*Solveigh’s*I step through the black hole portal, and my breath catches in my throat. The darkness enveloping me is thick, almost tangible, and I feel like I'm choking on it. Panic rises within me as I sense the presence of the creatures, born from the shadows and chaos that surround us."Sol," Seth's voice rings out, startling me. He's right beside me, his strong hand gripping mine. He steadies myself emotionally. My panic begins to subside a little, replaced by a sense of calm that only Seth can provide. "We'll get through this," he whispers, his eyes filled with determination."Where are they? Amrafel, Caliope," I call out, searching for our companions. Within seconds, they materialize before us, their powerful auras cutting through the darkness. Amrafel's eyes are like twin flames, lighting up his face, while Caliope's gaze is as sharp as obsidian."Ready to fight these dark creatures?" Amrafel asks, his voice low and steady. Caliope nods, her face set in grim resolve. I feel conf
*Caliope*I watch Amral crumple to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he loses consciousness. Panic surges through me like a tidal wave, drowning out all other emotions. The dark creatures circle him, preparing to tear him apart, and something inside me snaps."Amral!" I scream, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear and desperation. He can't die; not now, not like this. My love for him, my need to protect him, fuels my anger and pain. I have more to fight for than ever before."Get away from him!" I roar, focusing all my dark powers into a singular force. Shadows stretch out from my fingertips, wrapping around the monstrous beings that threaten his life. I tug at the darkness, sending the creatures flying away from his motionless body."Please, you can't leave me," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. Desperation echoes through my voice, and I feel it deep within my soul. "You can't die."The creatures recover quickly, turning their attention towards me. But I'm not afrai
*Solveigh*My consciousness returns slowly, as if emerging from the depths of a murky abyss. The voices around me are hushed and indistinct, like echoes in a fog. I strain to understand them, but they remain elusive.‘Sol,’ Seth's voice resonates within my mind, warm and reassuring. ‘You're going to be okay. You need more rest before your body can fully recover.’I want to respond, to tell him how tired I am, but my limbs are heavy and unresponsive. My eyelids feel weighed down, as if encased in stone. It's frustrating, this inability to move or communicate.‘Mom... Dad…’ I try to call for them in my thoughts, hoping Seth will relay my message.Footsteps approach, and I sense their familiar presence even before I hear dad's deep, calming voice. "Seth, how is she?""Her body is still too weak to talk or open her eyes or move yet," Seth explains gently. "But she can hear us."My heart swells with gratitude. They came, just as I knew they would. I wish I could see their faces or embrace t
*Meadow*The sun casts a warm golden glow, as if trying to heal the scarred landscape left by the war. Fields, once lush and green, lie ravaged, but sprouts of new life fight their way through the wreckage. The earth seems to be slowly stitching itself back together, just as we are.I sit anxiously as I wait for Sol to walk down the flowered aisle. She chose this place as the setting for her wedding, and when I asked her why, she said she wanted to honor those people who fell during our battle."Look at that," Xavier says, pointing to a small group of deer grazing in the distance. "Life always finds a way.""Indeed," I reply, my voice catching in my throat. The sight is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It's hard not to think of those who never got to see this moment of renewal.Right after the battle, we spent our days rebuilding the world around us, not only the physical structures, but also the hearts and minds of those left behind. It's a slow and arduous process, but with each bri
*Meadow*I opened the door of my loyal 20-year-old truck and picked up a bouquet of flowers from the back seat. There are many flower vendors near the cemetery, but I always purchase from a little old store near my mother's old home.The owner was my mother's friend, and she knew that every 2 weeks I was coming to visit her so she would put extra effort into making a nice bouquet for Mom, with her favorite flowers. I always offer to pay the full price, but in the same way, she always refuses, only allowing me to pay half of it. I wasn't going to argue, she was one of my mom's best friends, and still had those watery eyes when she saw me walk in to get the usual arrangement."Morning sweetheart, I got your special package waiting for you, just give me a minute, and I will go get it from the back." She was just adorable; her daughter was so young, barely 17 and was already inserted in the family business. She smiled at me and waved from her corner where she cut and removed the base th
*Caleb*I shifted myself in the car; every bump in the road making one or another of the injuries sting or bring back the pain. I was tired, the drugs they gave me to help cope the healing process worked well, but they made me feel like I could sleep for days."Alpha, we've arrived. The guards at the front say there is no one, except a human far on the other side.""Let's just get this over with," I said as I frown.Peyton was Alexei's son; or Alex as I call him, and he was the most painful loss in last night's battle. The stubborn pup wanted to help, but he should have listened to his father when he told him to stay back with the rest of the pack. When Agape, the wife of the rogue's alpha, found him barking at them, she smirked an evil soulless smile just before she snarled at him and in a matter of seconds, broke his neck with her maw. That bitch was going to get what was coming to her and her pack.Alex hadn't say a word since we heard that last quick cry, just before his life
*Meadow*Everything was dark at first, but I slowly started to open my eyes and felt them heavy. Where was I?I heard a man grunt and focused my sight towards the origin of the sound. Now I could see better; I was in a room, a library of some sort, and huge walls of books were the only thing I could see everywhere the light made contact. The fireplace crackled, and I heard another grunt."I am finishing Alpha, just one more round." A female voice brought my attention. I tilted my head and noticed I was laying on a big couch. Scratch that, a huge couch; I was sure four more of me could fit in without effort. I looked towards the fireplace and saw the silhouette of a man leaning against a shelf of books next to the fire. A woman was wrapping something around his torso. I blinked a few times and noticed the bandages.He stiffened and moved his head slightly towards the woman. She finished her attention to his wound then picked his shirt to help him put it back on. Who was He? Why was
*Meadow*He was silent for a moment before he started to get up, then he lost balance and fell to the floor, I jumped up and rushed to his side, my head was spinning, but I didn't care. I rested my hand on his back, and he shuddered. "Maybe I should call the nurse again? Are you ok?" I said, and he lifted his eyes to meet mine. Under the flames of the fire, I felt trapped in his deep dark gaze."I... I will be ok. You don't have to worry about me." He hesitated.I sat next to him and started to look around his bandage for any trace of blood that might indicate an open wound. The truth was, I really needed a distraction from his gaze, or I would lose my mind and breathe. I didn't notice he leaned closer to me and had his eyes closed. When I looked up at him, he was breathing heavy. "I should really call the nurse," I said, getting up to head to the door, but he held my wrist, and his eyes burned me. "I will be ok. I will call one of my men to take you back. I am sorry," Men? he had
*Meadow*The sun casts a warm golden glow, as if trying to heal the scarred landscape left by the war. Fields, once lush and green, lie ravaged, but sprouts of new life fight their way through the wreckage. The earth seems to be slowly stitching itself back together, just as we are.I sit anxiously as I wait for Sol to walk down the flowered aisle. She chose this place as the setting for her wedding, and when I asked her why, she said she wanted to honor those people who fell during our battle."Look at that," Xavier says, pointing to a small group of deer grazing in the distance. "Life always finds a way.""Indeed," I reply, my voice catching in my throat. The sight is both beautiful and heartbreaking. It's hard not to think of those who never got to see this moment of renewal.Right after the battle, we spent our days rebuilding the world around us, not only the physical structures, but also the hearts and minds of those left behind. It's a slow and arduous process, but with each bri
*Solveigh*My consciousness returns slowly, as if emerging from the depths of a murky abyss. The voices around me are hushed and indistinct, like echoes in a fog. I strain to understand them, but they remain elusive.‘Sol,’ Seth's voice resonates within my mind, warm and reassuring. ‘You're going to be okay. You need more rest before your body can fully recover.’I want to respond, to tell him how tired I am, but my limbs are heavy and unresponsive. My eyelids feel weighed down, as if encased in stone. It's frustrating, this inability to move or communicate.‘Mom... Dad…’ I try to call for them in my thoughts, hoping Seth will relay my message.Footsteps approach, and I sense their familiar presence even before I hear dad's deep, calming voice. "Seth, how is she?""Her body is still too weak to talk or open her eyes or move yet," Seth explains gently. "But she can hear us."My heart swells with gratitude. They came, just as I knew they would. I wish I could see their faces or embrace t
*Caliope*I watch Amral crumple to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he loses consciousness. Panic surges through me like a tidal wave, drowning out all other emotions. The dark creatures circle him, preparing to tear him apart, and something inside me snaps."Amral!" I scream, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear and desperation. He can't die; not now, not like this. My love for him, my need to protect him, fuels my anger and pain. I have more to fight for than ever before."Get away from him!" I roar, focusing all my dark powers into a singular force. Shadows stretch out from my fingertips, wrapping around the monstrous beings that threaten his life. I tug at the darkness, sending the creatures flying away from his motionless body."Please, you can't leave me," I whisper, tears streaming down my face. Desperation echoes through my voice, and I feel it deep within my soul. "You can't die."The creatures recover quickly, turning their attention towards me. But I'm not afrai
*Solveigh’s*I step through the black hole portal, and my breath catches in my throat. The darkness enveloping me is thick, almost tangible, and I feel like I'm choking on it. Panic rises within me as I sense the presence of the creatures, born from the shadows and chaos that surround us."Sol," Seth's voice rings out, startling me. He's right beside me, his strong hand gripping mine. He steadies myself emotionally. My panic begins to subside a little, replaced by a sense of calm that only Seth can provide. "We'll get through this," he whispers, his eyes filled with determination."Where are they? Amrafel, Caliope," I call out, searching for our companions. Within seconds, they materialize before us, their powerful auras cutting through the darkness. Amrafel's eyes are like twin flames, lighting up his face, while Caliope's gaze is as sharp as obsidian."Ready to fight these dark creatures?" Amrafel asks, his voice low and steady. Caliope nods, her face set in grim resolve. I feel conf
*Solveigh*I feel like I am in a new state of existence, and every inch of my body is running with electricity; something else has replaced my blood, and the adrenaline is addictive. Seth’s hand presses on my back and I know the reason why I haven't fainted is that of him.A large creature falls close to me and I jump, but quickly regain my focus, not wanting to be distracted, but the smell that comes from its corpse is making me nauseous. I shiver slightly but lock my eyes on my brother Ian, and then I feel ready to try more.It is not the first time; I have done this before, transferring my abilities, affecting them in a way that helped them, enhancing them. I know I can do this, and so, I feel myself reach to Xavier and he shudders slightly, then his voice booms, and it starts to affect the lesser creatures that screech in what now has become a battlefield.I can’t erase the smile on my face; we are making things happen, they are stepping away, so many of them are on the floor alrea
*Xavier*‘They are here,’ are Ian’s words. Words that reach me just as I finish kissing my mates.I rush outside and I see Ian in the middle of the large field, he is looking up to the sky and my eyes follow his. A black pool of nothingness is starting to grow, and I see the elementals panicking as they whisper things in different languages and I know my brother feels them more than me.This angers me; it is not like we weren’t expecting them. Sure, we didn’t know specifically when they were going to attack again, but we had been preparing for them.I focus on the fire elementals and I let my command voice do its job. “Gather up! Get ready! Distraction is needed very fast! Chop chop!”Uncle Aen is quickly joining them, keeping his calm as he looks at me and nods, he knows the time has come. I turn to look at my mates and I feel caught up in the same panic; my mates need to be safe.“Don’t you stand there, you need to get over there and help take them down,” Dana pulls me out from the s
*Meadow*I rush into the cabin, and I find a small gathering in the living room. I don’t understand why everyone is here and not inside helping my Sol. Caleb quickly reaches me and we both walk straight towards her bedroom door.Until Xavier stops us.“Son?” I ask, confused and angry at the same time. “What is happening?”“Mother, wait… Sol is actually ok, she was taken to Caliope’s father to help.”His words feel almost like a foreign language to me. “I can’t feel her mind, what do you mean with all this?”I look at Caly and she actually looks back at me with a face filled with confusion and fear. It is Lucifer who speaks for her. “I have been many eons in my own prison, so I know what he is doing. He has felt a connection to Sol, so he has used her to send a message to us. He can’t hold it for long, so she should be back very soon.”Her words make some sense, and I understand why Caly is a bit shaken by this. I look at her and nod, trying to contain myself as well, showing her that
*Solveigh*I walk through a path of tall and untamed grass. Wild dandelions fly as I walk by them, and the sun shines at its peak, yet its heat is soothing, not overwhelming. The wind blows on my face, and there is pure peace embracing me.Am I dreaming?No, this is not a dream, it is so real. I feel the grass at the tip of my fingers and I sense the texture of them. I see a cabin, a very old one, and a scarecrow that is standing in the middle of the empty land. I frown as I notice that there are no crows nor any animals around us.Everything seems so eery and quiet. Too quiet.As the seconds pass and I keep walking, I get worried, something is about to happen or is happening. I am not sure what it is, even though I keep looking all around me, but something doesn’t fit. Is like I am inside a painting, a living painting.It is when I open my mouth to talk, that I realize that I have no voice as well, and now, I know this must be a nightmare.‘Seth, can you feel me?’ I try to reach for
*Caleb*I watch as Aen handles the elementals calmly. It is not an easy task, yet his experience in battle allows to use his command voice with every one of them. It is something out of an epic story, and yet we find ourselves helpless while we wait.Ebony and Ivory are having a small talk with Sol, the angels like her a lot, which ensures her protection. Is not like she would need so much of it, she is her own worst enemy. But to know they are fond of my daughter just makes me happy.“Where are your thoughts?” Amra asks me as I keep staring at my daughter and the angels.“My thoughts are a bit drifting, I don’t like the idea of coming to a war unprepared,” I admit to him. I know he is also worried, although he shows himself much more calm and collected.“I understand that, and it does bring me worries. I like to be in control of the situation, but nothing that is happening is under our control… in fact, I think the only thing under our control is the lack of actions.”I sigh and shak