Silence stretched through the cabin.Selene’s heart pounded as she stared at the door. That voice… It was impossible.Ronan shifted beside her, wincing from the effort. His golden eyes flicked to hers. “Who is it?”She swallowed hard, gripping her dagger tighter. “I don’t know how, but… I know that voice.”Cassian drew his sword. “Then we assume it’s a threat.”The knock came again—firmer this time.“Selene, open up. We don’t have much time.”She hesitated. The voice belonged to someone she had once trusted. Someone she had believed was dead.Against her better judgment, she reached for the door. Cassian tensed, ready to strike, and Ronan—despite his obvious pain—shifted into a defensive position.Selene’s fingers curled around the handle. She exhaled sharply and pulled it open.A man stepped inside, hood drawn over his face. His boots were caked with mud, his dark cloak dripping from the night rain. He pushed back his hood—and Selene’s breath caught.“Varian,” she whispered.The man’
The night air was thick with the scent of blood and damp earth. The bodies of the fallen soldiers lay motionless around them, their cooling flesh a stark reminder of the trap they had barely escaped.Selene wiped the sweat from her brow, her heart still hammering in her chest. Too close. They had almost been caught, almost been killed. And now, they had no choice but to keep running.Cassian was already pulling the last of the bodies into the underbrush, his movements quick and practiced. “This won’t buy us much time,” he muttered. “If they don’t check in soon, more will come looking.”Varian sheathed his bloodied dagger, his sharp gaze scanning the treeline. “Then we need to be gone before they do.”Selene turned to Ronan, worry tightening in her chest. He was breathing heavily, a hand pressed against his side where his earlier wound had reopened. Too much strain. Too much blood loss.“You’re getting worse,” she said, stepping toward him.“I’m fine,” Ronan ground out, but his stance
The night had settled thick and heavy around the ruined watchtower, but Selene couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t alone. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying an unease that settled deep in her bones.She sat beside Ronan, pressing a cool cloth to his forehead. His fever hadn’t broken, and though his breathing had steadied, his body was still burning with heat. His dark lashes fluttered against his cheek, his usual sharp expression softened by exhaustion.“You’re still awake,” his voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.Selene smirked slightly. “Someone has to make sure you don’t die in your sleep.”Ronan huffed a quiet laugh, but his eyes remained heavy-lidded. “You’re always watching over me.”Her fingers froze against his skin. It wasn’t an accusation, but a realization. He was too weak to hide behind his usual walls, and something about that made her heart clench.“Someone has to,” she murmured.His hand, rough and calloused, lifted weakly, brushing against he
The scent of blood and smoke hung thick in the air as Selene crouched beside Ronan, her fingers pressing against his chest to check for injuries. His breathing was labored, but steady—for now. He had fought fiercely, despite his wounds, but she could see exhaustion settling in his sharp features. The attack had been too precise, too calculated. Someone had led them into this.A few feet away, Cassian wiped his blade clean, his golden eyes flicking toward the darkened tree line. “They won’t stop hunting us,” he muttered. “We got lucky this time, but next time—”“Next time, we’ll be ready,” Varian interrupted, standing with his arms crossed. His eyes glinted with suspicion as he turned toward Cassian. “If you’re not planning on leading us into another trap, that is.”Cassian’s expression darkened. “Watch your mouth.”Selene exhaled sharply. “Enough. Both of you.” She looked between them, frustration simmering beneath her skin. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get as far away fro
Selene’s dagger flew through the air, slicing toward her brother’s second-in-command. He dodged at the last second, but the blade still nicked his cheek, drawing blood.“That was a mistake,” he growled.And then the fight erupted.The surrounding soldiers lunged forward, swords flashing in the dim firelight. Cassian was the first to move, blocking a strike meant for Selene. His blade clashed against the enemy’s, the force of the impact sending sparks flying.Varian pulled twin daggers from his belt and threw himself into the fray, moving with lethal precision. His knives found their marks, cutting through the chaos, but for every man he struck down, another took his place.Selene spun, dodging a sword aimed at her ribs. She countered, slicing across the attacker’s arm before slamming her knee into his chest, sending him sprawling. But the moment she caught her breath, another enemy was already upon her.The fight was relentless. And they were losing.A strangled gasp pulled Selene’s a
The forest was eerily silent as dawn crept closer, the sky shifting from black to deep violet. Selene sat near the fire, knees pulled to her chest, staring at the flickering flames. Elias’s words echoed in her mind.“You have until sunrise to decide.”She glanced at Ronan. He was unconscious, his breathing shallow. The fever had worsened. His wound—though bandaged—still bled sluggishly. If they ran, he wouldn’t survive long.A soft rustling broke her thoughts. Cassian crouched beside her, his golden eyes reflecting the firelight. “You’re not actually considering surrendering, are you?”Selene clenched her jaw. “If I don’t, Ronan will die.”Cassian’s expression darkened. “And if you do, we all die.”Varian, who had been sharpening his daggers nearby, let out a scoff. “He’s right. You know what your brother is capable of. You think he’ll let you live?”Selene inhaled sharply. Of course she knew. Elias didn’t offer mercy—he offered illusions. He wanted her back under his control, but he
The abandoned watchtower loomed ahead, its stone walls crumbling with age. The rising sun cast long shadows across the clearing, the air thick with anticipation.Selene stood at the center of the trap, every muscle coiled with tension. Cassian and Varian were hidden in the surrounding trees, ready to strike the moment Elias showed himself. Ronan, too weak to fight, had been left behind in their makeshift camp, much to his frustration.She exhaled, her fingers brushing the bloodstone tucked into her belt. It pulsed faintly, reacting to the growing danger.Then, the silence shattered.A line of dark-cloaked figures emerged from the trees, moving in eerie unison. Elias led them, his golden eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.“Little sister,” he greeted, his voice smooth as silk. “You always did know how to make an entrance.”Selene forced herself to stay still, meeting his gaze without flinching. “I’m here, just like you wanted.”Elias tilted his head. “And the bloodstone?”She pulled it
Selene’s heart pounded as she watched Ronan hold Elias off the ground with one hand.It wasn’t just strength. It was unnatural.Elias’s golden eyes were wide with something she had never seen before—fear.“Y-You’re…” he choked out, clawing at Ronan’s iron grip. “Impossible.”Ronan’s own eyes burned gold, his entire body vibrating with raw power. The air around him crackled, distorting like heat rising off a fire.Selene pushed herself to her feet, pain flaring in her ribs from the stab wound. This wasn’t right.Ronan wasn’t just stronger. He was different.She forced a step forward. “Ronan?”He didn’t react.Elias let out a strangled gasp, his face turning red as Ronan’s grip tightened.Selene’s pulse spiked.If Ronan killed him like this… would he even stop?“Ronan, let him go.” Her voice was firm but laced with fear.Still, no response.Cassian took a cautious step closer, his bow raised. “Selene… something’s wrong with him.”Ronan’s muscles tensed at Cassian’s voice, his golden eye
Selene’s breath came fast and shallow as she stared at Ronan—or what was left of him.His eyes, once filled with fire and defiance, were now bottomless pools of black. Shadows curled around his fingers like living creatures, slithering over his skin. The air around him felt wrong—heavy and suffocating.She stepped forward, voice barely above a whisper. “Ronan?”He tilted his head, studying her as if she were a stranger. “Selene.”A cold shiver ran through her. His tone was eerily calm, almost… amused.Cassian shifted beside her, blades at the ready. “That’s not him anymore.”Selene’s stomach clenched. “I don’t believe that.”Cassian exhaled sharply. “We don’t have time for this.”“Shut up, Cassian!” she snapped, eyes locked on Ronan. “I know you’re still in there. Fight it.”Ronan took a step closer, his boots silent against the cave floor. “Fight it?” His lips curled into something resembling a smirk. “You don’t understand, do you?”Selene’s pulse pounded in her ears.“Understand wha
Ronan lay still, his breathing slow, but the darkness hadn’t left his eyes. The faint red flicker in his irises sent a chill through Selene. She refused to believe he was lost, but something inside him had changed—something Elias had left behind.Selene knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she brushed damp strands of hair from his face. “Ronan, it’s me,” she whispered. “You’re safe.”His grip tightened on her wrist, not in aggression but as if he was holding onto the last bit of himself. His voice was hoarse, raw. “You should have left me.”Selene’s heart clenched. “Never.”Cassian scoffed from behind them. “You’re too blind to see it, Selene. He’s dangerous now.”Selene turned sharply. “He fought against it. He never gave in.”Cassian’s jaw clenched. “He almost killed you.”Ronan flinched, and for the first time since waking, his eyes dropped, his entire body tensing. He remembered.Selene softened. “That wasn’t you, Ronan.”His expression twisted in pain. “Wasn’t it?”Silence st
Selene’s heart shattered as Ronan lunged.She barely had time to move before he was on her—his strength unnatural, his speed terrifying. The Ronan she knew was gone, replaced by a predator. His blackened eyes locked onto hers, his breathing ragged.“Ronan, stop!” she cried, dodging at the last second.His claws—claws, not hands—sliced through the air where she had just been. He hit the stone wall with inhuman force, cracks spiderwebbing across the surface.This wasn’t just some mind trick. This was real.Ronan’s body trembled, his fingers flexing as if fighting against himself. For the briefest moment, his lips parted—Selene…Then he snarled and attacked again.Selene gritted her teeth, her mind racing. She couldn’t fight him. Not like this.Think, Selene. You need to reach him.Elias’s laughter cut through the chaos. “He’s magnificent, isn’t he?”Selene spun toward him, rage surging through her. “What did you do to him?!”Elias smirked. “I simply revealed what was always inside him.
The cold stone walls of Elias’s stronghold loomed ahead, a fortress of shadows and secrets. Selene’s heart pounded as she stood in its eerie silence, Ronan by her side. Every fiber of her being screamed that this was a mistake—but she had no choice. Elias had lured her here, whispering promises of truth, of an end to the bloodshed. But Selene knew better.Ronan shifted beside her, his grip tightening around the hilt of his blade. He had insisted on coming, despite the raw wounds on his body. His time in captivity had changed him—his once-unbreakable spirit now carried a weight she couldn’t quite name. She had barely gotten him back, and now they were walking straight into the lion’s den.A gust of wind howled through the empty corridors as they stepped inside. Cassian and Varian flanked them, weapons drawn. The tension was suffocating.A slow clap echoed through the chamber.Elias.He stepped into the dim torchlight, a cruel smirk carved onto his face. Dressed in black, his presence w
The forest trembled with an unnatural stillness. Even the wind had ceased its whispering, as if nature itself braced for what was to come. Selene’s pulse thundered in her ears as she stood at the edge of the ruined temple, her dagger clenched tight in her palm. The flickering torches lining the crumbling walls barely held back the darkness, their glow casting twisted shadows over the figures waiting inside.Elias stood at the center, draped in a cloak as dark as the abyss, his piercing gaze locking onto her with unsettling ease. Beside him, a row of armed warriors stood like statues, their expressions cold and unreadable. The air was thick with the scent of blood and damp stone, a warning of the battle yet to come.Selene took a cautious step forward, her breath shallow. Behind her, Ronan’s presence burned like a wildfire, his heat radiating against her back. He was struggling—she could feel it. His breathing was too heavy, his stance too rigid. The transformation was devouring him, p
The fire crackled softly in the dimly lit cabin, casting flickering shadows across the wooden walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning embers and damp earth, remnants of the storm that had passed through the forest. Selene sat at Ronan’s bedside, her fingers lightly tracing the back of his hand, reassuring herself that he was truly there—that he was truly free.His breathing was steady, but his body bore the marks of Elias’s control. Faint bruises marred his skin, as if the dark magic had tried to root itself inside him. She had barely slept, afraid that if she closed her eyes, he would slip away again.Ronan stirred, his lashes fluttering open to reveal those deep, stormy eyes she had memorized. For a brief moment, confusion flickered across his face, but then his gaze found hers, and his body relaxed.“Selene…” His voice was hoarse, as if he had been speaking through a void for days.She squeezed his hand. “You’re awake.” Relief flooded her, but it was laced with something
Selene’s heart pounded as she stepped closer to Ronan. His eyes—once filled with fire and devotion—were now cold, distant, and shadowed by Elias’s power. He stood rigid, his muscles tense as if restrained by invisible chains. Every instinct told her to run, that this wasn’t the man she had fought beside, the man who had kissed her like she was his salvation.But she wasn’t leaving him behind.“Ronan.” Her voice was steady, but her heart trembled. “Look at me.”He didn’t move.Elias’s laughter echoed in the air, smooth and mocking. “You truly believe love can break my hold on him? You overestimate your worth, Selene.”She clenched her fists. “I don’t need to be enough for you. I just need to be enough for him.”Taking a shaky breath, she reached out, pressing her palm against Ronan’s chest. A shiver ran through her as she felt the unnatural chill of Elias’s magic seeping into him.“Come back to me,” she whispered.For a moment, nothing happened. Then—a flicker. His jaw clenched, a musc
The night was thick with mist, curling like phantom fingers around the ruins ahead. Selene barely felt the chill biting at her skin as she pressed forward, her heart a relentless drum in her chest. Ronan was out there—she could feel it, a tether between them that hadn’t broken despite the darkness trying to consume him.“Selene, wait,” Cassian hissed from behind, catching her wrist. His grip was firm but not forceful, his golden eyes scanning the eerie landscape with caution. “Rushing in without a plan is suicide.”“We don’t have time for a plan,” she shot back, wrenching her arm free. “If Elias tightens his grip on Ronan, we might lose him forever.”Cassian exhaled sharply, but he didn’t argue. He understood—perhaps too well. They had been tracking Ronan’s presence for hours, every lead drawing them deeper into the ruins of an ancient fortress long abandoned to shadows and whispered nightmares.The entrance yawned before them like the mouth of a beast. Selene barely hesitated before
Selene’s breath caught as she stared at Ronan—no, Elias—standing before her, his emerald eyes now laced with an unnatural, eerie glow. The body was Ronan’s, the sharp lines of his face and the battle-worn strength she had come to trust. But the way he moved, the way he smiled—it was all wrong.“Selene,” Elias purred, his voice a twisted echo of Ronan’s. “You look at me like I’m a ghost. Am I not real enough for you?”Her pulse thundered in her ears. “Let him go.”Elias tilted his head, a mockery of thoughtfulness. “Let him go? Oh, darling, I just got here. I don’t think I’ll be leaving anytime soon.”Cassian moved first, drawing his sword in a blur of silver. “Then we’ll force you out.”Elias smirked, shifting his gaze to Cassian. “Ah, the ever-loyal knight. You know, Ronan truly despises you.” His fingers flexed at his sides, and a rush of dark energy flared around him. “Shall I show you just how much?”Cassian lunged, but Selene threw out her arm. “Wait!”Cassian froze, his blade in