After Sage woke up, he felt an icy shiver run down his spine as the Seer's hands hovered over him with his body growing cold every passing moment. His body became heavier, his pulse grew slower, and his eyelids became droopy. The last thing he remembered was the voice of the Seer ringing in his head.“Listen,” the Seer said persistently, his words a goodbye and a consultation all in one. “The Mystic World does not obey your rules. It bends to none.”Then everything went dark. He refused to give him even a moment to complete "doing the one" he had already completed. Sage’s eyes flew open. But what he saw wasn’t the Seer’s chamber.He stood in a huge foggy area that went on forever. The ground beneath his feet was not solid, it was soft and shone like silver. Each step he took made the ground shake, like he was walking on water that had no bottom.He glanced down at himself. He was… different. His hands were translucent, like smoke trapped in a human shape. He bent his hands, and his fi
Sage's legs carried him as fast as he could as he desperately fled through the misty landscape. His breathing was quick and shallow, and his heart pounded in his chest. No matter how fast he ran, the terrifying sounds behind him didn't fade - the growls and heavy footsteps that shook the ground. Fears took over him. What was this? Why was he unable to use his skills? There was no one to ask, including the fact that there was no way he could return back to where he came from. He remembered the warning of the Seers. They did warn him but he has refused to listen to them. He had thought with the skills he has, he could fight against these beings but no one told him he wouldn’t be able to use the skills, why then was he asked to learn it? “Don’t stop,” he tried encouraging himself. “Just keep moving.”His eyes darted from side to side in search of a way out. But there was none. The world around Sage was strange and dreamlike. Mist swirled like living vines, forming shapes that disappear
Sage crashed to the ground, his chest heaving with difficult breaths. His body ached all over, and his limbs felt heavy. His vision blurred, with darkness closing in around the edges. “Is this it?” he wondered as his eyes fluttered shut. Have I lost?”Then, a deep, peaceful silence surrounded him, as if it was wrapping around his very being. No battle. No pain. No noise. Just peace.Sage slowly opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision. But what he saw shocked him. He was no longer on the battlefield. Instead, he stood in a place that seemed to stretch endlessly in all directions. A thick fog covered the ground. The air sparkled, hinting at something magical. Sage's heart skipped a beat, but not from fear. The place felt ancient and mystical, a bit threatening. “Where… am I?” he murmured, glancing around.A soft, clear voice replied, "Where the past and present meet." The voice seemed to come from all around, with a deep, mysterious tone.Did he hear right? Sage turned and looke
Sage couldn't outgrow Sora's decision that created a burden on him. The fog around him grew thicker, and his heartbeat quickened like a drumbeat warning of war. He knew he had a big responsibility to carry from the past, but he also knew his fate wasn't sealed yet. Just then, the fog swirled with power, and as it cleared, a new reality took shape before his eyes.This time, Sage found himself in a sunny meadow. The flowers were arranged in every color, swaying gently in the breeze. The air was filled with the sweet scent of spring. The sound of birds singing in the distance and the warm sun on his cheek were calming. It was a big change from the cold, dark place he had been in before.In the middle of the meadow, Sage saw Sora. But she looked different now. Her face was smoother, and her eyes shone with a warm light that Sage had never seen before. She held something small and precious close to her chest. The sound of a baby's soft cry filled the meadow.Sora's face glowed with kindne
Three days had elapsed since Sage went missing and Aurora was thrown into her nightmare. She hasn't seen him for three days, not his voice was heard nor can anyone tell if he was alive but unresponsive. He was nowhere to be found and her hatred for him developed."He didn't even tell me where he was going!" she shouted, her voice shaking with anger. Her claws curled into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms. She didn't even notice the pain as she stormed towards his parents' house, her anger growing with each step.She reached the house in no time, not even realizing how fast she'd run. The wooden door stood in front of her, blocking her way. She pounded on it with her fists. "Open up!" she screamed, her voice sharp and angry. Someone suddenly held her hand from behind. She turned around to see Rae staring dangerously at her. “You need to stop, Aurora. This is disrespectful,” he growled, silently, trying to warn her that she has no right to hit against the door so badly beca
The air was thick with bad smells and the strong scent of old herbs and bubbling mixtures. The flame in the room cast strange shadows on the stone wall. In the middle of the room, Sage lay on a straw mat, hurt and battered.Sage was in agony. A burning pain filled his entire body, like his bones were on fire from the inside. He took short, difficult breaths, each one making a soft rasping sound. His eyes were closed, too heavy to open.The Seer sat down next to him, He focused intensely, his eyes shining with concentration. His hands moved skillfully, crushing herbs into a thick paste. He looked calm, but he was actually very afraid. "Hold me," he whispered, fixing his eyes on Sage's face, searching for any flicker of life. "You've come too far to give up now."His daughter, Mira, zipped from one side of the room to the other, quick and decisive in her movements. She took one of the jars off the top shelf, removed the cap, and put a few drops into a clay pot. She mixed it with a stick
Sage was feeling better now but anyone within the room could tell how everywhere was filled with unhappiness at what Sage had just thrown out to them. He wants to look for the witch? It was unexpected because it was something they couldn't believe. How could he suggest something like that just when he just went through a mess? The Seer's face was twisted in anger as he leaned in close to Sage, his eyes burning with quiet rage. “You're still weak,” the Seer growled, pointing a gnarled finger at Sage. “Still, your body is a mess, and your consciousness is solidly incommunicable from fact. And yet, you speak of finding Ursula? Do you understand what you're saying, boy? Ursula isn’t some rogue witch hiding in the woods, she’s an ancient force, bound by wrath and vengeance.”Sage clenched his teeth as he tried to resist the Seer's word. Sweat beaded on his forehead while he burned inside, yet his gaze held firm. “I understand more than you think,” he rasped. “I saw her. I saw everything.
At the Lock Hearts pack, Aurora woke up, staring around aimlessly. She was quite exhausted and could barely comprehend the situation she was in. A sharp sensation jolted through her head, resulting in a heavy headache. She held her head tightly, letting out a scream. The pain flowed through her head, causing her to scream more. Gwen, realizing things had taken a dark turn, rushed to her and tried to relieve the pain. “Aurora, are you okay? Calm down and take a deep breath first. You'll be fine in no time.” Gwen blurted. His aim was to help her ease out the pain but Instead, it intensified. Aurora could barely feel her head anymore and was wriggling with pain.Gwen was in a state of panic. He rushed around, trying to figure out what to do in this situation. Her screams weren't helping, as they only made him more uneasy. Soon after, he grabbed a cup of water and urged her to drink it. Reluctantly, Aurora took the cup of water and drank it all. “Try resting your head back, you wil
The room fell silent with disbelief. Each of them were frozen in shock. Fennick, Aurora’s best and lovely friend like a brother whose Grandmother was found in the forest years back, was the heir to the Autumn Pack, the very pack that had once threatened their peace? It was an impossible truth, yet the room could not deny the tension that suddenly grew between Fennick and his own identity.Sage was the first to break the silence, his voice low but firm. "We need to go," he said, his gaze never leaving Fennick’s face. "To the Autumn Pack. We have to find out what this means."The others were still in confusion, most especially Aurora. Fennick has always been like a brother to her even when she doesn’t know about his identity for long but his revelations cut deeply into her. She had thought he was with them, maybe he lost his scent but now that he was saying it made her think that she has never even known him. It was a difficult truth to accept. Fennick was their friend, their brother,
The Pack dining room was filled with the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and the warmth of togetherness. After the heartache of the last few weeks, that night was a chance to heal, celebrate survival, and find peace in the company of one another. The scent of roast meat and freshly baked bread filled the entire place. Sage stood near the far end of the room, his hand resting gently on the back of Aurora’s chair. She had her chin tilted slightly down, her fingers playing with the glass in front of her, lost in thought. For a moment, Sage’s gaze softened, taking in the quiet beauty of the woman who had been at his side and his mate.He had been wanting to talk to her for days now, no, for weeks, but every time he saw her, the words escaped him. How could he put everything into words when everything had changed so much?Aurora felt his eyes on her, and slowly, she looked up. There was something in his gaze that made her heart skip a beat.Sage moved to her side, pulling out the cha
Beta Craig's tears and loud wailing alerted the whole pack that another tragic death had occurred. They could feel the sudden disconnection from their Alpha. The mournful howls echoed through the Pack as each of them expressed their own grief in their own ways. For a pack that had already endured so much, this final blow was just so unbearable. It was a big loss for everyone in the Pack.Gwen gently took Alpha Cowell’s lifeless body from Beta Craig’s trembling hands. He resisted at first, clutching his friend’s cold form until his strength gave out. His knees buckled, and a heart-wrenching sob escaped him as they pried Cowell’s body away. With solemn reverence, they carried Cowell’s body away. The same honor was given to Sora, whose ultimate sacrifice had saved Aurora. Their bravery was admired, for they had given their lives to protect another.Aurora sat beside Sage, her eyes fixed on his peaceful face. She had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for him to wake up, and she
Aurora slowly opened her eyes, coughing as the acrid smoke filled her lungs. Her thoughts were heavy, unsure of where she was or what had happened. As she struggled to sit up, memories flashed through her mind and as she remembered her fight with the witch, she assessed her body for injuries, expecting to find scars or stab wounds. But to her surprise, she found none.Confusion etched on her face, Aurora turned her head to take in her surroundings. The room was in shambles, furniture overturned, and debris scattered everywhere. But it was the body slumped on the ground that caught her attention.Aurora's heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to her feet, rushing towards the lifeless form. "Sora!" she cried out, her voice trembling with fear as she recognised the face.She reached her grandmother's side and soon her eyes welled up with tears. Sora lay limp, her eyes closed, and her face pale. Aurora gently shook her, calling out her name, but there was no response.Aurora's mind reeled
Ursula's cave was surrounded in darkness and the only sound that filled the place was a soft humming from her. Just in a flash, she sprang up from where she sat, seething her teeth in anger as she started to feel her powers draining out. She suddenly let out a horrible scream, throwing her head backwards as she shook vehemently. She paced back and forth in front of her mirror, her long, black hair swirling around her like a dark cloud. Her eyes, once bright with malevolence, now seemed dull and lifeless."How could this be?!" she spat, her voice venomous. "I used Octavia and Aurora to gain the upper hand. I manipulated them, used their innocence against them."Ursula's mind flashed back to the day she met the two of them. She has lied about giving her powers to Sora at birth Octavia. But in reality, she had been using them to further her own powers. She has indeed given Sora a child but it was with the aim to build her powers and the child was connected to those powers that she used
“We do not have any interest in that. We work for Alpha Dylan and now you are saying we should go against him? I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” the leader proclaimed. “Moreover, we have other important things to handle.” Then, he turned to one of his men, “Take her away and dump her back in the pack,” he commanded. His men immediately obliged, grabbing Rose and attempting to carry her away yet, Rose wasn't going to give up that easily.She had swore to leave with them, or die trying to do so. As soon as the men grabbed her and left an opening for their weapon, Rose reached for one of their swords. The sword was drawn from its scabbard and she swung it at the men but they were quick to move out of the way to avoid getting hit. Turning to their leader, Rose aimed the sword at his neck. “You will help my people, or I'll kill you and die afterwards.” She emitted with so much audacity. The fierce look in her eyes was quite scary, and the leader wondered if it was the same person that came in
|Flashback|His heart was saddened and he wished he could go back in time but it was impossible. What has happened has happened and the only thing he could do was think of a way forward but how was that going to be possible? He was locked up in the dungeon for the first time in his life like a gnashing lion, how could he think of breaking loose? How would he be able to gain back his position when he couldn’t even access his people. When all he could do was drool himself in pity.He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he jerked when he heard the sound of rumbling keys. His initial thought was that a guard had come in to attend to him but was suddenly taken aback by the presence. “Rose?” his eyes widened in shock as he stared at her in disbelief. “What the fucking hell are you doing here?!” he snarled, shocked and confused but she was quick to place a finger on her lips to shut him up. “I did not really sneak in,” she whispered. “They know I'm here and I have limited time to talk wit
The Pack’s square was filled with noise growls, shouts, and the murmurs of the betrayed. The Pack members of Lock Hearts Pack were now passive spectators to Sage's deterioration. Their eyes, once filled with respect and admiration, now brimmed with anger, frustration, and pain."He's a whimpering jackanape!," shrieked a high-pitched old she-wolf, voice like a razor sharp scream of agony. “How dare you call yourself an Alpha?”“You left us!” another voice yelled from the crowd. “Left us to fend for ourselves while you went chasing spirits and shadows!”“You’re nothing but a failure, Sage!" shouted a young warrior, his voice full of venom. “You brought shame to this Pack!”They riled up from all angles, each one a knife to Sage´s chest. However, each word weighed down more than the one before, and yet he held his gaze steady, forcing himself to bear it. His fingers twitched at his sides, his claws threatening to emerge, but he didn't move. They don't understand... They don’t know the tr
Sage leaned against the cold, damp wall of his cell, his head down. The metallic smell of blood and iron invaded his olfactory system and, with each breath, it became more difficult to breathe. His physical condition was poor, his body was weak and his muscles ached, but nothing was worse than the pain in his chest.Alpha Dylan.The name echoed in his mind like a curse. It burned hotter than any of his wounds. “How could I have been so blind?” he thought, his jaw clenching with frustration. Alpha Dylan had been a friend, or at least he had thought he had been. Sage had shared his concerns with him, confided in him, had talked to Dylan of his anxieties as a newly constituted Alpha, and Dylan answered with the patience of the wise mentor.But it was all a lie.His hands clenched into little fists and his nails bit into his palms until his flesh just about fell apart. He leaned back, gaze closed, focusing on the effort of remembering every single word Dylan had ever spoken. Each word, ea