into the trees, leaving me frozen in place. "MOVE!" The beast's voice roared in my mind, jolting me back to reality. My legs wobbled beneath me, but I forced myself forward, adrenaline surging through my veins. I stumbled at first, then broke into a desperate run, the forest blurring around me. My senses were still heightened, every sound and scent amplified as I raced deeper into the shadows. Just as I found a rhythm, a voice pierced the silence: "I see someone! I see a girl!" "No-no-no . . ." I muttered, panic setting in. A hand grabbed hold of my mouth and yanked me away, silencing my cry as I was pulled into the shadows.The news came the evening before the match.We were at the 5-Year Cadet Barracks when it dropped—right after evening drills, soaked in sweat and panting from a brutal sparring rotation. I’d barely unclenched my fists when the announcement flared across the nearest magic veil, the glowing script scrolling like a judge's verdict."UPDATE: Team Match Initiated. Jade Ishola and Lysar Fallan will no longer face off in a duel. Instead, each cadet will assemble a team and be deployed into the Evil Forest. Mission Objective: Recover a sacred crest stolen by bandits. First team to return with the item wins."A silence passed through the training ground when the update dropped. Then chaos.“They what?!” Lotanni shouted. “A mission? We’ve been training for the RGT, not an actual op!”Lysar’s voice cut through the noise, smooth and mocking. “Lucky cunt, Jade. Guess I won’t get to publicly humiliate her ass with a good beating after all.”She stood off to the side with her squad—older cadets in sh
"You're enjoying this way too much," Naila murmured inside my head, her voice dry, but amused. "A little too proud for someone who nearly died under a boulder of magic two hours ago."Lysar was still on her knees.I didn’t move. Just watched."Alright, enough," Naila said. "Pull it back. You made your point. Eat the rage before someone thinks you've lost control and decides to act on it."She wasn’t wrong.I drew a breath and clenched my fists, slowly pulling the aura back into me. It resisted, angry and wild, but I forced it in, reeling the energy back like an unraveling thread. As the storm faded, so did the trembling in the air.And the moment the last wisp vanished from around my body—I dropped to my knees.The Watchers lowered their weapons at once.Kema stepped forward. His jaw was tight, unreadable. He glanced at Lysar, who still hadn’t gotten up."Spend the night in the demon cave," he said simply.Gasps echoed. Even the wind seemed to falter.Lysar's head snapped toward him.
My aura wasn’t fierce like fire.Not in the way I expected.It didn’t rage or scream or crackle.It was . . . cool.Not cold.But steady. Deep. Endless.And yet, when I reached for it, I felt the truth—It wasn’t gentle at all.It was heavy. Condensed.Like trying to pull a mountain up by its roots while lying beneath it.I clenched my jaw, fingers twitching on the stone beneath me. My bones felt like they were vibrating from the inside out.I gritted my teeth.Tried to yank it out.The pressure of the cave didn’t help. It shattered every ounce of focus I scraped together.The weight of it all—inside and out—was suffocating.My lips cracked when I whispered, “Come on—”‘Stop fighting it,’ Naila said, her voice a tether in the storm. ‘You can’t pull aura like magic. You become it. Let it rise. Don’t command it—join it.’“I’m trying,” I hissed through clenched teeth.‘You’re not trying. You’re battling it. That won’t work. This isn’t an enemy. It’s you.’I slumped.My chest rose and fel
I failed to capture any of those muscular, rat-faced chickens the next morning. The joker, Lysar, gave me an hour to catch five—like she was offering some kind of mercy.She got what she wanted in the end, smiling like a demon when she ordered me back into the cave.The second time was no gentler than the first.I approached the mouth of the cave with slow, bracing steps, every muscle in my body tensed for what I knew was coming. The air shimmered, thick with invisible threads of pressure that pulled at my skin and slowed my legs like I was walking through molasses.And then, like clockwork, it happened.The force yanked me inward with brutal speed. I flew through the dark, slammed into stone, and crumpled to the ground. But this time, I expected it. I curled my body in midair, took the brunt of the impact on my side instead of my back. It still hurt like hell, but I stayed conscious.That was new.The cave roared silently around me. That same crushing weight clamped down, harder now,
I didn’t know how long I lay there.Minutes? Hours? Days?The pain made time meaningless.I didn’t cry out—I couldn’t. My body wasn’t mine anymore. Just bones and nerves trapped under the weight of something too vast to comprehend. Something ancient and angry, pressing on every part of me like it wanted to flatten me into dust.I couldn’t move.Couldn’t breathe right.All I could do was feel. And plead.I whispered to the darkness, over and over, “Let it end.”When that didn’t work, I begged.When begging didn’t work, I asked for death.And then—just when I thought the cave would keep me forever—It spat me out.One moment I was crushed beneath its aura. The next, I was flying.I hit the dirt outside the cave mouth hard, landed face-first in gravel, and gasped for air like it was treasure.I didn’t even lift my head.But I saw the boots.Polished. Familiar.A hand grabbed my collar and turned me over.And there she was.Lysar.Smirking down at me like I was exactly what she expected t
They weren’t just fast.They were coordinated.Hundreds of sharp-eyed nightmares, darting across the grass with freakish rhythm. Beaks snapping, talons gleaming, thick sinewy muscles built for chasing and shredding. If I hadn’t spent fifteen days sharpening my instincts in the isolation chamber, I’d be a torn-up mess before midday.I dodged left, rolled under a leaping pair, and kicked one away before it clawed my thigh. They circled back, unrelenting.Naila’s voice had been quiet since I stepped into isolation. I knew she hadn’t left—her presence still hummed at the back of my mind, silent and still, hibernating deep in the dark void.She said her time in the God's domain had taken a toll on her resolve, and she needed time alone to recover.But it was moments like this I missed her most.If she were here, she’d tell me how to beat this. How to capture them.But right now? I was alone.Two hours passed.Two. Whole. Hours.I hadn’t caught a single one.The most I’d managed was knockin
The main hall was still empty when I asked the system for an update.“All RGT Selects have transitioned to advanced training with the five-year cadets,” it replied. “Except Cadet Orin, who remains in Isolation Chamber Nine.”So they’d all made it through.I had passed reflection training last. But apparently, I wasn’t the only one still left behind.I was just about to leave when the door to Chamber Nine hissed open.Orin stepped out.His shirt was soaked through. His arms hung heavy at his sides. Eyes slightly unfocused.We locked eyes.“Hey,” he muttered.“Hey,” I replied quietly.He didn’t stop walking. Just gave me a tired nod and moved toward the exit.“See you at the barracks.”I watched him go, understanding too well the weight in his step.He’d won the fight.But he’d lost the race.After the longest shower of my life and a hot meal that nearly brought me to tears, I made my way to the five-year barracks.It was louder than I expected.Cadets jogged in lines across the courtya
(Back to Jade's POV)The chamber sealed shut behind me.No sound. No wind. Just a dim glow humming from the ceiling and the faint static of the training panels.This was isolation training. Me versus me. Me versus her.The reflection.But I wasn’t going to beat Petrusia’s reflection by throwing punches blindly in here. I needed more than stamina. I needed instinct.So I trained.Every day followed the same rhythm.Five hours in the mind realm.The system had crafted a simulated world just for me—a time-warped bubble where one day outside equaled ten inside. I’d spend five 'outside' hours locked in that space, which meant nearly fifty hours passed in there. Two straight days of combat packed into one session.The mind realm wasn’t gentle.It was where I sharpened my instincts. Battled wave after wave of randomized combat trials—dummies, wild beasts, humanoids, constructs, and variants. The enemies never repeated. Never got predictable. Every blow I dodged, every parry I missed, every s
Jade had been gone for three days.No one had seen her. No one had heard from her. Not even the system had offered any updates beyond: “Cadet Jade Ishola remains in isolation. Training active.”But her absence lingered in the air.The reflection platforms still gleamed. The Selects still trained.Nyomei stood center circle, already five rounds into the day. Her hair was damp with sweat, her jaw set tight. The familiar shimmer of twin opponents formed in front of her—two broad-shouldered werewolves with identical faces and cocky stances.They were champions. Like her.The same champions who always claimed first and second—leaving her to settle for third.Today would be different.The sixth round started.They came at her fast, in sync as always—but she didn’t give them time to control the rhythm. Her wolf instincts kicked in before thought could. She moved like water and struck like tempered steel, slipping between their swings and counters.A low sweep took the first down.The second
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