LOGINKaelan's POVThe light from her body split the room.Silver. Blinding. Alive.The air tightened—like the world was holding its breath between heartbeats.I held Rhea so she wouldn’t be thrown, but the energy from her blood hit me like a blast of heat. The floor beneath us cracked, the air vibrated, and every Nightbane ward Callum had set off erupted into showers of silver sparks.It felt like trying to hold a storm in the palm of my hand.“Rhea!”She didn’t answer. Her eyes were open, but they weren’t looking at me—like she was staring at something far beyond this world. The light in her eyes wasn’t a reflection… it was the moon itself.I forced myself through that wave of heat and pulled her closer, cradling her trembling body. “Fight, Rhea! You have to hear me. You’re still here!”All I heard were her ragged breaths—broken, fast, like someone fighting a nightmare made real.For a moment, I thought I’d lost her.Then—there was a pulse. Not from her chest. From my own blood.Like some
(POV Rhea)The sound of rain was the first thing I heard. Then… silence.I opened my eyes slowly and realized I was lying on a narrow bed made of old wood, the blanket smelling of smoke and rain. On the other side, pale light seeped through the window curtain, illuminating a room I didn’t recognize—stone walls, wooden floor, damp air that smelled like metal and incense. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly in the right state to think straight after what happened last night.I tried to sit up, but a sharp sting shot through my shoulder, making me wince in pain.Something was wrong.The pain felt… alive. Every time I inhaled, there was a faint vibration under my skin—not from my heartbeat, but from the wound on my shoulder.I quickly pulled the blanket aside. A strip of white gauze was wrapped there, but through its thin layers, I could see a faint glow—silver, pulsing softly, like it was… breathing.My brows furrowed, my eyes locked on the wound. I rubbed my eyes hard, thinking it was just
(POV Kaelan)Outside, the rain was coming down harder. Not a single window light was on across the other floors.The people below only heard the wind howling and the distant roll of thunder—unaware that on the sixth floor, two worlds had just collided.I was still on my knees, with Rhea in my arms. Her body felt light—too light—as if part of her soul hadn’t completely returned yet. Her breathing was steady, but the pulse in her neck was still uneven.Right where my blood had merged with hers, the silver light still pulsed softly—glowing beneath skin and fabric, alive, refusing to fade.Something felt strange in my chest.Hot and cold. Burning and freezing all at once.And every time she breathed, I could feel it—inside me too.I stared at her for a long while.“Why does it feel like this…” I muttered quietly.It wasn’t just a connection. It was like… two worlds trying to merge through our blood.“Kaelan.” Callum’s voice at the doorway snapped me out of it. His breathing was rough, and
(Kaelan’s POV)Callum’s voice kept echoing in my head long after the line went dead. “Kaelan… she’s hurt.”The world stopped for a second.Then my blood exploded—boiling hot.I slammed my foot on the gas, the car almost lifting off the ground. The engine roared through the silence of the night, and the streets of Elaria blurred into streaks of light behind the windshield. My chest refused to stay calm. Every second that passed sliced through my patience like a blade.That pulse—the bond between us—was thrashing wildly. Heat, cold, pain.Rhea was still alive… but weak.“Hold on, Rhea,” I muttered under my breath. “I’ll get there before the world dares to touch you again.”Cold air rushed in through the window. The scent of rain mixed with iron—blood—grew sharper the closer I got to her apartment. City lights flashed by, but my mind only clung to one thing: her.Rhea.The girl I was never supposed to find, yet somehow became the center of all my chaos.The moment I pulled up in front o
(POV Kaelan)The stone corridor still felt suffocating as I stepped out of the Elder’s chamber. The smell of incense and burning candles clung to my skin, sharp like the smoke of war. My footsteps echoed loudly, like hammers striking every inch of the walls. I just wanted to get away. From the stone chairs. From their eyes. From every word that cut like a blade.But that voice followed me.“I never thought you’d turn into a coward, Kaelan.”Ayra.I stopped, my back tensing. Her tone was the same as before—sweet on the surface, venom underneath. Slowly, I turned to see her standing at the end of the corridor, her gaze sharp. Her cloak swept the floor, her eyes glinting faintly under the torchlight.“Coward?” I repeated, my voice flat but edged with emotion. “Funny. Out of everyone in that room, you’re the only one who thinks you get to say that?”She moved closer, her steps light but every motion like poison seeping into the air. “You could’ve handed it over, Kaelan. The Elders gave yo
(Rhea's POV)The night air stabbed my lungs like cold needles. I was still on the fire escape outside my apartment, body rigid, hands trembling as they clutched the cold, dew-slick railing. Callum’s fight above still shook the air—loud crashes mixed with low growls that kept the hair on my neck standing.But that wasn’t what froze me.At the bottom of the stairs, someone stood.Or something.A tall figure, broad-shouldered, long black hair hiding part of his face. Even in the dim glow of the streetlight I could see his eyes—burning red, like living embers cutting straight into me.“Beautiful.” His voice was hoarse but oddly echoed like two tones at once. “Hale blood. I’ve finally found it.”My chest felt crushed. He knew my name. He knew who I was.I gripped the railing tighter. “D-don’t come any closer.” My voice cracked, more a whisper than a threat.The figure lifted his head fully. His smile was wide, showing teeth far too long for a human. “The more you resist, the louder your bl