I can see them, a multitude of Shifters in physical or spiritual form converging on the shoreline, and these are unlike any others I have seen. Red eyes glisten in dark, throbbing bodies. Each of them looks thirsty, tinged with the madness that accompanies emotions such as hatred or envy. Some have burrowed into the surrounding foliage, with glowing tree trunks for torsos and blood-red veins running down from heads to roots. They're human-shaped in that they don't look as sturdy or as thick as a normal tree, and the arms are made of gathered branches, yet possess an intimidating elasticity.Jake pulls out a small dagger, his face twisted by some of the same insanity the Shifters possessed. "Brace yourselves," he growls as the first Shifter in physical form tears out of the undergrowth and runs faster than any normal human being should.Without hesitation, I raise my arm and throw the spear with all my might. The joy of life fills my chest as it hits a Shifter square in the face, embed
"Xavier, wait!" I call to him as I run through the vast brush. I know I have no chance of catching him unless he wants me to, but I couldn't live with myself if I didn't even try. No one knows better than me how big the world can be when you feel so alone and vulnerable."Please!" Tears form in the corner of my eyes, running down my cheek and lips. In this desperate pursuit, I can't help but feel a variety of intense emotions. The most predominant of these is a strange form of affection that cannot easily be described as desire or simple friendship. I want to absorb her sadness, to absorb every negative emotion so that her pain will fade away. And the strange thing is that there is no personal gain involved. I won't get anything worthwhile out of consoling him.But I still want to. And that fact scares and excites me beyond measure."Mona." Strong hands encircle me from behind, trapping me in the place I wanted most. The warmth of her body surrounds me, her shoulders shaking slightly.
What a cruel way to continue the story.Sometimes I feel like I can understand it. These events and circumstances are necessary, though sometimes inexplicable. Sometimes harsh. Sometimes painful.Why?No, no... I take it back. Duty. It's not for me to know. I would like to... but I can't. I can't ask, I can't question, I can't know.I won't have an answer anyway.The goal is cruel. A beast that robs you of your natural identity and aspirations and puts you on a different path that continues in a straight line, always moving never stopping running stop breathing no don't do it standing keep running running otherwise you will know.Sometimes I feel like I'm about to crack. Hit the ground so hard that my face breaks and my fingers crumble and my chest explodes and then I realize it's already happened. And so it can happen, again and again and again, without any relief, because why? Because I am dead! Dead then, dead now, dead forever and ever.And there is no difference anyway because -
Even the thought looks like a new soft candy. Though unfamiliar and strangely flavored, I can't stop eating it.It won't be long before we reach camp, but honestly, between my throbbing headache and Xavier's obvious gesture of possessiveness, it felt like an eternity. Xavier's vulnerability seems to have completely dissipated, leaving his unbearable confidence that I can't bring myself to hate."Xavier," I whisper in his ear, "you can let go now." Standing just behind our makeshift shelter, I hastily attempt to shake his arm."You wish." His grip tightens, leaving me even more embarrassed and nervous. Any minute now, they'll see us and assume things that don't need to be assumed.I look away awkwardly, trying to mentally prepare myself for their reaction. Surprisingly, I feel Xavier's hand leave mine after a few seconds, and I look up at him with confusion."I was just kidding, Mona." He smiles broadly, with a hint of sadness in his features. That
"Were they... Shifters? Yi asks him slowly, her face drained of color. "The same ones we saw earlier?"Yeah, pretty much." Jake nods solemnly. "It almost felt like they were waiting for us, with the way they immediately started chasing us. Originally, they were completely surrounding us, but we managed to get through them and run into the forest. By the time we were near the coast, several of them were gaining on us. One of them grabbed Wes and tore into his back before he could react, and for some reason the wound weakened him, almost as if there was poison in the Shifter's attack. . I sent him ahead of me as I finished, or so I thought, the Shifters, and he finally landed at the beach, where you were. And then tons of others appeared and I had to run too."Wow..." said Xavier, his hand gently brushing Wes' shoulder once to snap him out of his moment of shock. Wes literally shakes at the sudden contact, then abruptly turns his head to Xavier while staring at him.
It has been a long day, but we are finally here.The brick walls tower over us, marred by several discolorations, cracks and various ivy plants that have enveloped entire sections of the exterior. High stone fences encircle the area, and it is cracked and even destroyed in several places. Even the architecture of the castle doesn't seem that impressive, with its simple roof and lack of aesthetics. It doesn't look very intimidating in general, besides the factor of its enormity.But as we get closer, I can feel the buzz. It starts in my head almost like a ringing in my ears, but then intensifies into identifiable whispers. "Come," it seems to say, over and over again. There are many different variations, but this single word is easily the predominant element.Come to me and accept your fate.Xavier follows suit and leans in close to my ear. "Can you make out anything?" he asks slowly. I nod and he frowns."I can't hear anything except a weird buzzin
The crackling of a fire is the first thing I notice when my eyes open. The faint aroma of cinnamon wafts through the room, though tainted by a heavy premonition that I can't quite shake, though I can't quite remember why this mysterious feeling exists.I blink once, twice, trying to consolidate the swirl of colors into something more closely resembling solid objects. Just to convince myself that I'm not crazy, I bang my head against the floor, then roll awkwardly onto my back."Ouch, that must have hurt," a small, muffled laugh erupts as my vision fixes on long strands of brown hair hanging around my face. Still a little dazed, I let my hand brush the hair, then finally a firm chin, tracing her jaw and neck. As if just realizing my actions, I dropped my arm and my mouth opened as I finally registered who the person was that was leaning precariously over me."Ray?" I asked, my hand reflexively moving up to touch his cheek."After passing out when I saw mys
"This castle is ancient anyway," Ray says, completely ignoring my question. Looking straight ahead, he walks toward a pair of doors and then stops.I almost ask him why he's being so evasive, but the sight before my eyes prevents me from doing so. Speechless, I examine the narrow hallway, with gold-encrusted stone walls and floors covered with a luxurious blood-red carpet. At the end of the hallway is a magnificent set of doors, engraved with many strange designs."What is this..." I murmur in wonder, staring at the carpet and shaking my foot in it. My feet seem to sink into its luxurious depths as I imagine myself falling on it and flying off."This is the most sacred area of the castle. Everything in this world comes from this room." He grabs the handles but keeps them closed, turning to me."How could this-""You'll see. Just take a look. Ray smiles, his eyes softening as we look at each other. He continues to stare at me for a moment, I almost
I don't even know when I woke up, but it feels like someone just flipped the switch and freed me from the state I was in. Because the last thing I remember is falling into the pit of death and now I'm sitting in a patch of grass, staring up at the terribly blue sky.Blue sky. It's bright today. Almost too bright for the...Wait. Is it?I feel the grass on my fingertips, the soft rustling breeze tickling my nose. Am I really back in the real world?I jump to my feet, looking around in the forest, hoping to spot another human being. Anyone who can confirm that this is my new reality. I hope... the one I want to see the most.Yes, this is the real world.I shudder, looking both ways in a frantic attempt to find the source of the whisper. It is the same voice that has followed me in my dreams and throughout my quest. "Who are you?" I called. "Show yourself!"Nothing happens at first, then something around me changes in a flash. The air be
"He's still Ray. Trust me. He's just...slightly different. And a lot older than you think. But I have to destroy this jewel and crown to fulfill the prophecy, and Ray said he had to be cast into the chasm of eternal darkness that surrounds us. The Shifters aren't all bad either. You've seen the ones hidden in the forest.Xavier surveys his surroundings, his gaze cold and calculating. "So, what happens to us? You throw it away, the red stone is destroyed...""Well, the Shifters will be able to pass judgment. Werewolves will cease to exist as we know them. I still don't know what that means. Xavier's face crinkles as I speak the words of fate, and his hands leave the crown to wrap around my body."Are you saying that you were essentially going to leave me forever without giving me a chance to say goodbye? After everything I said to you last night? He asks fervently, his breath incredibly close to my ear. I find myself trembling under the threat of indecision.
Murmurs of judgment.The winds howl in the night, but I am not afraid. I am stronger than anything this world has to offer. She gives me strength... and hope.I lean against a tree, bereft of all my energy. Breaths are a commonplace for my species, but I need them... to keep my identity. To exist rather than fade away into the endless haze.There is no blood here. There are no tears or anger, no happiness or laughter. We are only shells, but we still have hope to live. She must come soon, or I will collapse into the emptiness of this world.I know she will send me on my way to deliverance.My eyes flutter and I wake up to the roar of the wind. I wonder why I'm not shaking, then I quickly recognize the warmth of the man right next to me. It's so nice here. I could stay here... forever...I want to say I'm sorry, but I can't form the words.I mean you don't have to do it, but I can't form the words.Be
Ray begins to speak, weaving a story about how the Shifters dragged him into a dungeon and kept him there, feeding him sparingly. I turn away from his story, paying attention only to the werewolves. They look so strong and determined, but beaten and bruised as this world takes its toll. Not a smile is to be found as the pack listens to Ray, and I realize that true joy is long gone. There is relief - that Ray is okay and back in the pack - but also distrust and suspicion. When did we fall apart at the seams, collapsing into the darkness of our fate?Frightened by my own thoughts, my hand unconsciously wraps around Xavier's arm in an attempt to forget. Having the bandage wrapped around our problems and the singularity of predestined purpose so that I don't have to look at it anymore.Probably puzzled by my movement, Xavier gives me a quick glance. His hair grows longer, cascading over his eyes and down his neck. I feel the urge to push it aside, but I hold back as he tur
I stare at the man before me, my fingers tightening on the crown until my fingertips turn white. My knees buckle as a weight as strong as an avalanche hits my shoulders. I can't tell the reality of it, but right now it doesn't seem to matter. In my delirium, I try to form his name with my lips.The man yells something and starts to run towards me. I feel my body slip as the rocky bottom turns into an eternal void. The weight drags me into the abyss, burying my vision in the darkness. I don't have time to think or even breathe, but my descent seems to happen in slow motion, my arms flailing without command or control. And all the while I'm looking through a camera lens, helpless as a glass wall separates me from my body and reality.Until arms encircle my shoulders, taking me up into an unfathomable heat. The familiar smell disarms me and my eyes blink as I begin to realize what's happening. He has returned. He has found me.I had almost forgotten his face and to
"And now fate says I have to try to kill you... and I can't!" He whispers desperately, slowly tilting his head forward and resting in my lap. "Because you deserve to live, just like the Shifters deserve to be sent back until the day of reckoning. They have waited too long."He looks up at me and his eyes flicker between green and red, involuntarily reflecting his will. "Ray...please tell me what will happen if I fulfill the prophecy."There is silence for a minute as he collects himself. Looking at me, he stands up firmly from his position. "The werewolves, the Shifters, and this world will cease to exist as you know it. The Shifters will be able to move on to judgment and will no longer wreak havoc on the outside world. The werewolves... will be without purpose. You will live. I'm sure you will... because you are tangible, unlike the rest of this world."What are you saying?!" I cry, standing up too. I walk over to him and grab his arms. "You're tangible too. Y
It was hard to go back to my realm. When I did, I went straight to my huge crystal ball to see the Earth and learn more about it. I became obsessed, and for hours I scoured the ends of the Earth for any kind of new curiosity that might strike. But at the same time, I did it with a lot of guilt. Because I knew the prophecy. I knew the wishes of fate. And when the framework is laid out, all you can do is build on it and look down, wishing and hoping for the impossible."I knew, but I was watching, watching the world, watching the Shifters swell with sadness, love, pain and fear. Many more went to join the others, drawn by the sweet promises offered by the Earth. As this progressed, I noticed that the Shifters on Earth had changed. They were becoming wild, dissatisfied with the taste of a certain feeling but wanted it all. Those who stayed in our realm began to be more satisfied with their portions than those who left, staying full for longer periods of time. The Shifters on Ear
"This castle is ancient anyway," Ray says, completely ignoring my question. Looking straight ahead, he walks toward a pair of doors and then stops.I almost ask him why he's being so evasive, but the sight before my eyes prevents me from doing so. Speechless, I examine the narrow hallway, with gold-encrusted stone walls and floors covered with a luxurious blood-red carpet. At the end of the hallway is a magnificent set of doors, engraved with many strange designs."What is this..." I murmur in wonder, staring at the carpet and shaking my foot in it. My feet seem to sink into its luxurious depths as I imagine myself falling on it and flying off."This is the most sacred area of the castle. Everything in this world comes from this room." He grabs the handles but keeps them closed, turning to me."How could this-""You'll see. Just take a look. Ray smiles, his eyes softening as we look at each other. He continues to stare at me for a moment, I almost
The crackling of a fire is the first thing I notice when my eyes open. The faint aroma of cinnamon wafts through the room, though tainted by a heavy premonition that I can't quite shake, though I can't quite remember why this mysterious feeling exists.I blink once, twice, trying to consolidate the swirl of colors into something more closely resembling solid objects. Just to convince myself that I'm not crazy, I bang my head against the floor, then roll awkwardly onto my back."Ouch, that must have hurt," a small, muffled laugh erupts as my vision fixes on long strands of brown hair hanging around my face. Still a little dazed, I let my hand brush the hair, then finally a firm chin, tracing her jaw and neck. As if just realizing my actions, I dropped my arm and my mouth opened as I finally registered who the person was that was leaning precariously over me."Ray?" I asked, my hand reflexively moving up to touch his cheek."After passing out when I saw mys