[That man's POV]Hearing the chirping of birds, it is time for the moon to go back to sleep in the sky where they belong. The sun has just set, and the light of dawn is beginning to illuminate the land from a distance. But today, it doesn't feel peaceful as usual; no one knows what news this day's sun is bringing. No one knows for whom this sun will be the cause of victory and for whom it will be the cause of defeat.A group of people gathered under the cover of trees in front of Dark Shadow Coven. It was Strigoi who had come to get their revenge. They had already waited a long time. One by one, they took out their weapons; some were armed with swords and knives, while others were holding sharpened stakes. Their expressionless faces showed no sign of emotion or mercy.Some were dressed in the dark robes of the vampires. Most of them carried a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a dagger for each hand and they all stood ready to do battle. They were prepared and ready for the war.The St
[That man's POV]It took a long time for the Gravefur Pack to reach Markkhstan Dari, as the town was quite far from the forest, and the entire pack had to be carried along. But they made it there with barely any problems, as if nothing terrible had happened while they were out there trying to find their pack mates.They arrived at the town with little fuss. The townspeople were still shocked over what had happened, but they managed to keep their shock hidden. Because this was the second time a werewolf had stepped into that place, no one wanted to see this happen again.As soon as they reached Markkhstan Dari, they spread all around. They did not know how their pack mates were doing or what their condition was.The smell of the town was a little strange this time, it was the same energy that Alpha Altan had felt in the pack house a few days back. It looked like they had found a strange new land.“This place is weird,” says Ultima Wolf Drik. “I’ve been here before. It smelled good, but
[That man's POV]The locket lay there, in the same dirt where the Pawn Clara had bumped into the Elf Trixie. Bishop Eloise watched carefully, moving her eyes around as if she were going to steal something, but she did not see anyone.She took a cold breath and instructed Elf Trixie to lay Pawn Clara down in the shade, as her body burned in the sun. It wasn't just her hands or arms; the entire rest of her was on fire. She could feel it burning through every cell that made up her body – inside and out.Bishop Eloise bends down and starts running her fingers through the dirt to pick the locket up. She quickly picks it up and moves towards Pawn Clara, cleaning the dirt off it. But she is surprised to see Rook Theia and Gobi Zalika from behind the tree.Elf Trixie first glances at the two of them and then glances at Pawn Clara. Blisters are forming due to burns on her body."It's okay, just relax. You're all right," said Elf Trixie, trying to calm Pawn Clara.Pawn Clara was not responding;
[Elara's POV][Lost her memory of past few days]I backed away as the creature launched its attack. Clutching the sword from the temple, I struck at it, but the blade passed through its misty fog as if it were nothing. I knew it wasn’t my mother. The Echo Wraith always appeared as a familiar face—a loved one, a long-lost friend, or a figure from the victim’s past—only to grotesquely distort and morph into a disturbing mask of anguish or malevolence. The expressions on its face are exaggerated and twisted, reflecting the lies and deceit it preys upon. One moment it might seem sorrowful, and the next, it could sneer with malevolence. Its misty form occasionally shimmers with an eerie glow that highlights its undulating contours and shifting visage, creating an unsettling contrast with the surroundings.The Echo Wraith’s movements are eerily silent and fluid, and its presence brings a numbing cold that enhances the sense of an entity from beyond, making its touch feel like the icy grip o
[Elara's POV]I continued coughing violently until my throat hurt, and I couldn’t even feel my legs anymore. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled blindly along the cold tunnel. When I reached the end of the passageway, I collapsed onto the ground, still coughing uncontrollably. After a few moments, my breathing began to slow, and I rested my head against the cold floor. Stalagtor was nowhere to be seen. I lay there for a few more minutes before finally deciding that moving wasn’t an option. Even if I could stand on my own two feet now, I knew I wouldn’t make it to any place safe. I had run out of energy hours ago, when all my body wanted to do was collapse in relief. The only thing keeping me going right now was the faint hope of survival.I stood up and walked towards the edge, where I saw a huge sculpture of my face cemented in the water, stuck in place like a dead fish. Frowning, I knelt down and tried to touch the water slowly, but it kept slipping through my fingers. The water s
[Author's POV]She stood up, holding her injured arm, and slowly limped along the path which leads upwards. The walls were covered with small scratches and scrapes as she climbed the steep path up to the opening of the hole. She looked up at the top of the rocks towering over her. They were dark grey, and looked smooth like marble. They sparkled under the light, like the scales of some strange beast she’d seen once in a book. But unlike any beast she’d ever seen or even read about, there was nothing alive behind these cliffs. There is nothing to be afraid of.She looked down and saw that the trail leading up to the hole was covered in sand and stones. It led straight up to the top, but there was nowhere near enough room for a large animal like the Stalagtor to go through. The tunnel curved sharply to the right before turning around the corner. The tunnel was much smaller than the one she was used to climbing, but somehow she was sure that she knew exactly what she was heading towar
[Elara's POV]I jolted awake at the alarm clock on my nightstand, groaning as I slapped the thing off and rolled to bury my head beneath my pillows. It had been dark outside, so early in the morning, with not a trace of sunshine to be found, just dark blackness and shadows, broken only by the occasional glint of a small window through a nearby crack. I had woken up early because I had an appointment with the doctor today.For the past few days, I had felt very low and tired most of the time, like someone had drained all the energy from me. Even when I slept, I couldn't rest. My mind had constantly raced around in circles, trying to figure out what had happened while I was asleep and how long I had been unconscious. It had felt impossible. No matter what day it was or where I lived, sleep didn't make me forget things or disappear for good.But last night, I vomited and our pack mother checked my pulse. She said I didn't feel good because I was pregnant. I couldn't believe it because Et
[Elara's POV]He had kicked the sturdy timber dining table, causing me to jump as it fell to the wooden floor with a loud thud, shaking the decorations in the glass case."What about you?" He shouted. "You simply wanted to be Luna, right? You knew Natalia and I were in a relationship, yet you shamelessly accepted the marriage and betrayed your own cousin sister by stealing her boyfriend! You lied to me. She told me everything!"I couldn't believe my cousin-sister. I had never thought she would do this. "I'm so sorry," I cried, starting to sob as I hugged myself tightly."She's the love of my life. We had been dating since we were eighteen, even before that," he had yelled at me. "It had taken all my self-control not to punch you, Elara."His voice had been filled with frustration and anger. It had been almost enough to make me break down again, but he hadn't given up yet. He had kept going. "You're such a pathetic bitch who has no sense of loyalty to your friends or family." He had wa