Violet“My mom,” I replied. He probably thought I meant Sonya, but that didn’t matter. I’d spare him the backstory.“How long ago?”I squeezed my eyes a bit. “Like ten years ago?”“Ten years ago,” he whispered, still inspecting the glasses on my face.“Well, make sure to keep them on at all times,” he spoke, his face serious. “We wouldn’t want you to lose them.”If only he knew…I swallowed, nodding quickly. “Yes, Your Majesty.”The king didn’t give another response and simply walked past me, leaving me standing there. I let out a slow breath, feeling more than happy that he had left.Even though I tried not to focus on Kylan, it was hard not to, especially when Chrystal laughed out loud, leaning into him like he had just made the funniest joke on the planet.As if it couldn’t get any worse, Kylan wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered something into her ear, making her laugh even more.At times it seemed like he hated her, but then he did stuff like this.It was just like he
VioletI sat on Nate’s bed, nervously fumbling with my hands as I waited for him. As soon as we arrived, he had disappeared to the bathroom with the promise to be back soon.Now it had already been several minutes too many as I stared at the closed door, wondering if it was too late to run out of here.I exhaled, closing my eyes for a second.No, Violet.You want this—you want him.After calming down a bit, I let my eyes wander around his room for the first time. It had the same layout as Kylan’s, only a bit smaller, and the colors brighter and warmer. Their rooms showed a perfect contrast in their personalities.For a second, I wondered if maybe he was just as nervous as I was, hiding in the bathroom—but then I chuckled to myself.No way. Nate had quite the reputation, and he wouldn’t get nervous over this. I was probably just nothing more than a number to him.I felt an awful lump in my throat, thinking about the reason why I was doing this. At first I made myself believe that it wa
VioletBy the look on his face, I could tell he didn’t believe a single word that left my mouth—and neither did I.Would I, really?He chuckled. “Because I see the way you look at him, Violet. And it’s not the look you give to someone you’re about to reject.”I swallowed, feeling confused by my own thoughts. There was only one look I ever gave him, and that was a hateful one, right?“I get why you’d want to reject him, though,” Nate shrugged as he lowered his gaze. “He has his moments, but he’s…complicated. He’s not always a good person.”The pain in his voice was obvious. Whatever happened between the two of them had clearly left a scar because Nate was able to see something that even his own brother refused to see.Kylan was not always a good person.“What happened between the two of you?” I approached the situation with caution.Nate smiled softly, looking up to hold my gaze. “I just tried to get him to talk about his feelings, like I always do…”He drifted into thought, his jaw ti
VioletI stretched my arms, yawning as I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright morning light. Looking beside me, I noticed the bed was empty—Nate was gone.We’d stayed up late, laughing, talking, and watching movies, but it had all been worth it. I felt a calm I hadn’t felt in a long time.The clock read 7 AM, which meant I had to move quickly if I didn’t want anyone seeing me. I sat up straight, hearing a soft rumbling noise coming from the bathroom.“Nate?” I called out, my voice still groggy. The noise kept going, and there was no answer. I got up and walked to the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar.“Nate?” I said again, louder this time, but still nothing. I reached for the doorknob, and just as my hand touched it, he swung the door open, startling me.“Good morning, Vivi!” he said, standing in the doorway. He seemed to be in a good mood, but something about it felt off. Nate was always happy, but now he seemed a bit too energetic.“Hi,” I replied, watching him as he closed
VioletDetermined, I made my way over to Jane and placed down my tray, sliding into the chair on the opposite side of her. I greeted her with a polite smile which she returned.Her gaze was soft, and her green eyes warm and kind. Her brown hair was tied back in a sleek bun, showing off her beauty even more. Just by looking at her face, I could only imagine how popular she must’ve been back in her days.“No classes today?”“No, not today,” I shook my head shyly. “Do you teach here too?”Before that night at the Elite Team dinner, I had never seen her before—but no regular soul would sit here this early if they didn’t have any business at this school.Jane gave me a nod. “Yes, I’m an allround shifter specialist.” She really was admirable. That wasn’t something easy, yet the calm way she had said it made it sound like it was. Her smile widened a bit as she tilted her head. “So, how are you finding school?” she asked. “Already tired?”I shook my head. “Not really. It’s okay.”Truthfully
VioletHearing that Alaric had been an Alpha Prince left me stunned. It was hard to imagine someone else, who had also been erased from existence, had once attended Starlight, and was in the same team as Mom.It was even harder to imagine that an Alpha Prince had a relationship with a witch.“The witch’s name was Adelaide,” Jane shared. “I don’t know if your mom ever told you about her, but the two of them were like sisters.”“Really?” I said, pretending to be shocked. By now, I had heard that a few times already so it wasn’t something new. It was the reason why I had been so interested in her in the first place.“Yes,” Jane nodded with a faint smile. “Adelaide’s mother was the high priestess of the dark witches—Addy was next in like for that title.”A dark witch? A high priestess on top of that?There was not lot I knew about Adelaide, but her being a dark witch was the least I expected. Why were dark witches even allowed within these walls?Everyone knew dark witches were more power
KylanI sat alone in the cafeteria, pushing every chair around me out of reach so no one would get the idea to sit nearby.It had been a few days since family day, and already, I was hoping the king would skip the next one, sparing me from the same mess all over again. The whole event had been too exhausting.Today was my last day off before Elite training picked up tomorrow, and I needed the rest. Unlike the last session, we would have different commanders this time—and they weren’t as soft as Rochwall.They were trained to see through every flaw, and pushed to make lives miserable—even mine. That was their job, to make everyone strong enough they wouldn’t crack under pressure.My peace was interrupted by a group of three girls at the table in front of me, giggling in an irritating way. They whispered, kicked their feet under the table like a bunch of little kids, and glanced around the cafeteria—but when I heard them murmur about Violet, the freshman healer, my interest suddenly piq
VioletSame as last time, I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I adjusted my training gear one last time. No matter how many times I looked at it, it still felt strange, like it didn’t quite belong on my body. Classes for the day were over, meaning it was time for training.I grabbed the hair tie from my wrist before pulling my hair up in a ponytail. Just as I finished, two girls from the team walked past. They shot me a small smile, then whispered something as they walked out.Today was day two of the whispers, and I didn’t know what in the world made me think that the whispers would stop. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention, and it still left me feeling uneasy.I truly had no idea Nate was that popular.Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the locker room and into the training hall. My heart made a quick jump as I remembered what I’d heard about today’s commander, Jorn. I had overheard the combat girls calling him a living nightmare, and they were tough—so I knew they we
Adelaide It felt as if the world around me had stopped. I softly clutched my chest, trying to steady my breathing. After sacrificing my position as the next High Priestess, I didn’t have a whole lot to sacrifice, so I didn’t like where this was headed. “The Veil has layers depending on each threat,” Aelius spoke. “The one who creates the Veil is expected to stay inside to keep watch on every layer within the realm.” My heart ached as I realized what he was saying. I would have to give up everything, my freedom, my life…all to keep Alaric, everyone, safe from Baelor. But it would be worth it, I know it would… “If that’s what it takes to keep Alaric safe,” I accept my faith, “then once again—I’ve already decided.” “That’s not all, Adelaide.” There was more? My chest tightened at the mere thought. “Then what is it?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Aelius tilted his head. “Where do you think your strength comes from?” I frowned, trying to think. “From my eyes…from all t
AdelaideI fluttered my eyes open, feeling the bright morning sun stream through the small window. Nothing from yesterday was a blur—I remembered it all very clearly.Mom and Esther, Baelor, fleeing to the cave…A weak sigh escaped my lips. It was officially graduation day, and I couldn’t help but wonder what our friends were doing at the moment.Would they be searching for us?Would that old man, Principal Sterling, have forced them to focus on graduation instead?They must be so confused right now.We had all worked so hard for four years to get to this point—only for it to be ruined by some God of the Underworld, and none of them even knew.But I didn’t care…He was safe. Alaric was safe, and that was all that mattered—My breath hitched, and my head turned in less than a split second. “Alaric?”I patted the empty spot beside me, then sat up straight, scanning the room. My eyes landed on a small note on the nightstand.“No…” I reached for it with shaky hands, expecting to read some
Adelaide Hearing the sound of a loud gasp, my eyes immediately shot open. Alaric’s wide blue eyes locked on mine, his breathing heavy and uneven. Worried, I placed my hand on his chest as it rose and fell. “You’re okay!” Before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around him—not caring if he would return the affection, but he did. He pulled me into a tight embrace. My heart felt a bit more at ease, and tears pricked my eyes at the relief I felt. Alaric holding me in his arms was all I needed right now. His hand moved to the back of my head, rubbing it like I was the one who needed comforting more than he did. “You were never going to do it,” he whispered against my hair. “You were never going to feed me any darkness.” I drew in a sharp breath, realizing what he meant. He knew—he had seen everything through my eyes, just like I wanted him to. “Of course I wouldn’t,” I stated, pulling back to look at him. I wanted to meet his eyes so he could see how serious I was. “
AdelaideI groaned, pulling the sled I had managed to put together from broken branches and leaves. On top of it lay Alaric, still unconscious, as he had left me no choice.It would’ve spared me a lot of time and strength if he had just listened to me—but at the same time, I understood I was probably the last person he wanted to hear from at the moment.The path through the dark woods was rough, my arms burning—but I couldn’t stop. Not until I knew he was safe.By now, Mom and Esther’s paralysis must’ve worn off, meaning I had to move faster.Sighing deeply, I glanced up at the hill in the distance. At the top was the cave that led to Bloodstone Haven—the village of the children of blood. We weren’t far now.“Come on,” I whispered, encouraging myself. “You’re almost there.”The cave was my only option, and I was certain Mom wouldn’t find us here. As far as she was concerned, I hadn’t spoken to Grandpa Aelius in years and barely remembered the man. After all, she had brainwashed me all
AdelaideMaking my eyes glow, I shifted my attention to Mom and Esther, who still had their eyes closed, chanting to bring back Baelor.They were too focused to notice me approaching, and I knew that if I wanted to do something—now was my chance.My heart raced, but I didn’t stop—I couldn’t stop.I was a good person…I stuck out both of my hands, placing them on each of their heads, and then…everything stopped.The shaking, the chanting, the black shadow—it all vanished instantly.Both Mom and Esther gasped before collapsing to the cold floor, their eyes wide with shock. The room was completely silent, except for my heavy breathing as it hit me what I had just done.Esther whimpered. “Adelaide?”“Sweetheart?” Mom whispered in disbelief.My eyes faded back to normal, and guilt washed over me as I watched my own mother lying there, unable to move. It wasn’t because of her—it was because I hadn’t done it sooner.I had paralyzed them, the same way Mom had paralyzed Alaric earlier. It was
AdelaideMy vision blurred as I tried to keep up with everything happening around me. It all happened so fast.One moment, I was trying to escape Starlight with Alaric, and now I was glued to the wall of some secret room beneath the library. Mom and Esther had dragged him here, unconscious, and I had no idea what to do.Esther had tied Alaric to some pole in the center of the room, while Mom grabbed his limp hand and whispered a few words.All of this was making me sick. I was so close to running away with him—but I had failed.Think, Adelaide, think!I looked around the small room, which looked like it had been prepared for this so-called ritual for a long time. Symbols were painted across the floor, salt had been spread around the center, there were candles, and most importantly, a small wooden table with an open book.Deciding to bring back Baelor during the party, where the whole school would be present—from freshmen to seniors to the professors—was definitely a calculated decisio
AdelaideWho am I?What am I?Where am I headed?Those were all the questions I couldn’t help but ask myself as I looked into the mirror. My face, my hair, even my body—they all looked the same, but I knew damn well that I wasn’t the same cruel person I had been four years ago.I sighed, straightening my tight black dress with my hands, then brushed through my curled hair. I looked perfect—like the kind of girl who had it all together…but deep inside, I was a mess.The graduation party was in a while, and I still hadn’t figured out what would happen tomorrow.“Addy!” Claire entered my room, holding up two purses. “Blue or pink?” she asked, spinning around in her white dress.Claire looked stunning, as always. Her blonde hair was in an elegant bun, and her dress made her look more like a fairy than a werewolf. But it wasn’t just her looks that made her stunning—it was everything about her. She was kind, funny, and, besides Alaric, had one of the purest hearts I had ever seen.If there
Year 4Adelaide“One more day, Addy!” Claire squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. “Can you believe it? We’re finally graduating!”Her eyes sparkled as she pulled back to look at me. Claire had been like this for months, probably because she actually had her life planned out after school.I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, she was already barking orders to someone across the gym.“No, the lights need to be higher!” she pointed out. “We’ve gone through this already, get it together!”My lips curled, watching the same girl who couldn’t even count to ten a few years back thriving as the head of the school council. Whatever she would end up doing at the Bloodrose, I knew she would be good at it.“Tonight is going to be perfect, Addy!” She turned back to me. “Don’t you think?”I nodded, though I couldn’t reach her level of excitement. Even now, my mind was elsewhere. There was the party tonight and graduation tomorrow—but for me, everything still felt far from perfect.Why?
Year 3Adelaide‘The Veil, also known as a special portal that can only be created by the eyes of a Seer. Once such a portal is opened…’Before I could read further, I felt a firm hand on my shoulder. A gasp left my mouth before I slammed the book shut.Knowing who the hand belonged to, I quickly turned around, facing Alaric, who stood behind me with a grin on his face.“What’s with the look?” he chuckled, leaning down to kiss the side of my neck. I flinched, feeling his lips on the same spot where he had marked me last year. After making up every reason as to why it wouldn’t be a good idea, I came to the conclusion that there really wasn’t one.Maybe one—and that reason was Mom. An argument with Mom during the semester break had eventually pushed me to do it, and I did not regret my decision.As far as Mom and Esther were concerned, I was still preparing her chosen vessel—feeding him darkness—but that wasn’t true. I mostly spent my days in the library, desperately searching for a way