Chapter 5

I woke up in darkness. The darkness was such that it enveloped me, snatching away all the remaining warmth from my body. My head ached as though a thousand little claws were penetrating my skull, and for a brief moment I questioned whether I was still dreaming.

 The air was moist, dense with the musty aroma of stone and rot. Though it took a moment for my vision to change, my eyes opened. Once my vision changed, I found only cold, grey stone walls surrounding me.

Under me, the floor was hard, rough, and unyielding. Though my body was rigid, as though it had been held in place for far too long, I tried to move. My head was racing, spinning, attempting to understand where I was, my body felt as heavy as lead. I could not recall how I came to be here.

A wave of panic made my chest tight. It was a panic I couldn’t identify because I wasn’t supposed to be here.

 Could this be some sort of nightmare?

 The air around me felt thick, almost as if something were pushing in from all sides.

Straining to hear, I tried to understand the sounds reverberating off the walls. There was something—whispers, low and first unintelligible. Though I couldn't see them, they were there. The whispers became louder, more definite, and finally I heard them plainly.

 We have to terminate her. I was still.

The words sank into my bones, resonating in my head.

Terminate me?

My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath was suddenly quickening.

Who were they really? Who was going to kill me?

 She is not allowed to breed.

 I blinked, bewilderment clouding my thoughts. Breed?

 Say what now?

The term struck me like a chilly wave, but I couldn't figure out what they were talking about

What was this about breeding for? I attempted to shift, but the shackles around my wrists clinked, telling me I was stuck.

Panic flared once more. The was something about their words , something dangerous about them.

 They talked as though they knew something about me, something I didn't have.

"She can't breed a generation of abomination," they say.

The sentence struck me like a slap in the face.

Abomination?

The term seared itself into my consciousness, burning through my thoughts like fire.

I was just another wolf, what was so abominable about me?

 I was unable to understand . I could not make sense of their meaning.

What brought me here exactly? What was I meant to be, this... monster they dreaded? I was not a travesty. I was only... who I was. A normal wolf.

But in that moment, something deep inside me trembled with doubt.

An unshakeable, nagging doubt. The chains around my wrists kept me down even though my muscles cried out in protest as I attempted to sit up.

 My whole body seemed like it was made of stone. How long had I been in this place? What caused me to have no memory?

 Gasping, my chest squeezed and the air seemed thin, almost drowning me. The whispers kept weaving in and out of my thoughts, like a thread knitting together a story I couldn't follow.

 “They cannot let her survive. It's too perilous.”

Dangerous ? I? What about me was dangerous?

 I was breathless. I attempted to fit together the bits of their speech.

Breed. Abomination . Dangerous.

Nothing of it was reasonable. What had I done to deserve this treatment? What was going on?

 A piercing snap rang out in the stillness. My heart leaping in my chest, I spun my head.

Someone was approaching. Someone who has been hearing those hushed voices. From the shadows, a tall, powerful man emerged into the low light. The torchlight wavered, throwing lengthy shadows on the frigid stone walls.

 "You're awake," the stranger remarked, his voice quiet and nearly disinterested.

He moved closer to where I lay, and my heart skipped a beat.

 Though the feeble light only revealed the outlines of his features, I could feel his cold, calculating gaze on me.

My heart raced in my ears as I fought against the chains.

 “Who are you, then?” I was able to croak, my voice husky with dread and uncertainty. It didn't seem like me. I didn't sound like myself at all. I sounded minor. Innocent.

The creature laughed, a sinister noise that made me shiver.

“ Who am I? You have no recollection?” I took a deep breath and swallowed. “Not at all. I do not.”

 Where might I be? What is this building?

 In the low light, his eyes shone and he leaned in, breath chilly against my ear.

“You are in the dungeon, of course. Where else would we place you?”

His eyes stayed on me as he withdrew.

“We couldn't take the chance of you waking you up too early. Waking up after being subjected to what you were exposed to is a risky proposition. But now... we have to complete what we began.”

  My thoughts were a muddled mess, so I shook my head.

 “What do you mean? What do you want to finish?”

The figure's lips formed a vicious smile.

“You are the one who doesn't get it. You are cursed. Marked for doom . A dangerous one.”

 He stepped back, and I could see his shape more clearly now—a tall, broad-shouldered man in a dark robe that faded into the darkness. But his looks did not grab my interest. His words had significance. The knowledge struck me as my heart pounded in my chest.

 "What do you mean I’m cursed? What do you mean I'm dangerous?”

 The man's eyes sharpened, and he tilted his head as though weighing my merits. "You don't know, do you? You don't know who you are and what he is. You don’t know what you can do and it’s best you don’t find out.”

I looked at him, my head whirling.

What I can do?

 I don’t have any talent or powers. I wasn't... whatever he believed I was.

 My thoughts ran amok. There has to be some sort of error or misunderstanding.

 "What am I and who are you referring to ?" I muttered, hardly able to say the words.

His lips twisted again, but this time there was no amusement. Only icy, genuine contempt.

 “You are a hybrid, a perverted creation. They went against nature, they thought that they could avoid you but they were mistaken. And you are the monstrosity now. Goddess forbid you meet him. If we don’t stop you, you will be the one to bring forth an entire generation of them.”

 I felt the blood leave my face. A hybrid? A curse?

 Each one more terrible than the last, the words swirled in my mind. This was unbelievable. It was unreasonable. His words, however, seemed authentic.

Overly real. "No," I said, shaking my head violently.

 “I am not... I am not any of those qualities. I am the only one who I am. I am only... He moved closer, his eyes shining with something threatening.

 “ You don't get to choose that. You cannot change what you are.” His words' weight lay on my chest, a tremendous pressure I couldn't get rid of.

 I attempted to breathe, but the air felt much more scant. The dungeon felt darker and colder, like the walls were closing in on me.

 Why?

The question almost slipped my lips, so I managed to croak. Why me.

“Why at this time now?”

The man's expression became more severe.

 "We cannot risk you taping into your potential ."

 “It's my responsibility to make sure you don’t and most importantly that you don’t meet him.”

Who is he referring to?

 I couldn't breathe.  My thoughts vanished. All I could do was stare at him, wide-eyed and shivering, as the reality began to sink in.

I was trapped and they were going to kill me.