Elysia,Elaine, an office worker, had moved into a small cottage nearby. Although it raised many questions, I decided not to dwell on it. People here had no idea about our true identity. As I poured coffee into her cup, her voice filled the room with an endless stream of conversation. She seemed talkative, but I listened patiently, keeping my responses minimal. “Mommy! Mommy, I’m done with my homework!” A bright voice interrupted Elaine, and I turned just in time to see Ruby dashing out of her room, her small feet tapping against the floor. She ran toward me, excitement shining in her crimson eyes, and without hesitation, jumped into my arms. “Slowly!” I chuckled as I caught her effortlessly, wrapping her in a firm but gentle embrace. She grinned, holding up her notebook proudly. “Look at this! I finished my homework!” I took a quick glance at her work before placing a kiss on her forehead. “You did great, sweetheart.” Elaine’s eyes widened slightly as she observed Ruby.
Hades,"You… you are the Vampire King!" The woman’s voice trembled slightly, a mixture of disbelief and awe flickering in her widened eyes. She took a step back, her gaze darting across my form as I shifted into my true appearance. "Why are you here for an incomplete book instead of staying in your own realm?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of judgment. I barely spared her a glance. "I don’t think I owe you an explanation." Without hesitation, I reached down and lifted the creature off the ground as though it weighed nothing. It dangled helplessly in my grip, its body limp, its form flickering between human and something else. The woman’s expression darkened for an instant before she snapped her fingers. Immediately, the room around us shifted—candles flared to life, their flames flickering with an eerie glow, while ancient lamps along the walls bathed the space in a dim golden light. Shadows danced across the stone floor, stretching and shifting as if they were alive
The moment the burning pain seared through my neck, I knew something had happened to Elysia. It wasn’t a normal discomfort—it was a visceral, gut-wrenching sensation, like something had ripped through the bond that connected us. My chest tightened as my instincts roared in warning. I turned sharply to the shape-shifter, who was still staring at me with wide, confused eyes. "Follow me. Now." My voice left no room for hesitation. He nodded quickly, sensing the urgency in my tone. I didn’t spare Claire another glance. She might have been lying about her identity, but right now, she was the least of my concerns. Without wasting another second, I summoned my powers, reaching into the void of darkness. The air around me crackled as shadows coiled at my feet, stretching and twisting like living entities. Then, with a sharp command, the shadows expanded, engulfing both me and the shape-shifter. The world around us blurred. Then, in a heartbeat, we were gone. ---The moment I mater
Ruby,Dragons are intelligent creatures. Mommy told me that. Our brains develop faster than any other species. We learn things quickly—how to speak, how to understand, how to protect. But the most important thing dragons know is that we must do anything to protect our mothers and children. Mommy said I was born six months ago, but I was with my birth mother for a long time before that. My brain grew faster than my body, but I was still a baby. I was studying every day to understand my Mommy better. Mommy said studying would help me grow up faster, and I wanted to grow up soon. I wanted to be big and strong so I could protect Mommy forever. Today, a lady came to our house. She talked a lot, too much. Mommy looked uncomfortable with her. She didn’t like the lady, but she was kind. She listened and stayed patient. Mommy was a good Mommy. She never hurt people unless they were bad. But something was strange. Usually, I could smell everything—blood, food, even the change in people’s
Elysia,The distinct bitterness of oleander still lingered in my mouth, coating my senses with its deadly essence. It was the second poison I had recognized, almost immediately after the first. Oleander was ruthless—it weakened the heart, slowly breaking down its strength until it faltered completely. Heart attacks, heart failure, an excruciating end that left no room for recovery. Yet, I was still here. Maybe my father had been right when he claimed we were immortal, something beyond the reach of death’s cruel grasp. But I didn’t feel that way. I could sense it in my chest—the way my heart struggled, the faint numbness creeping through my veins. I felt weaker, more fragile than ever before. But I wasn’t afraid. Hades knelt beside me, his hands steady but his expression filled with concern as he finished treating my wound. He was a strong healer, one of the best, and I could no longer feel the sharp sting in my stomach. The pain had disappeared under his careful touch, leaving b
Dallas, The earliest memory I had was standing on the riverbank, watching my siblings transform into fish. Their bodies shimmered under the morning sun as they disappeared beneath the surface, their movements seamless, as if they belonged to the water itself. I didn’t know how to do it. My sister, whose face I could no longer recall, grabbed my arm. Her touch was firm, her voice insistent. "Concentrate," she urged. "Think of yourself as a fish." I tried. I truly did. But all I remembered was the overwhelming rush of water engulfing me. I was swept away, tumbling, drowning, falling into something unknown. When I woke up, I was no longer myself. I didn’t recognize my form. My body felt foreign, my limbs unfamiliar. I couldn't remember what I had been before. I only knew one thing—I could change. Into anything. Into anyone. That was how my life began. Then, I met her. She kept me in a vast room, a library filled with endless books. Shelves stretched high, packed with stori
Ruby,I followed the scent, my tiny steps quick and purposeful. It was faint, but unmistakable—the lingering trace of the woman who had dared to hurt my Mommy. My tiny fists clenched, my heart pounding with fury. I would find her. I would make her pay.The night was still, the usual sounds of nature silent as if the world itself was holding its breath. But not me. I was too angry, too determined to be still.As I ran, my feet barely touching the ground, my mind was clear. No distractions. No thoughts except the image of my Mommy, weak and helpless and covered with blood. It burned in my chest.The scent led me further into the forest, and after what felt like an eternity, I caught sight of her. The woman was walking slowly, unaware of the danger behind her. She was in her human body. Perfect for me.I crouched low, just out of sight, my heart pounding in anticipation. She was mine.Stealthily, I approached, moving swiftly through the trees. I didn’t need to be silent. I didn’t need to
I ran as fast as my small legs could carry me, the weight of my mission clear in my mind. The woman had hurt my Mommy. She was so strong, so terrifying, yet now, she would face me, Ruby—the little dragon who would protect my mother at any cost. Mommy… She was in danger, but I was going to save her. "Mommy!" I called out. I burst into the room, my eyes frantically searching for her. And then, there she was. Mommy’s eyes fluttered open as soon as I entered, her gaze filled with emotions I couldn’t quite read at first. But there was something warm, something deep in her eyes that made the world feel right again, something that softened the ache in my heart. “Ruby!” she whispered, her voice weak, but full of love. “My star…” Her arms reached out toward me, trembling, but they were still strong, still loving, even though she was in pain. I rushed to her, my little body colliding with hers as I wrapped my arms around her, pressing my face against her chest. “Mommy! Are you okay? A
"My father said…" The leader of the Wizards stood tall, his pale face tilted upward with arrogance, as though the world itself were beneath his feet. His voice echoed with a tone that sliced through the tension in the air, sharp and unsettling. "Witches are the hunters of Wolves and Vampires. The most thrilling moment of a wizard’s life is to make a stew from their blood… and drink them." He chuckled, a slow, rotten sound that sent a ripple of discomfort across our group. His sunken eyes scanned us, predatory and gleaming with amusement. "But those who dare to be arrogant," he paused, dragging each word like a blade across flesh, "should be bestowed with cruel, harsh deaths. Including…" He stepped forward, and that’s when we noticed the limp. A wooden cane revealed itself from beneath his flowing black robes, the intricate carvings glowing faintly with runes older than memory. Before I could react, Hades wrapped an arm around my waist and launched us backward with a powerful jump.
I was stunned when he said it.His voice had been quiet, almost hesitant, but the weight of his words struck me like a storm breaking over calm waters.He knew. He knew about my second chance at life.That impossible secret I had buried deep inside me, locked beneath layers of silence and fear—he had just spoken it aloud like it was nothing. Like it was normal. Like it didn’t change everything.I wanted to ask how. I wanted to understand. But I couldn’t focus on him anymore.Because the Dark Stone was pulsing in my hand.A deep, thrumming beat—slow and relentless. It wasn’t just a stone. It felt alive. And with every passing second, it dug deeper, pressing its will into my skin, into my blood, until I could feel it crawling through my veins like smoke made of shadow.It whispered to me."Power. Corruption. Madness."The words slithered through my thoughts like snakes, coiling tightly around the parts of me I didn’t want to acknowledge—the anger, the grief, the desperation. It knew who
Elysia,The moment the figure stepped into the moonless clearing, I knew we weren’t alone. Something ancient stirred in the shadows—its hunger palpable, its gaze unseen but heavy on my skin.I tightened my hold on Hades, but my eyes remained ahead, locked on the figure cloaked in midnight. Around us, the darkness pulsed with unnatural rhythm, and one by one, more emerged—cloaked beings, their hands already crackling with magic.Wizards. No... sorcerers. Old ones.They formed a circle, trapping us in a ring of glowing runes etched into the ground. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, but I could feel their magic thrumming like a war drum—primordial, malicious.The sky was darker than we remembered.. The lightning was displaying like a hired actor in the distance. Hades bared his fangs, his eyes glowing crimson with fury as his wings spread wide behind him. The air turned colder with every breath he took, shadows rippling outward from his feet.“We’re surrounded,” I muttered, st
I thought the night would be spent without incident, peacefully, as it always should. Elysia was in my arms, warm and relaxed, her body pressed against mine. We slept in that timeless, serene way, until the sound came—unnatural, strange, slicing through the quiet like a scream from the past. My eyes snapped open, heart racing. It wasn't the usual sounds of the night. Not the wind rustling through the trees or the distant hoot of an owl. This was different—something far more sinister. It caught my attention immediately, and as I tried to focus on the source, I heard voices outside, growing louder, laced with panic. Elysia stirred beside me, half-awake, her fingers curling around me instinctively. She was still groggy, but the unease in the air seemed to drag her from sleep. I felt her body shift as she clung to me, her breath warm against my chest. “What is it?” she murmured, barely awake, but already sensing the shift in the atmosphere. I opened the window, the cold night air bitin
Hades,The horses’ hooves echoed in the stillness of the night as we made our way toward the village. The forest around us seemed to watch, as if holding its breath. Elysia had been quiet for hours now, her usual confidence replaced with something softer, something I couldn't quite place.I turned my gaze to her, watching as her eyes scanned the path ahead, her back straight and poised. The way the moonlight caught her hair made her look ethereal, as if she didn’t belong to this world at all. After discovering our identity, we decided to shift to our original form except letting our Wolf roam freely. Otherwise the witches would spot us. I hated that she’d been forced into this situation. I hated that she’d taken parts of The Knowledge, to protect me. But I’d never been one to ask for explanations—not when the truth was hidden so far beneath the surface.The road wound toward the small village, nestled in the valley like some forgotten corner of the world. There was something quiet
Unknown's POV,"Haris is burned to death?" My voice was calm, or I thought I was calm. However, every vein in my body was screaming.Haris, one of my trusted people, died? By whom? A young woman? This was unacceptable."We found no more traces of that woman. However—" Kaelan hesitated, pulling out a handkerchief from his robes —" We have found traces of abnormality in these ashes. It wasn’t a witch or wizard's flame."He opened the cloth in his palm and revealed a pile of fine, dark ashes. They were unremarkable at first glance, but the moment I stepped closer, I felt it. That strange hum in the air. The unsettling vibration that laced the magic left behind.My eyes widened. In a world ruled by witches and wizards, what kind of flame could reduce someone like Haris to ash in seconds?I reached out and took a pinch between my fingers. The moment the ashes touched my skin, a violent surge ran up my arm. It wasn't pain—it was a shock, a jolt of power so foreign and dark that my muscles r
My heart sank when the dark shadows shrouded the sky, surrounding us like a layer of thin black polythene. At first it felt like our soul had been deprived by something stronger, heavier and suffocating. But that feeling soon disappeared when Bryan's hand reached my shoulder. " Who are you?" He whispered, " It seems like you are their target. Are you running away from someone? Be honest with me if you want to stay alive!" He warned with a shiver-sending coldness. However I could feel the edge of the concern and genuine worry in his tone. My palms sweated as I grabbed the leather jacket that I was wearing. The night was cold and it was freezing my body. But the tension felt unbearably suffocating. " I...!"" If I am not wrong!" The person in the shadow, wearing a black robe and a book on his hand, cut my words... " You are Master Bryan from the front line Border area!" His voice was condescending. His eyes glistened with a distinct red flickering. A sharp light came out of the bo
He had Two different colors like Hades had. But before I could ask, the color changed. And, The fortress shook violently. I didn’t know what to expect.The roots, those monstrous, writhing tendrils of darkness, seemed to be multiplying with each passing second. The air was thick with dread, suffocating, as if the fortress itself were alive, breathing down on us, caging us in. I could feel the walls closing in, the air getting heavier.Bryan didn’t wait. He moved, swift and deadly, like a shadow. The shimmering blade in his hand cut through the chaos around us, the magic crackling with energy, searing the air. Sparks flew in every direction, the sound of blades slicing through the air mingling with the guttural growls of the creatures encircling us.I watched him for a split second, too transfixed by his movement—his grace, his power—before I forced myself to snap out of it.Focus.I drew my dagger, its cold metal steady in my grip, though my hands trembled slightly. The trembling ha
Elysia,Within ten seconds, we were no longer in the dark chamber that held the Breath of the Dark Stone. The moment we inhaled it, everything shifted. Now, we stood before an enormous fortress, its towering walls strangled by thick vines of thornbane—a plant I recognized instantly. Black thorns curled outward like claws, and tongue-shaped violet blossoms swayed as if breathing. The very air felt hostile.The burning sensation in our throats had dulled, but the aftertaste of magic lingered like smoke in our lungs. We didn’t know how we got here, but it was clear—this place was nowhere near safe.Thornbane. Poisonous. Paralyzing. Hallucinogenic.I remembered its profile from Grandma Aurora’s herb book. One brush of its thorns could freeze the lungs, make you hallucinate until your heart gave out. People didn’t survive thornbane. It survived them.I scanned the environment, instincts prickling. Bryan stood beside me, silent, his face turned toward the fortress that looked like it had be