(Iris) We walked in silence through the dense forest, the weight of our thoughts hanging heavily in the air. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting eerie shadows on the ground. Jasper’s presence beside me was a comfort and a burden at the same time. We had been through so much together, but now, everything felt different. Jasper broke the silence. “I don’t even recognize her anymore,” he said, his voice tinged with sadness and frustration. “Losing your only parent really makes you grow up fast,” I replied, my own heart aching for Naomi. We had all lost so much. Too much. “That makes all four of us now,” Jasper muttered. I nodded but didn’t say anything. The silence settled between us again, heavy and suffocating. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. “What’s your plan?” I asked, needing to know what he was thinking. “Are you going to help me?” He shot back, his eyes narrowing. “No,” I admitted. “Then I’m not telling you,” he said flatly. “If you kill him, there wil
(Seraphina)The stronghold echoed with an oppressive stillness that weighed on my shoulders like a leaden cloak. It reminded me of the tension before a storm. Despite the flickering torches and bustling activity of the warriors, an unshakeable melancholy filled the air. It was a stark contrast to the freedom and simplicity of my rogue days, a life I now found myself yearning for in the moments of bleak introspection. When I was a rogue, decisions were mine alone and the burdens were lighter. Lucas, or Elias, had physically recovered from the wolfsbane’s poison, his strength and vitality restored. And yet, his spirit seemed to dwindle with each passing day. Mentally, he had not recovered. Today, his usual restraint snapped like a brittle branch in a storm, unleashing a fury that startled everyone around him. Even a young servant, nervous and fumbling, bore the brunt of his anger for a minor spill. It wasn’t like him. The poison had changed him. At least, that’s what everyone else
(Iris)As I sat by the waterfall, I couldn’t help but voice my doubts. “Are you sure the kid knows what he is doing?” I asked Jasper, my voice tinged with worry. “For the hundredth time, Iris, it was your plan. I only provided the idea,” Jasper replied with a hint of exasperation. After we decided that Seraphina was the key to solving our problems, we realized we needed to meet her face to face. Jasper suggested that we might find some kids playing in the woods, just like we used to, and get them to pass a note to her.“How do you know she will come alone? Maybe all you did was set us up to be thrown back into jail,” I questioned, my anxiety bubbling up again. “I think she will come alone. Call it intuition,” Jasper said, rolling his eyes. “Intuition,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I wish I had as much faith in intuition as you do.” Jasper sighed, the sound heavy with patience wearing thin. “Iris, we’ve been over this. If we don’t take risks, we’ll never get anywhere.” I knew he
(Iris)I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves before speaking. “Seraphina, there’s a lot you need to know. Things have changed, and we can’t afford any more misunderstandings.” Her eyes remained cold and skeptical, but she didn’t interrupt me. I took that as a small victory and plunged ahead. “We found evidence of a plot against Elias,” I began, choosing my words carefully. “It involves Caden and his sister. They’ve been orchestrating fights in the woods, trying to create chaos and weaken Elias’s position.” Seraphina’s expression didn’t soften, but she leaned in slightly, indicating that she was listening. I pressed on. “Caden has his men try and kill Jasper. We ran off into the woods because they were trying to kill us. Then we got kidnapped by Caden’s men. I think he was trying to make it look like Elias couldn’t control his pack. I know they wanted to make it look like Jasper and I ran off together.” Seraphina’s eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, anger, confusion
(Naomi)I traced all the symbols on the door of the room onto a piece of paper and went back to my room. The ancient pack house was eerie, filled with shadows that seemed to whisper secrets. My father’s old book was tucked away in my carry-on bag, a book he insisted I read. It was about blood magic and ancient symbols, something I had always thought of as old legends rather than anything real. As I settled down on my bed, I pulled the book out, its leather cover worn and cracking. The symbols I had copied from the door earlier that day weighed heavily on my mind. I needed to understand them, to piece together the motive behind their placement. The first symbol I found was one about blocking mind-link, a critical piece of information. That symbol had been at the center of the door, a clear indication that whoever placed it wanted to disrupt communication among us. The other symbols were all about the Lycan race, and none of them were positive. It was almost like a tapestry of
(Iris)The night stretched on, each tick of the clock a slow drip of agony. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the hours pressing down on me. The waiting was both excruciating, boring and nerve-wracking. The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the moon filtering through the thin curtains. The shadows danced on the walls, creating shapes that seemed to taunt me with their ever-shifting forms. Nervous energy buzzed through me like a swarm of angry bees, making it impossible to find any semblance of peace. I tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but the anxiety gnawing at my insides wouldn’t let me rest. Every creak of the floodboards, every rustle of the leaves outside, set my heart racing. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only thirty minutes, I felt Jasper stir beside me. He moved closer, his arm snaking around my waist from behind. His touch was warm and familiar, a small comfort in the midst
(Elias)The night air was cool, a welcome respite from the stifling heat of the day. I stood on the balcony, staring out at the moonlit landscape, lost in thought. It had been a long time since Seraphina and I had a proper conversation, and I missed the days when we were close. I remembered the times when we could talk about anything and everything. Her laughter would fill the room, and her smile was enough to make me forget my worries. But things had changed, they always did. War had a way of hardening people, building walls around their hearts that even the closest bonds struggled to penetrate. Seraphina had always been strong, but the weight of responsibility and the constant threat looming over us had taken its toll. I saw it in her eyes, the flicker of doubt and fear that she tried so hard to hide. I leaned against the railing, feeling the cold metal beneath my hands. I was confused, and stressed. I wondered if Seraphina felt the same conflict, the same pull between duty a
(Iris)I was awakened abruptly by the intrusive, insistent voice of Elias in my mind. The mind-link we shared allowed him to reach me no matter the distance. His tone was anything but gentle, more like a growl of frustration. “You want to come on your own, or should I send my men to get you?” he demanded. Clearly, Seraphina had completed her part of the plan, and now it was my turn. I took a deep breath, calming the surge of adrenaline that spiked through me. Elias’s impatience was evident, but there was an underlying tension that hinted at something more. “You have to promise our safety,” I replied, my voice steady despite the rapid beating of my heart. This was a non-negotiable term. I couldn’t risk Jasper’s life or mine without some form of assurance.“Sure,” Elias responded tersely. The single word was laced with irritation, barely masking the anger simmering beneath the surface. He didn’t trust me, and I couldn’t blame him. Trust was a rare commodity these days. As I o