[Amor’s POV] Sensing my presence, Hikari got up. He was completely wasted. With an unstable footing, he walked past me. “Stay,” I said. He halted. His back faced me. I turned and walked closer to him, encountering a powerful stench of wine. I presented him with the food. “Luna sent this asking you to finish it. She said she doesn’t like people who waste food. She also apologised for staring at you. It was for no other reason than her curiosity about your culture and chopsticks. But if it made you uncomfortable, then she said she was sorry.” I said in a monotonous tone, constantly repeating just one sentence in my head — what the hell am I even doing! I peered at Hikari, waiting for a response. He stared at the food in my hand blankly. “Look, I know you don’t like my presence around you, but Zeve becomes scary when food is wasted. You witnessed it yourself at the family dinner. That is why I had to come.” Hikari still stood there silently. I knew it would be futile. He was th
[Zeve’s POV] When I thought I wanted to spy on the vampires, blue butterflies made of light appeared all around me. Somehow, I was conscious within all of them. They were like parts of my consciousness. I could see, feel, and hear what they were experiencing. But there were so many and all at the same time, it caused a complete chaos in my head. A sharp pain ran through my head. I could see the beach clearly, as if I was the one flying over them and not those butterflies. I could see everyone in every room of the palace as if I was gliding through the palace and not those butterflies. But the vision of one butterfly fluttering in my room froze my body. Amor was sitting in the room, hiding his presence. Did he hear everything I talked to myself? I thought he was with Hikari… No. Hikari was in his room, fast asleep on his bed. I could see him from the vision of those spy butterflies. Spy butterflies — that was what I named them. I snapped my finger, visualising those but
[Zeve’s POV] The attack had put the entire pack in chaos. The news spread like a wildfire and hundreds of opinions started circulating in the pack. The major highlights of the attack were the enemy who could fly, hybrids coming in limelight after hiding in darkness for years, and the firestorm appearing in the middle of the sea out of nowhere that defeated the enemy. That wasn’t the first attack on Amor, so no one was shocked, but suspicions started revolving around me because no attacks on Amor had ever been that mysterious and unnatural. People became opinionated about me. The curiosity about my origin and my background started overtaking the articles in the werewolf daily newspapers. No section of the pack was left untouched by the arrival of a mysterious luna. My fears were all turning into reality. Even Amor couldn’t put a leash on such rumours that hit the headlines. We needed a bigger news to cover it all up. So, Amor publicly announced my fight with Hikari. It was to b
[Zeve’s POV] I clenched the hilt in my fist, waiting for him to speak up. He hadn’t disclosed the truth about my magical powers to anyone, and I didn’t know why. We weren’t close enough for him to keep my secrets. I smiled faintly. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for saving me back then. So please accept my gratitude.” “I express my gratitude for your concern in the eatery. I received your message with the food.” He said formally. “I don’t know how to weave webs of words, so let me come straight to the point. I wanted to ask why you were restraining your powers during the attack?” I tensed my brows. Powers? Was he talking about my magic? “What do you mean?” “Why were you trying to hold back?” He asked. “I am sorry. I cannot comprehend the context of your questions.” “During the attack on the ship, you were hiding your powers. More than the enemy, you were scared to be caught by someone from the Aurora pack. It was as if you knew you could take care of all those hybrids
[Amor’s POV] I taught her meditation. I didn’t know how effective it would be to realise her powers and accept them. But her panicking would definitely make everything even worse. To stop her panic attacks and calm her mind and body, meditation was the only solution I had. But maybe it was more effective than I thought it to be. Since I taught her meditation, most of the time of a day she would spend being lost within her consciousness. She didn’t even eat, drink, and sleep properly. It took us one more day to reach Aura palace. With only seven days left for the duel, my concerns were brimming. I didn’t know how I could help her. She asked me to leave her alone for those seven days. Not to disturb her for anything. Not even food. As a luna, she should have greeted the palace and its people on arrival, but she didn’t and it was ok. I knew she had many more things to worry about. I asked mother and aunt Lozbi to handle all that stuff for the time being. I tried talking to Hik
[Amor’s POV] Zeve and Hikari took ten steps away from one another, turned and then stood facing each other. The referee signalled. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. The fireworks shot into the sky one after the other. Boom! The fireworks exploded in the heights of the sky. The balls of colourful light sprayed the dark canvas of the sky with sparkling lights over the stadium. The ones following it lit the stadium with red, green, blue, yellow lights. But none of the fireworks were grand enough to make Zeve flinch as she stood glaring right into Hikari’s eyes. The last firework exploded. Before its bang could seize, their swords clicked out of their scabbards. The stadium was soon buzzing with the clanging of their swords. The two very important blades of my life were finally clashing against one another. The sound of steel slowly sliding on one another screeched in the stadium when they parried each other and stood feet apart, panting. Taking Hikari’s one slash was no joke
[Amor’s POV] The audience was calming down from the elation their fight had put them on the edge of their seats. Hikari treaded away from her and stood facing the crater. His long hair fluttering now and then, revealing his glowing dark blue eyes. He had swords in both his hands. His demeanour wasn’t of a person who had won, but… “Don’t look down upon me…” a faint sound echoed in the stadium. Hikari immediately took his fighting stance. “... LOOK AT ME!” Zeve’s howl alarmed the whole stadium. I got goosebumps all over my body, feeling the immense pressure that overpowered Hikari’s bloodlust. My vision shifted from the crater to all over the ground, but she was nowhere. I looked at the sky. She shot at Hikari, crashing into him. Hikari had blocked her claws, crossing the swords in front of him. Zeve clenched Hikari’s hair and flipped him upside down with her. Hikari balanced his body in midair and landed on the ground. She kicked the back of his knees, making him kneel.
[Amor’s POV] After a break of one day, the stadium was set once again for Zeve’s awarding and introduction ceremony. But that was not it. It would be the first time the new luna of the Aurora pack would address her people. That would kick start the festivity and celebration in Arginieth for a week to welcome their luna. Mother helped Zeve prepare the speech. Her wounds hadn’t healed completely, but she was better after a day’s rest. As for Hikari, he had recovered already. He suffered no major damage to his body. “So, are you ready to answer my questions?” I asked Zeve. She sat on the bed; her back leaning against the headboard. She nodded. “What was that? Explain to me everything in detail…” She held my hand, leaning close to me. I was sitting on the chair beside her bed. “Before you get angry or doubt me, I want to tell you I didn’t intend to hide this from you.” “Hide what? Your wolf’s strength? Or the weird sword skill that defeated Hikari? Or how you just knew about Hik
(This is a free chapter. You won’t need to pay for it. So, please do it read it until the end.) Dear readers, So this journey had finally come to an end! First of all, THANK YOU so much for reading this book, investing your time, and giving it so much love and appreciation. Your every gem, your every comment, your every review has brightened my day and uplifted my spirit in my hard times. This is my first book on this platform and I couldn’t have ever imagined of getting so far. But you made this possible and I am super grateful for all your supports, lovelies. I know this book isn’t perfect and nor am I, but I always try my best to better my craft and create a world where all of us could unite. So, don’t forget to tell me who your favourite character/s was/were in this story? If you enjoyed the book, a review on the main page of the book is much appreciated. It really helps with the growth of the book. And so do your gems and comments. Thank you for coming on this adventure w
[Zeve’s POV] As I plunged into the magma, I had no thoughts in my head. My body was being consumed by the flames, while my heart almost stopped. It was cold inside the volcano. My clothes and armour melted away, but neither the flames nor the magma touched my skin. They flowed inches away from my skin. I held my breath. The bright red glowing magma flowed magnificently inside the volcano. It was scary how I could feel its heat yet not get burned. It was like one of those dreams came to reality, except this time the one to be burnt in flames was me and not Amor. The magma behind me started taking some kind of form. I felt Amor’s presence and my heart skipped a beat. I felt hands warped under my waist and knees. I shut my eyes with a shudder. The next thing I remember was I was sitting far away on the ground and watching the magma, ashes and rocks explode out of the volcano like fireworks. There was a dazzling figure hovering above the volcano, suppressing it back into the ground
[Zahir’s POV]Why don’t you smile?Why don’t you cry?Why don’t you fight?Why don’t you get angry?Why don’t you get scared?What the hell is wrong with you?You are my son, and you cannot be the monster they say you are.Feel!Feel something!Feel anything!Feel everything!‘If nothing, then feel the pain!’That face of a person I was supposed to call my mother.Those glowing eyes floating in sheer darkness.Those words were like pure acid, pouring in my ears.Those snarls of pure hatred and screams and cries, those slaps and whips.The dark bathroom flooded with water everywhere and blood dissolved in it through my veins.I remember.Maybe I felt nothing but cold. It was unbearably cold.That time, that’s all I felt. A cold that made my spine shiver.I wanted to feel, but how?Everything I locked up within me and in the magic and key core came back.It all came back, but I think it never left in the first place.Even after hundreds of years, I could still feel her presence by the s
[Zeve’s POV]“Mother, stop!” Killian yelled.“Venus, calm down… we can make things right, ok? Trust me. Put down the blade…” Zahir coaxed Venus into his manipulative tone.Venus distanced the blade from her throat as if Zahir’s words were controlling her on a mental level. Her hands were shaking as she held the blade to her throat.Her eyes were frozen, as if she was in Zahir’s control. She shook her head with a gasp, “no, not anymore. You can’t control me anymore…” her voice came out hoarse and shaky.And she put the blade against her neck again, this time cutting her skin and bleeding.“NO! NO! Stop!” Zahir panicked and stepped back from Venus, raising his hands.“What the hell is going on here? Venus!” I called out and was about to go to her when Hikari held my hand.I looked at him and frowned. Hikari shook his head.I looked at Venus again and the blade was Hikari’s katana.“Your katana?” I felt a strange fear take over me as I stared at Hikari for an answer.“I must have dropped
[Zeve’s POV]‘I see him burning and these nightmares just don’t stop. Day after day, it’s always the same thing. I try to save him, but the flames always find their way to him. His body… it’s like it’s melting. I couldn’t get these nightmares out of my head and it’s disturbing. A lot. So, I came to you for guidance. Do these nightmares mean something?’‘Dreams are often a window for the future. We just need to interpret them rightly,’ priestess Melantha said when I met her in my third year in Phantoria. ‘For a seed to turn into a sapling and then into a huge tree, the seed coat needs to break. He’ll burn for you and this world.’‘No, he won’t. I won’t let death touch him, not because of me — especially not because of this world.’ This was what I told her, and then she replied with a subtle smile.‘What is the definition of death for you, luna?’ She asked.‘I don’t know. Death for me is what it’s for everyone else. Bad, painful and gloomy and… end.’‘When the right time comes, you will
[Zeve’s POV]There were two souls active inside Killian. One was of Derek and another of Polaris. Killian decided based on the soul that dominated him at a time.That was the only sane explanation I could give to why he was using Celeste as a hostage when Killian saved her, risking his own life.“Fine,” I said, calmly. “Let them go. But I don’t know how to get the core out of my body. Extract it yourself.”Killian frowned. “No hidden tricks, Zeve. I don’t have time for that.”I raised my hand to my shoulders as if I was surrendering myself. “I am telling you the truth. I was born with this core and never took it out. I am not playing any tricks.”Killian thought for some time and then stretched his palm towards me. Four black magic circles appeared around me. One above my head, one below my feet, one in front of my chest, and one behind it.“I am already stuck here. I can’t escape. Please let them go now,” I said. The hellhounds backed off from Lucella and Celeste.The suction from
[Zeve’s POV]The sound of gunshots, along with screams of the knights getting attacked, mashed up with the howls of the hellhounds dominating the road. Killian coughed vigorously and threw out the broken pieces of rock with his teeth and blood from his mouth. “Oh, I know what devilishness it takes to create a utopia. But you really piss me off whenever I see you…” Killian snarled at Amor.Killian created a dark energy ball between himself and Amor, who was pressing him against the ground. The energy ball exploded, flinging Amor far away from Killian.Amor jumped back to his feet and drew out his sword. The armour worked. Amor wasn’t hurt badly. But I could just stand and wait for him to be hurt.I looked at the sky with my apprehension increasing with every second.On the training grounds, the screeches of shadow eaters were tackling the fire wall, keeping them locked within the magic circle. It was as if their screams were summoning the rain because heavy clouds had started looming
[Killian’s POV]Dark clouds stirred over the ruins of the Aura palace and its training grounds. The land had prepared to devour the souls and vomit a curse in the darkest shade of black to open the portal to the dark world from where the creatures of hell would flood the land, turning it into their grazing field. They would feed on souls and lock them in timeless gloom — in a world of nothingness and doom. Their minds were under my control and their souls on my command would set themselves ablaze on the magical ground.I was prepared and so was the enemy.Heavy military and army of hundreds guarded the boundaries around the precinct of the Aura palace and its land. The knights were armoured and ready with their swords, defending the boundaries of the palace from outside.Warriors were ironclad in their wolf forms. The wolves of darker colours were standing on the front lines and surrounded the training grounds.The soldiers created a wall of shields on either side of the criminals’ p
[Zeve’s POV]“Should I take off this gown now?” Celeste asked, walking to me and then standing beside me as we peered at the air where Killian stood seconds ago.I looked at Celeste and caressed her cheek. “I know it’s uncomfortable, sweetie, but wait a little, hmm?”Celeste looked into my eyes and nodded once.“You did a good job. I am proud of you,” I said.A week without the key core and Celeste already looked so fragile. I had to get back the key core from Killian after the plan played out the way I wanted it to.I looked at the sky. The chess board was laid out, the only thing left was the game to begin.“Zeve, I don’t like this at all. You are pregnant and even if everything goes according to your plan, it’s still dangerous because we don’t know what might happen when things actually start happening,” Amor said.I looked at Amor and smiled.“I have heard kids take after their parents. I want my child to be brave, and for that, I have to be braver today. I am going to be a mother