Long ago, mindless beasts from distant realms breached this world. They were ravenous, draining the air and water, turning the planet into a wasteland.To resolve the crisis, the Shining Keeper, a being from the celestial planes, descended to the mortal realm. The plan was to craft vessels to house souls pivotal in sealing the cosmic breach. Those vessels would later be known as Lower Mortals, identified as Humans.To make the world habitable, the beasts had to be exterminated first. So the Shining Keeper created the Salamanders—Higher Mortals born of fire—to fulfill this task. They succeeded. Yet, she deemed them too barbaric and unfit to become the guardians of Humans.She fashioned a gentler and more docile successor. The Sylphs—Higher Mortals born of air—were tasked with eradicating the first race and replacing them as guardians.But the Salamanders defended their existence.Now, through ages untold, the Salamanders and Sylphs are engaged in an endless war, trapped in a fragment o
Six Months Ago (Part 1.2)GILDEONHe sprang to his feet, slipping into his trousers before joining Kohina outside. They stood together, looking down at their camp in the ravine below. Captive sylphs lay scattered around like cattle awaiting slaughter. Compared to their state, the cattle would’ve been more fortunate to meet a swifter and more dignified end.They said the Shining Keeper had shackled the sylphs’ emotions to maintain control over them, rendering them docile. But beneath the moonlight, Gildeon could see how those sylphs’ eyes, varying in shades of blue, glimmered with unease. Their lithe bodies shivered. He could smell their suppressed terror from atop the cliff.His gut twisted as he watched the scene below. Male and female sylphs lined up against the ravine wall, clothes torn, backs bared. Lash after lash from spiked whips tore into their skin, nearly flaying them alive.Some might argue this was mere retaliation for what their comrades had suffered. But as the acrid ste
Six Months Ago (Part 2.1)GILDEONHe smashed through the metal gates with a deafening roar, turning the garrison entrance into a chaotic mess of stone and steel. Towers crumbled, columns toppled, and bodies were trampled under his feet as he charged ahead.His dragon was hungry for destruction.His senses sharpened, locking onto the warrior sylphs and spellcaster sylphs in their whites and blues. They stood frozen, trying to maintain stoic faces, but he could see the confusion in their eyes, could practically taste their fear. This was likely their first time to see a dragon up close. Baring his teeth, he snarled, sending another wave of terror through them. Behind him, he felt the salamanders crashing through the wreckage, knocking down enemy sylphs. Some fought with blades, while others had shifted into their beast forms, slashing with claws and whipping their tails around. Before him, the spellcaster sylphs reacted first. Their hands formed reverse triangles in front of their stom
Six Months Ago (Part 2.2)GILDEONThe stench of death faded, replaced by the sharp smell of burning electricity. Ghulik squirmed against Gildeon's back, his tiny voice trembling.“What is Master doing? Master is going to Mad End's Wall. Master is already maaad!”The goblin jumped off, but Gildeon didn’t bother looking back to see where he scampered off. With a firm grip on the reins, he slowed the horse, needing a clear view of the chaos ahead.The trail widened, the trees thinning out until he reached a vast stretch of drylands. The ground was reddish-brown, cracked, and lifeless, stretching to the horizon where a wall of dazzling lights towered. Colors swirled together, creating a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic effect. It was as high as five men stacked on top of each other. He could hear its hum and feel the air sizzle, close enough to tingle his skin.Beyond the wall of lights, an even higher obsidian rock wall loomed, its peak lost in the sky. They said beyond that wall was the end
Six Months Ago (Part 3)GILDEONAraheen. That was her name. He couldn't grasp why her name stirred something deep within him—an inexplicable urge to possess her. From now on, she'd be his wife. At least until he'd taken what he needed from her.They found an abandoned sylph watchtower a few miles from the Mad End’s Wall. It was where he’d taken Araheen. They would be safe here. For now.Using the tip of his shortsword, he drew Kohina’s summon sigil on the rust-colored earth, muttering her name under his steam-charged breath. He needed her help to set his plans in motion, and Kohina was the only salamander he could trust with his secrets.Afterward, he settled onto the windowsill, one leg propped against the frame. While waiting for Kohina, he inspected the sigil needle he’d picked up earlier. Silver, with a finial patterned after an owl, its eyes set with sapphires. The tip was sharp enough to prick his fingertip. Other than that, it looked just like the hair sticks Kohina often used.
PresentGILDEONFor days, he'd been waiting for that powerful witch to make another move. So far, no danger had come Arah’s way, which meant one of two things: either they hadn’t traced the sylph magic back to her yet, or they were already aware and were just smart enough to bide their time.With no class today, it was perfect timing when he received news about another body turning up dead—someone who probably bore Arah’s Clover Wish too. He had to see it for himself. So, without wasting time, he drove straight to the fishing village and met up with the fisherman he had helped before.“You told me to call you if any strange jellyfish attacks came up around here,” Donny said, leading him to the far end of the shore. “Over there, Mr. Ayadi. I didn’t know what to do at first.”They trudged past boulders and fallen trees, remnants of last year’s typhoon. The low tide exposed algae-coated rocks, and even from this distance, Gildeon caught the stench of something rotten.“Master, Ghulik sme
ARAH“You haven’t broken the lock yet?” Tonio's curious eyes bore into her after she admitted she couldn't get into Gildeon’s study. Of course, she left out the steamy details that now distracted her, making her heart race. Her tattoo machine hung idle as she fought to drown out the memory of her husband's lustful gaze, the intense sounds he made, and how he came hard into her mouth...She was embarrassed to even be thinking about these things while working next to her friend.‘Get it together, Arah. Save those thoughts for later,' she scolded herself.“I thought you’d have managed to peek inside by now.” Tonio’s voice broke through her reverie.“I haven’t had a chance to try again,” she replied, steadying her voice and refocusing on the cursive name stenciled on Tonio’s forearm. The delicate lines of ‘Patricia’ were a welcome distraction. “He added a new lock. It’s tricky. He’d know if I touched it.”For all she knew, Gildeon could've also installed a spy camera somewhere in the hous
GILDEONHe trudged up the narrow dirt trail, eyes locked on the abandoned farmhouse behind the broken wooden fence. It was laughable how people spun stories about this place, scaring the shit out of themselves. Haunted, they said. The rumor was that the old woman who died here had cursed the land—anyone who dared set foot inside would end up dead. That kept most folks away, speeding up as they passed the hill.To him, it sounded like the perfect hideout for someone on the run, like Roselia. Except now, she’d made him hike up the trail five times, never letting him reach the farmhouse gates.He halted, panting a little. He’d indulged her vindictive theatrics long enough. “You can stop this stunt now, Roselia!” he shouted, hands on his hips. “Let me in, or I’ll start burning this place down.”Right on cue, a middle-aged woman in a violet dress appeared at the top of the trail, her long copper hair swaying in the breeze. Her lips were pursed, hands clasped in front.“What do you need, My
ARAHShe heard the unmistakable flutter of wings in the distance—heavy, powerful. They sounded too large to belong to the owl.And then she heard something else. A loud, familiar, inhuman heartbeat.Gildeon’s.Her own heart pounding, she rushed out of the house and into the front yard—just in time to see Gildeon land in his beast form. His wings beat the air, whipping gusts of wind against her face. Then, slowly, they began to shrink—until they vanished completely from his back.She had a thousand questions, but they all slipped away the second she met his gaze.She sprinted toward him and threw her arms around his massive form. She didn’t care about the roughness of his hide or the searing steam rising off his scales.“Where did you go? Why did you disappear? I was worried,” she blurted, her voice trembling with emotion. Everything was welling up inside her, and for a moment, she thought she might cry. She only pulled away when the heat between them became too much.“I had to take car
GILDEONHe’d first crossed paths with Sharko during his and Arah’s early weeks on Caylao Island. Back then, he’d been sweeping the place—mapping the terrain, scouting escape routes, tagging danger zones. Getting a feel for the land.That had been when he saw it—a woman being assaulted by Sharko’s men.He hadn’t come to Earthland to play hero. Meddling in human filth hadn’t been part of the plan. But that scene had reminded him of what happened to Nalini. So he’d made an exception. He’d beaten the bastards and saved the girl.A day later, he’d stumbled onto one of Sharko’s operations—human trafficking, on top of drug dealing and whatever other scum-work the gang ran. That was also when he met Donny’s brother and helped free him from their clutches.Gildeon had confronted Sharko directly—broke enough bones to make him piss himself and swear he’d shut down his human trafficking ring and leave helpless women alone. Gildeon had thought the warning had landed.But after what had nearly happ
GILDEONHe still had a few days left in his hibernation. But then he heard Ghulik’s voice. Said bad men were trying to hurt Arah.Sharko’s bad men.That was all it took.He tore out of his cocoon without a second thought.In the past, he might’ve held back, avoided tapping into the rest of his abilities. Not anymore. He’d nearly lost Arah one too many times, and he’d sworn never to restrain himself again. So, he sprouted small-scale wings and flew through the night in his dragon’s mortal form—with Ghulik on his back.As long as Gildeon wasn’t in his full beast form, the island would be safe from his destruction.Not long after, he landed atop a jagged rock outcrop with a clear line of sight to Cora’s house. His dragon eyes locked onto Arah’s flickering blue-green aura in the distance. She stood with Cora, Mabel, and another woman he didn’t recognize, all being questioned by the police.Another unfamiliar woman lay on a stretcher, getting loaded into the back of an ambulance. Body bags
ARAHRoselia hadn’t been able to remove the bullet, but she managed to stop the bleeding, prevent further damage, and numb the pain. Mabel’s friend would still need to be taken to a hospital for proper treatment. Roselia explained that if she tried to heal her using supernatural methods and alter her memory at the same time, it could cause unpredictable side effects.Mabel’s friend had fallen unconscious. They bandaged her wound and gently moved her to the couch. Cora brought over a blanket and draped it over her.“W-What are we going to do with them?” Mabel’s sister asked, staring at the three corpses lying across the living room.Arah handed her a glass of water. “I think it’s better to leave them as they are. The police will take care of it.” She figured the authorities would arrive soon, especially if they believed Sharko’s gang had already finished whatever they came here to do.Thug Number Two would be a problem. He’d definitely run back to Sharko and report what happened. Then
ARAHShe had a narrow window before any sudden movement might make one of the thugs pull the trigger out of pure reflex.Or panic.Before she even realized it was possible, her wind tattoo split into two. One lash coiled tightly around the ankle of the thug who was about to assault Mabel’s sister, dragging him down. He hit the floor face-first with a grunt, arms flailing to catch himself. The other streaked across the room and smacked the gun from the hand of the man holding Cora.Arah bolted down the stairs, snatching the fallen gun mid-run, and aimed the gun at Thug Number One. She’d never held one before and had no real idea how to use it. But she’d seen enough movies to get the general idea.Still, she hoped it wouldn’t come to that. To her, manmade weapons felt far more volatile than anything supernatural.She saw Cora grab a coat rack from the corner and swing it hard at the back of Thug Number One’s head. The man let out a stunned grunt, stumbling forward from the blow. He turn
ARAHThug Leader motioned to his men to let the girls go, but then pointed at Mabel, her sister, and the girl who’d offered Arah a cocktail earlier.“Those three, and of course, Cora—they all stay.”He turned back to Arah, sneering, probably waiting for her to object. But she stayed silent. He seemed like the egotistical maniac type. If she pushed him too far, he’d only make things worse.Arah settled for glancing at the girls as they whimpered, shuddered, and ran out of the house.“Don’t you dare snitch, or we’ll come after you,” one of the thugs growled, stepping aside and pointing his gun at each of them as they passed.Arah hated how calm they all looked. Like they weren’t worried at all that the girls might bring help. It said even more about the kind of power Sharko’s gang held over the island.“Now…” Thug Leader lifted her chin with the muzzle of his gun. “You said you’d give me a night I’d never forget?”“I need assurance they won’t be harmed,” she said carefully, nodding towa
ARAHShe stared at the lifeless body of the male stripper, sprawled out across the unfurled cardboard box. Blood seeped from the bullet wound in his back. He’d tried to run after the thug leader warned him not to.And they killed him. Just like that.To scare the hell out of them even more, the thugs had dragged his corpse back into the house—for everyone to see. It looked eerie under the strobe lights.The room was tense. The music was still playing, but one of the thugs had turned the volume down. All the girls were huddled together in the living room, clutching at each other like their lives depended on it. Some were curled up on the couch, the others slumped on the floor with their knees drawn to their chests. Everyone was shaking and crying. No one said a word.Their phones had been taken, so there was no way to call for help—unless, of course, Mabel’s call to the police had gone through.One of the thugs paced behind them, gun in one hand, a slice of strawberry cake in the other
ARAHShe leaned against the chair, staring out at the dark stretch of sea. The waves lapped softly at the shore. Their rhythm tangled with the thump of club music and the high-pitched laughter of girls still partying inside the house.It all felt far away now.After that embarrassing moment in the living room, Cora had pulled her out. She was grateful for the breather.Mate. Bride. Little Rabbit—these words looped in her head like some bad joke.Had she imagined the whole thing? Maybe there was something weird in the cocktail she drank. Or maybe it was Barky’s bite, twisting her thoughts most strangely.Why Zephyr, though? Had she personally known him before? Back in Shamibar?Arah slid her hands down her face and let out a heavy exhale. She couldn’t picture herself ever being close to someone like him. Zephyr was dangerous—she knew that much. And whatever his game was, it didn’t involve good intentions. He wanted to raise an army for goodness sake.Behind her, the back door creaked o
ARAHShe barely recognized Cora’s house. Penis-shaped balloons were scattered everywhere, and strobe lights flashed so intensely they nearly blinded her. The music was so loud it made her ears ring. Good thing Cora lived far enough from the neighbors that no one would care, even if the guests started screaming at each other in the middle of the night.There were probably over a dozen ladies here—her, Mabel, Cora, and a handful of others Arah vaguely remembered from the engagement party.Mabel was dancing near a giant pink gift box wrapped in ribbon, right in the middle of the living room. When she spotted Arah, her eyes lit up.“Arah!” Mabel shouted, turning toward the other side of the room. “Sissy Cora, she’s here!” Then she pranced over, cocktail in hand, wobbling just slightly. Her tiara was crooked, and she adjusted it before leaning in to give Arah a double-cheek kiss.“Hey, quite a party you’ve got going on,” Arah said with a smile, handing over her gift. She glanced at the pin