LOGINAurelia’s POVI hit the ground hard.The impact drove the air straight out of my lungs, a sharp, blinding pain exploding through my side as my body slammed against unforgiving stone. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My mouth opened in a silent scream as my chest refused to move, my vision swimming violently.Pain followed seconds later, hot, vicious, everywhere.I curled instinctively, gasping as my lungs finally dragged in air that burned like fire. My ribs screamed in protest, and something deep in my side throbbed with every breath I took.“Oh my goodness.” I choked, clutching myself as tears spilled freely now.The pit was darker than night. The air smelled damp, old and wrong.I pushed myself up on trembling hands, my palms scraping against jagged rock. I hissed as sharp edges bit into my skin, warm blood immediately slicking my fingers.“No… no, no, no,” I whispered frantically, scrambling to my feet.I looked up.The walls stretched impossibly high above me, steep, uneven ston
Aurelia’s POVSelena’s arm was locked around me like iron.No matter how much I struggled, how violently I twisted, she didn’t loosen her grip. If anything, she held me tighter, her forearm crushing against my throat until every breath burned.“Stop fighting,” she hissed against my ear. “You’re making this harder for yourself.”The dagger was pressed flat against my chest, right over my heart. I could feel the cold metal even through my torn clothes, feel the faint tremor in her hand that was purely out of excitement.Her teeth were bared in a feral grin.I froze.Not because I wanted to but because one wrong movement would drive the blade straight into me.My heart hammered so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.Around us, the forest had descended into pure chaos. Wolves clashed in violent blurs of fur and claws. Growls split the air, followed by screams of pain and the sickening sound of flesh tearing. Trees shook as massive bodies slammed into them, branches snapping and leav
Aurelia's POV It happened too fast.One moment Rowan was still on his feet, blood streaking down his side, his chest heaving as he tried to draw another breath, the next, Liam moved forward and drove his boot into Rowan’s ribs with brutal force.The sound that followed made my stomach twist.A sickening crack.Rowan’s body lifted off the ground and slammed hard against a jagged rock several feet away. His head snapped to the side, and he collapsed in a heap, completely still.“No!” I screamed.Selena laughed. She laughed loudly, throwing her head back as she wiped the blood from her lips with the back of her hand. “Pathetic,” she sneered. “All heroes die the same way.”My heart was pounding so violently I could barely hear my own thoughts.Before I could crawl toward Rowan, Liam walked towards me and his fingers fisted in my hair.Pain exploded across my scalp as I was yanked upward, my scream tearing from my throat. My feet barely touched the ground as Liam dragged me upright.“Runn
AURELIA'S POVThe arrow struck with a sharp thwack, slicing clean through the air before embedding itself into Selena’s wrist.She screamed.A sound so shrill and furious it made my ears ring.I spun around instinctively, my heart slamming violently against my ribs, my vision swimming as I tried to make sense of what was happening. My body was still shaking from the struggle, my lungs burning, my shoulder screaming in pain but I forced myself to look.And then I saw Rowan.He stood several feet away, bow lowered, eyes hard and focused, his expression carved from stone. Blood stained his sleeve but his stance was steady, grounded, like he’d been waiting for this exact moment.Rowan stepped forward, spear now in his hand, the metal tip glinting faintly under the thin light filtering through the trees. His gaze never left Selena.“You should have stayed dead,” he said coldly.Selena’s head snapped toward him.Her face twisted with rage, disbelief, hatred contorting her features until she
Aurelia’s POVThe forest swallowed me whole.Branches lashed against my skin as I bolted between the trees, barefoot, bleeding, my lungs felt like they couldn't take it anymore, breathing became a chore at that point. Every step sent sharp pain slicing up my legs, stones biting into my soles, thorns tearing into flesh already raw from the dungeon floor.I didn’t slow down for a second, I was ready to endure the pain until I get out of this hell.Behind me, I heard Shannon running slowly, and I could tell she was already in her wolf form.Shannon wasn’t chasing me. She was tracking my scent and I knew it.The realization sent a cold shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the night air. Wolves didn’t waste energy when they knew their prey would tire first. And I was already exhausted as it is, my breaths were shallow, my vision blurring at the edges, my body shaking from pain and fear.I pushed harder, forcing my legs to move even as they threatened to give out beneath me.Thi
Aurelia’s POVFire swallowed everything.It crawled along the wooden beams above us, greedy and alive, devouring the supports with sharp, cracking pops that echoed like gunshots. Burning embers rained down, biting into my skin, scorching through fabric. I screamed as sparks burnt my arms, my neck, my hair.Smoke filled my lungs.Thick. Black. Suffocating.I coughed violently, my throat burning as if I were inhaling knives. My eyes stung, tears streaming down my face as I struggled to keep them open. Every breath felt useless, like I was drowning on dry land.“Move!” the rogue barked hoarsely, dragging me forward by the arm.I stumbled, my legs weak, my vision blurring as the heat pressed in from all sides. The dungeon was collapsing in on itself, fire roaring behind us, stone groaning overhead like a dying beast.Behind me was a loud scream. “AURELIA!”Dominic’s voice.It cut through the chaos like a blade.My heart lurched violently as I twisted my head, coughing as smoke tore at my







