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chapter 80
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2025-01-20 21:08:46
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The HIDDENS chapter 81
JAKE'S POVThe world felt colder without her by my side. Every step I took away from that chasm was like ripping apart a piece of my soul, leaving me raw and exposed. The pack bond that connected Prisca and me hummed faintly, reassuring me that she was still alive, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to see her, to hold her, to know she was safe. "Jake," Sophie said, snapping me out of my thoughts. She stood a few feet ahead, her bow drawn, her sharp gaze scanning the twisted forest around us. "You’ve got to focus. This place isn’t going to give us the luxury of distractions." “I’m fine,” I lied, gripping the hilt of my sword tighter. "Sure you are," she muttered, but she didn’t press further. The forest on our side of the chasm was just as suffocating, maybe worse. The trees were skeletal and clawed at the sky, their bark blackened as if burned. The air smelled of decay, and an eerie mist curled around our feet. Even the shadows here felt alive, shifting unnaturally when we moved.
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The HIDDENS chapter 82
Priscilla’s PovThe forest seemed darker than before, the weight of the shadows pressing against me. Each step was careful and measured, the air too still, the silence too loud. Fatima walked just behind me, her breathing steady but strained. Althea moved to my left, her face set with determination. We were all on edge, every rustle of leaves or snap of a branch sending jolts of anxiety through us.“This place doesn’t want us here,” Fatima said softly, clutching her flashlight like a lifeline. She was the only human among us, and her instincts were sharp, even if she lacked magical senses.“I know,” I murmured, gripping the hilt of my dagger. The air was thick with an unnatural energy, every particle alive with menace. “We need to stay together, no matter what.”Althea nodded but didn’t speak. Her focus was on the forest ahead, her hands glowing faintly with the residual magic she’d been using to keep small enchantments active—a protective barrier, a minor light spell. Even with these
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The HIDDENS chapter 83
The forest seemed endless. Each tree loomed tall and ancient, their gnarled roots jutting out of the earth like claws trying to pull us down. My legs ached from the constant marching, my boots heavy with mud. Althea walked beside me, her jaw set, while Fatima trailed slightly behind, clutching a makeshift weapon—a sturdy branch she had found earlier. She didn’t complain, but the fatigue in her steps was clear.“We’ve been at this for hours,” Fatima said, her voice tinged with frustration. “Are we even going in the right direction?”I glanced at her, my own doubts gnawing at me. “The energy here is different. Althea says we’re close, and I trust her instincts.”Althea, who had been scanning the area with narrowed eyes, muttered, “There’s something off about this place. It’s like the forest itself is shifting to confuse us.”Great. A shifting forest. Just what we needed.“Do you think Jake’s group is nearby?” Fatima asked, her tone softer this time. My chest tightened at the mention o
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The HIDDENS chapter 84
The forest felt heavier as we moved deeper into its heart. Every step we took seemed to draw us further into a place where time and reality bent under the weight of ancient magic. The air itself felt charged, humming faintly against my skin like a static field waiting to ignite. "Are you sure this is the right way?" Jake’s voice, low and tense, broke through the silence. I glanced back at him, his usual confidence dampened by concern. “It’s here,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “I can feel it.” Althea, walking just ahead, nodded in agreement. “The energy is stronger here. There’s no doubt about it.” Fatima trailed slightly behind us, clutching a silver dagger we had given her for protection. "If it’s so close, why can’t we see it?" she asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and fear. I didn’t have an answer. The coven was cloaked by layers of enchantments, a veil so powerful it was nearly impenetrable. But I could sense the edges of it now, faint threads of mag
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The HIDDENS chapter 85
The house loomed ahead, a grand, crumbling mansion shrouded in mist and magic. Its pointed roofs seemed to pierce the low-hanging clouds, and its many windows glinted like eyes in the faint light. The walls were made of dark, weathered stone, ivy creeping up its surface as though nature was trying to reclaim it. As we entered the men we had come with ,Jake's men were stuck outside ."The coven only wants ...us" Althea said Jake signaled for his men to stay put and I didn't like this . That we were going in without back up.“This place feels...wrong,” I said, gripping Jake’s hand tighter. “Wrong? It looks like the Addams family forgot to clean up,” Fatima quipped, her voice cutting through the oppressive silence. “I mean, it’s giving haunted chic.” Despite myself, I chuckled. Leave it to Fatima to find humor in the creepiest of situations. Althea stepped forward, her expression serious as her eyes roamed the house. “This isn’t just a building—it’s enchanted. I can feel it.” J
Last Updated : 2025-01-21The HIDDENS chapter 86
The room we stepped into was unlike anything we had seen before. Gone was the crumbling grandeur of the mansion. Instead, we were surrounded by endless mirrors, their reflective surfaces capturing our every movement and multiplying it infinitely. “This isn’t disorienting at all,” Fatima said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She spun in place, her emerald gown flaring around her as her reflection copied the motion dozens of times. “So, what now? Do we play dress-up with our clones?” Jake’s jaw tightened as his eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs of danger. “Stay close,” he said, his voice a low growl. “This place is messing with our senses.” He was right. The air felt thicker here, tinged with a faint, metallic taste. The mirrors seemed to shimmer, their surfaces rippling like water whenever we moved. “Another test,” Althea whispered. Her gaze was fixed on one of the mirrors, her expression tight with unease. “They’re testing our perceptions. Our ability to se
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The HIDDENS chapter 87
The air around us crackled with an electric charge as the hidden doorway creaked open, revealing a cavernous chamber bathed in an eerie, flickering light. I barely had time to process the change before the strange pull of magic swept over us again. One blink, and our elegant ball gowns and tuxedos vanished, replaced with heavy, warrior-like armor. Mine was a deep crimson, its intricate patterns glowing faintly as though alive. A matching sword hung at my hip, its hilt adorned with runes that hummed softly when I touched it. “Is it just me, or do these witches really enjoy playing dress-up with us?” Fatima quipped, examining her silver-plated armor with an expression of exaggerated disdain. “And why is mine so heavy? Do they think I’m some medieval knight?” Jake stepped in front of me, his obsidian armor gleaming ominously in the dim light. “Stay close,” he said, his tone clipped. His hand rested on the hilt of his broadsword, his eyes scanning the chamber. The room was massive
Last Updated : 2025-01-22The HIDDENS chapter 88
The chamber shimmered as the doorway disappeared, replaced by a circle of flickering light. The coven revealed itself slowly, stepping out of the shadows like phantoms. Each woman was draped in dark, flowing robes that seemed to absorb the light, their faces partially obscured by intricate masks. But I recognized Esther instantly. She stood at the center of the group, her presence commanding. Her icy gaze swept over us, lingering on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. “Welcome,” she said, her voice calm but laced with malice. “You’ve proven yourselves worthy to stand before the coven. But to gain the answers you seek, you must pass our final test.” The other women spoke in unison, their voices weaving together like a haunting melody. “Five trials. Five questions. Success grants knowledge. Failure brings consequences.” “Great,” Fatima muttered under her breath. “More games. I should’ve brought popcorn.” I shot her a look, but a small smile tugged at my lips
Last Updated : 2025-01-22
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The HIDDENS chapter 123
The ballroom was alive with music and laughter, a stark contrast to the heaviness that had lingered over the pack these past few weeks. Fatima had outdone herself, organizing this ball to remind everyone that joy still had a place in our lives.Dressed in a flowing emerald-green gown, I swayed gently in Jake’s arms as we moved across the dance floor. The light in his eyes, the way his fingers traced soothing circles on my back, made me forget—if only for a moment—that our world was still in pieces.“See?” he murmured. “A night without doom and gloom. Feels nice, doesn’t it?”I smiled up at him. “It does.”He twirled me, and for a second, I felt weightless. Then it hit me.A sharp, piercing sensation in my skull.I stumbled, the room tilting violently.Jake’s grip tightened. “Prisca?”I couldn’t answer. The pain spread like wildfire, and suddenly, the music and chatter faded into the background. My legs buckled, and I was falling.Darkness swallowed me whole.And then… I wasn’t in the
The HIDDENS chapter 122
The weight of what I had just seen clung to me like a second skin. Even as I sat on the edge of the bed, back in the safety of our room, I could still feel the cold presence of that figure. The sound of its voice—my voice—echoed in my head like a haunting melody. Choose. But choose what? I could still feel Jake’s hands on my face from before, the desperate way he had searched my eyes, pleading for an answer I didn’t have. Now, he paced the room, his body tense with unspoken frustration. The others sat nearby, watching me with equal parts concern and curiosity. “You need to tell us everything,” Althea finally said, breaking the heavy silence. I rubbed my arms, trying to rid myself of the chill that had settled in my bones. “I was… alone. You were all gone. And the figure—it wasn’t just some shadow. It was me.” Sophie’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait. You? Like… a doppelgänger situation?” I nodded slowly. “Exactly like that. She—It—told me I had to choose. But I don’t know what t
The HIDDENS chapter 121
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a blade. We had all woken up in a cold sweat, shaken by the fact that we had the exact same dream—no, it wasn’t just a dream. It felt too real. The streets of that town, the heavy feeling of being watched, the way the air had seemed almost alive with something unnatural. I glanced around at the others, my heart still hammering in my chest. Jake sat at the edge of the bed, his muscles tense, his jaw clenched as if trying to process everything at once. Fatima and Sophie had both fallen into a heavy silence, their usual humor nowhere to be seen. And Althea… she was staring blankly at the candle burning on the bedside table, deep in thought, her fingers twitching slightly. “This isn’t over,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “We left that place. We returned here. But somehow, it’s still with us.” Jake turned to me, his expression unreadable. “There has to be a reason why we all saw the same thing.” His voice was low, controlled—b
The HIDDENS Chapter 120
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine as I stepped out of the cabin. The town was finally behind us, but a strange unease still lingered in my chest. It wasn’t just the eerie experiences we had—it was something deeper, something clawing at my subconscious, demanding my attention.Jake was already outside, sharpening his dagger with a quiet focus that sent a chill through me. His jaw was tense, his muscles coiled, as if he were ready for another fight. I walked up to him, rubbing my arms against the cold. "You look like you're expecting trouble," I said, trying to sound lighthearted, but he barely acknowledged me at first.Finally, he sighed and set the dagger down. "I don’t like that we had to run from that place. It feels unfinished," he admitted.He wasn’t wrong. We had gotten away, but at what cost? The things we had seen, the presence that still clung to us like an unshakable shadow—I knew deep down that it wasn’t truly over.Sophie came strolling ou
The HIDDENS chapter 119
The tension from our near escape still clung to me like a second skin, even as the night stretched into silence. My body was exhausted, my mind running circles around the events that had unfolded. I lay curled against Jake, his arms wrapped securely around me, his breath steady and warm against my hair. But sleep refused to claim me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw flashes—red eyes in the dark, the twisted town, the feeling of time slipping like sand through my fingers. It had been too easy. Too clean of an escape. And that made my stomach churn. Jake shifted beside me, his grip tightening. “You’re thinking too much,” he murmured against my temple. I exhaled softly. “I can’t help it. Something isn’t right.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, but there was tension in his touch. “We’ll figure it out in the morning. For now, just rest.” I nodded against his chest, but the uneasy feeling wouldn’t leave. And deep down, I knew—this wasn’t over. ---Morning came far too soon. T
The HIDDENS chapter 118
The moment we stepped out of the inn, an eerie silence wrapped around us like a suffocating blanket. The town, which had been brimming with life just hours ago, now felt abandoned. The streets were empty, the lanterns flickering weakly, and the air carried a heavy stillness that made the hairs on my arms rise.Jake was the first to break the silence. "We need to get out of here. Now."His voice was calm but held an undertone of urgency that made my stomach twist. I reached for his hand instinctively, feeling the warmth of his skin grounding me.Althea, Sophie, Fatima, and Chris followed closely behind as we hurried toward the town's exit. But as we neared the main road leading out, a dense fog rolled in from nowhere, thick and unnatural. My breath hitched as the path ahead of us blurred into nothingness."What the hell?" Chris muttered, stepping ahead cautiously. He reached out a hand to push through the fog, but the moment his fingers touched it, a pulse of energy knocked him back on
The HIDDENS chapter 117
The road stretched before us, endless and winding, as our SUV rumbled down the cracked pavement. The eerie little town we'd just left was nothing more than a fading memory in the rearview mirror. Or at least, that’s what we thought.Fatima sat in the back, fiddling with the radio, static crackling through the speakers. Sophie drummed her fingers on the dashboard while Althea stared out the window, her fingers twitching like she was trying to grab something unseen. Chris, sitting next to Fatima, was uncharacteristically quiet.“I swear, I’ll never step foot in another weird-ass town again,” Sophie muttered, shifting in her seat. “That place gave me the creeps.”“Agreed,” Jake said, his fingers gripping the wheel tighter. “Let’s just get home and pretend this never happened.”Silence settled over the car for a while, broken only by the hum of the tires against the road. The trees lining the highway were dense, towering over us, their darkened silhouettes illuminated by the occasional f
The HIDDENS chapter 116
The idea of taking a break from everything was both ridiculous and desperately needed. The pack had been through hell, and for the first time in weeks, there was no immediate crisis to solve. So, when Sophie suggested a road trip, I had laughed—until I saw the way Jake looked at me, like he knew I needed this more than anyone. And maybe I did.That’s how I found myself crammed in an SUV with Jake, Althea, Sophie, Fatima, and Jake speeding down an open road. The wind blew through my hair as I rolled down the window, feeling something I hadn’t in a long time—freedom.“Alright, we need road trip rules,” Sophie announced from the backseat, pulling out a notepad. “Rule number one: No talking about pack politics.”“Agreed,” Fatima said, munching on a bag of spicy chips. “Rule number two: The driver does not get to pick all the music.”Jake, who was behind the wheel, raised a brow. “Excuse me? Who else would pick?”“Literally anyone else,” Althea said, crossing her arms. “You listen to brood
The HIDDENS chapter 115
The morning air was crisp and fresh, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth through the open windows. It was the kind of morning that whispered of new beginnings, of hope gently stretching its fingers through the cracks of sorrow. I stood on the balcony, sipping warm tea, watching the sun rise over the treetops. The pack had been through hell, but today—today felt different. The heaviness that had lingered like an unshakable fog finally seemed to be lifting. Laughter drifted up from below, the sound of children playing near the training grounds. Warriors, who once walked with the weight of grief on their shoulders, were smiling as they sparred in the courtyard. The pack was healing, slowly but surely. I had found a place here. It had taken time, patience, and a lot of self-doubt, but now, watching the people I had come to love rebuild their lives, I felt at home. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me against a warm chest. “You’re up early,” J
