~CODY~I woke up to the gentle rays of sunlight streaming onto my face, signaling that morning had arrived. I stretched and reached out for Rain on the other side of the bed, but it was empty and unusually cold, indicating he had left a while ago. As I fluttered my eyes open and rose from the bed, I called out, "Rain," but there was no sign of him in our RV."Where are you?" I wondered aloud as I stepped out into the bright morning sun. I soon realized we were no longer in the mountains but had returned to the location where Rain had rented the RV. Spotting him engaged in conversation with a middle-aged man, I called out his name once more. When he noticed me, he waved to the man and greeted me."Cody, you're awake," Rain said with a smile.Frowning, I gave him a questioning look, wondering what had transpired while I was asleep. Without me asking, Rain began to explain that he had left the mountains and didn't want to disturb my rest."You should have told me instead of handling eve
~RAIN~The thing I had dreaded the most had happened, and I was powerless to prevent it. My attitude towards him couldn't save him from the danger I was trying so hard to protect him from."Cody," I screamed his name as I rushed to him, catching him in my arms. I didn't care about the assailant; my focus was on Cody. He was bleeding profusely, and my hands holding him started trembling. I was afraid of what would happen next. The voice from my recurring dreams suddenly echoed in my ears. "I warned you, didn't I?" the voice laughed and faded.Cody, his hand covered in blood, reached out to touch my face. A lone tear escaped my eyes as I gazed into his eyes. "Rain..." he whispered my name, and then his hand went limp in my arms.I wanted to scream as I held him, but onlookers began shouting for me to take him to the school clinic. I lifted him from the ground, and thankfully, someone offered to drive us there. I placed my hand on Cody's chest to ensure he was still breathing, even thou
~Rain~ I stood in front of the alpha king and the Luna queen, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. Cara and Caden were also present in the room. I wasn't afraid of Cara, but I couldn't say the same for Caden, who was glaring at me. The relentless beeping of the machine beside Cody's bed was the only sound in the room as they waited for me to speak."Well," Caden broke the silence. "Aren't you going to address that you failed to protect the crown prince?" Caden accused."Caden, please. We can't place all the blame on him," the Luna queen came to my defense and asked her question softly. "Tell us what happened. According to the news we heard from Lara, you two didn't return to the dormitory on Sunday, and this morning, you both appeared to be in a fight. Can you explain where you were and who you encountered?"Cara cleared her throat and exchanged looks with me. She was the only one who knew what Cody and I meant to each other, and I hoped she wouldn't reveal it because it was th
~CODY~I couldn't make sense of it all. One moment, I was getting shot in the chest with wolfsbane, falling into Rain's arms, and now, I found myself in the middle of a vast, golden field, surrounded by a hostile crowd. They glared at me and pointed fingers. "You don't deserve to be alive!" "How dare you still act as the crown prince when you're a disgrace!" "You should be deposed because you're not fit to be the crown prince!"I stared back at them as they passed their judgment, but I didn't reply. Rain stood by my side, holding my hand and smiling at me. At least, I knew he had my back, and we could face the world together. I clung to Rain's hand, knowing he was my lifeline. I couldn't care about what others thought. For a brief moment, we were united, until the werewolves around us started shouting and hurling insults."Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?" one of them yelled. "We can't allow someone as pathetic as you to rule as the alpha king because you don't deserve it!" another
~Rain~Three days had passed since Cody was attacked, and now we were both returning to class since I had to be by his side until he was fine. I was happy, and he was happy. The alpha king and Luna queen finally left after making sure Cody was fine, and the security on campus became more stringent. They stationed royal guards everywhere to protect Cody and investigate the attack."Hey, it's time," Cody announced as he came from behind me and hugged me. "You look great, by the way," he commented, giving me a playful pat on the backside.I chuckled as he walked past me to the door. Ever since the attack, we had grown closer. I had apologized for ignoring him on the day of the attack, but I hadn't told him about the voice in my dream."Let's go," I said as I opened the door, and we both walked out holding hands. When we were about to reach the elevator, and as the doors opened, we entered and held hands again, as there was no one inside. However, a voice announced their presence, and we
~CODY~ It didn't make any sense. There was no reason for my aunt Aria to be on campus because she wasn't a history teacher. I believed that something must have happened for her to come to the Royal College, but I couldn't even figure it out.Even Rain was acting strange. He had suddenly acted out in front of the whole class, and I wondered why he was behaving like that when there was nothing wrong with him in the first place. I couldn't figure out what could have made him shake so terribly and stare at nothing.The only people who could give me answers to my questions were Aunt Aria and my parents."Hey," Rain announced his presence as he walked toward me. He sat down and heaved a deep sigh."Are you alright?" I asked him, and he nodded in response, but I knew that he was lying. His eyes said it all, and it meant that something had truly happened, something that he didn't want to tell me."I am..." he stuttered and then chuckled. "I am fine, Cody," he replied, and then I noticed how
~Rain~I couldn't keep track of how many times I had scanned the library while sitting across from Amara that evening. We had gathered for the in-between project, but my thoughts were consumed by what Aria had told me. The possibility of finding a solution to my birthday curse filled me with joy, yet the knowledge that I had only two months left to live cast a dark shadow over me."Her name is Gasin," Cody's voice interrupted my thoughts as he tapped me on the shoulder. "The goddess of the in-between is called Gasin," he repeated."That's a strange name," Asher commented, opening the book in front of him. "I found information here about those who enter the in-between, especially if they make a deal with Gasin, facing dire consequences."The mention of the in-between sent shivers down my spine, as I had already heard from Aria about the true nature of this place."It doesn't sound like a pleasant destination," Asher remarked. "I wouldn't want to end up making a deal with a goddess and
Cody POVI hissed for the umpteenth time during the car ride to the royal home. I was seething with anger at that moment and felt like I might explode if Rain's hand hadn't been there to calm me. His hand gently rubbed mine every time I hissed.We exchanged no words during the ride because I was still upset with him for lying to me and keeping me in the dark. However, my anger couldn't linger for long when I knew that my parents were the root of the problem, the reason for his lies. Today, I was determined to confront them and find a way to prevent the curse from manifesting."Cody," Rain called my name as we approached the grand gate of the royal home. I turned to face him with a stoic expression. "Are you going to stay mad at me for long?" he asked.I scoffed and looked out of the window. "I'm not mad at you. I'm angry at myself for not realizing what was happening, and I couldn't figure it out. Moreover, I'm mad at my parents for instructing you to lie instead of informing me about
RainTwo years later,I frowned as I checked the watch in my hand for the time and hissed again. The plane should have landed, but it hadn't, which made me question why I had arrived two hours earlier. I had come when the sun was about to set, and now, it was dark, yet the plane showed no sign of landing.I shook my legs, stood up, and rubbed my hand on my forehead. I couldn't concentrate and only think about seeing him again after two months. That was the longest we had been away. He had gone on a royal prince's assignment, even though he was not the crown prince anymore. I should have gone with him, but I stayed back to finish some school projects, leading to our separation for two long months.I missed him so much, and even though we did video calls, chatted, and had phone calls, I still couldn't stop thinking about him, knowing that I was going to bed alone without his warm hands around my waist. Today was his birthday, and I had planned a massive surprise for him, which he would
~Cody~ Three weeks later,"Are you ready?" he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist."I've been waiting for this day all my life, and I'm happy that finally, I am going to see it happen with you." I turned around to face him and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was short, and I soon turned back to face the mirror. "What do you think the world will think about us, Rain?" I rubbed my face and adjusted my tie as I stared at myself in the mirror. This was it. I had made the decision, and there was no turning back. I made the decision myself when we arrived from the in-between because it was my decision, and I would never regret it.Today was the day I would reveal myself to the world, not just myself. I was also showing my mate for everyone to see."Everyone must accept us for what we are, Cody, and if they don't, we can always run away without caring about what anyone thinks. This is our time, and now that both our parents have agreed to it, who else can stop us from becoming what we
~Rain~As I released the arrow, my eyes followed it anxiously as it soared toward the source of the voice. The voice unleashed a scream, accompanied by growling, and a bright light emerged, revealing Gasin.Having envisioned Gasin as an ugly creature, I was surprised to find a beautiful red-haired woman. The only features distinguishing her as a goddess were a mark on her forehead and six fingers. This unique trait instilled a sense of fear in me, uncertain of what might unfold."You found the arrow of light!" she growled, placing her hand on the arrow in her heart. "You stupid boy!" Gasin pointed toward me, and the monstrous creatures ran from behind the Alpha King and Luna Queen, advancing on me.In the chaos, one of the creatures slashed across my chest, causing me to groan in pain. Before I could recover, another struck my back, forcing me to drop the bow from my hand."Cody!" I heard my name shouted. "What the hell are you doing!" Cody screamed. "Don't hurt him, please. He didn't
~Cody~I smiled brightly when I saw him heading towards me. He was here, which means he passed the test with me. ''Rain!" I shouted his name and rushed to hug him as soon as our eyes met. "I am glad we both made it," I chuckled and kissed his forehead. "I had thought that maybe something bad had happened, but here you are, smiling brightly at me. I am happy that we were able to work it out."Rain smiled and embraced me warmly, not letting go. "I had thought that something had happened to you, but I am happy that you are here, and there is nothing wrong with you," he muttered."Me too," I told him and sighed.A bright light suddenly appeared, breaking us apart, and from the bright light appeared a man dressed in a black robe with red patterns. The man's silver hair shone brightly as he approached us, carrying a powerful aura to behold."You both have succeeded, and I am proud of you," he said, bursting into laughter. "In all the years of being a master here, you are the first that woul
~Cody~The light. After the light appeared, everything changed, and I found myself in a room filled with diamonds. Rain was nowhere to be seen. It's like he was separated from me; no one needed to tell me that the test of desires had started.‘’You are weak!’’ A voice sounded behind me as I stood amid the diamonds, not taking another step because I had no idea where I was. ‘’Nobody wants you and Rain to be together. You are only a liability to him, and the sooner you realize this, the better.’’ The voice shouted, his voice resounding in the room.‘’Who are you?’’ I demanded to know the voice that sounded menacing and powerful enough to intimidate me. ‘’I won’t ask you again, who the hell are you!’’ I screamed back at the voice.‘’This is why you and Rain can never be together,’’ Caden shouted as he appeared before me. ‘’You are too weak, unable to defend the kingdom, and you caused the disappearance of our parents. Everything that is happening is all because of you. This is your fault
~Rain~ Finally, we were there, and it was the last phase, meaning that we would face Gasin sooner or later once we got what we wanted. That meant it would be the end of her. She wouldn’t bother us any longer, and everyone would be freed from her cruel rule. It also meant I could be together with Cody again without worrying about what others think about us."Are you ready?" I asked him. "This is the last place, and here, anything might happen. Promise me that you will return to me?" I asked, and he nodded in response, grabbing my shirt collar and pulling me into his arms."You also promised me that everything would be fine and you wouldn’t die in there?"I nodded in response, and he leaned in, kissing me quickly. I kissed him back, cut short by Teo, who had appeared from nowhere behind us. "I believed that you two are already done with your lovey-dovey moments," he laughed, and then his tone suddenly changed. "You also need to know that even though you might have promised yourself to
~CODY~ My eyes widened in shock as I watched him fall. ‘’Rain!’’ I shouted his name. It shouldn’t have to end this way, I thought. He didn’t have to sacrifice his life because of me, and now, he expected that I would be happy that he was gone. I could feel the rage building inside of me. It was just like the heat emanating from the boiling fire. I was angry at myself; it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t fallen. ‘’Everything is because of me!’’ I screamed and hit my chest repeatedly. ‘’if only I had tried my best to convince him then…..’’ I let out another scream as I placed my hand on the ground, tears flooding my eyes. How was I even supposed to live without him by my side? He was selfish, that I believed. He wouldn’t have left me alone and fell to the fire if he were not selfish. He was a selfish man who only thought of himself and not others. If he was not selfish, he should have let me go instead; now, he was gone. ‘’Rain!’’ I leaned against the edge of the step and
~Rain~ ‘’watch where you put your feet!’’ I shouted to Cody as we started climbing the valley. It was hard even to walk perfectly because the steps were not straight, and that was not all; it was dark, and the only glint of light we could rely on was the light that had penetrated one of the holes in the valley's walls. It was challenging to walk perfectly, and holding onto the wall was our only support. ‘’soon, we will reach the other side,’’ Cody assured me and laughed. ‘’And then, we will return with the sword, and it will spell the end for Gasin.’’ I should have been laughing alongside him, but I didn’t find the urge to laugh because I thought about many things that could go wrong. I feared something dangerous might happen to us In the valley because Teo had mentioned something about a boiling valley, but I had not seen anything related. I was starting to get worried about what could go wrong. ‘’are you alright? You are not…..ah!’’ he screamed as he tripped and fell.
~Cody~ Countless hours of walking had left me exhausted and hungry, and despite the weariness, our limited time in the realm compelled me to push forward. I couldn't bear to be responsible for wasting precious time, especially knowing Rain would worry. As my legs trembled, they eventually gave way, and I found myself on the ground. "Cody!" Rain rushed over; concern etched across his face. "What's happening? Are you alright?" Gasping for breath, sweat streaming down my face, I shook my head. "I'm not doing well," I confessed, sighing heavily. "I..." Pausing, I noticed the worry in Rain's eyes. "I don't want to impede our progress, and now..." "Mortals," Teo interjected. "I wouldn't blame you if you're getting tired. After all, this is not your home. Don't worry; I'll get you something to eat, and there's a stream down there." He pointed in the right direction. "You can go there and drink some water. I'll fetch food for both of you." With that, he flew away. "Can you walk?