Chapter Eleven

Lyra’s POV

The black wolf’s jaws snapped just inches from my shoulder. My hands rose automatically, the air around me trembling as magic surged up like a tidal wave.

“Custos Umbrae, defendite me!”

I shouted, and a shimmering barrier of energy erupted, colliding with the wolf mid-lunge. It yelped, skidding back on the stone floor, claws scratching sparks into the ground.

I stumbled slightly from the backlash, heart hammering. My palms burned, tingling as though every nerve had been set alight.

The black wolf growled low, circling again, each step measured, like it was testing me, waiting for weakness.

I clenched my teeth, forcing my magic to hold steady, “Come on,” I muttered under my breath. “You don’t scare me”

The wolf lunged a second time. I ducked, rolling to the side, and slammed my hand forward as I focused, the air burst in a wave of force, sending the wolf crashing against the wall. Dust and fur rained down.

I forced myself to steady my breathing, feeling weak already. Every muscle ached, and my nerve burned from too much power use but I couldn’t afford to falter.

Finally, the wolf stopped. It's intelligent, piercing eyes fixed on me. Slowly, deliberately, it lowered its stance. The growl softened into a hum, and it sank to the floor in a controlled bow.

The room went silent. Even my own heartbeat seemed loud. The elders watched, expressionless. After a long, tense moment, one of them finally spoke.

“She is… partially ready” the elder with silver hair said, nodding at the black wolf. “She may remain, for one week but after that, she must leave to train. Strengthen her magic, her body… she is still weak. Too weak to face what is beyond these walls”

I sagged slightly, relief and frustration mixing into a bitter taste. “One week?” I asked, my voice tight, “That’s it? Just seven days?”

“Yes,” the elder replied. “Time is a luxury you do not have. Your blood is… unusual. It has attracted attention. You have already alerted many, even by stepping foot on this land”

I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into fists. “I didn’t come here to be in the middle of any… war,” I said, keeping my voice level but firm. “I only came for clues. Clues about my mother”

The elders’ gaze didn’t waver. The silver-haired one tilted their head, studying me like a puzzle. “Do not pretend, witch. By merely coming, by being here, by your actions, you are already involved. Your blood… it is not something to be ignored”

I exhaled slowly, tension flooding me. “I know,” I admitted quietly. “I can’t run. I can’t hide. Whoever is hunting this… will come for it eventually. I have no escape”

Richard, standing behind me, gave a small nod. “They’re right. You alerted too many”

I bit my lip, trying to steady the panic threatening to rise. “Then what am I supposed to do?” I asked, spinning to look at them all. “I’m not… ready for any of this. I’m still learning myself!”

The black wolf, my earlier adversary, now shifted back into a human, who gave me a small, sheepish grin. “Don’t worry. They’re just testing you,” he said quietly. “Everyone goes through it”

I gave him a faint nod, my jaw still tight. “It doesn’t feel like a test when you’re almost being ripped apart,” I muttered.

Maria, who had remained quiet for the most part, stepped forward, eyes sharp. “They're right. You’re reckless. Your power is strong, but untrained. If you try to take on anything without guidance, you’ll get hurt, or worse.”

“I know,” I snapped, immediately regretting the tone. My hands clenched at my sides. “But staying here for just a week? That doesn’t even scratch the surface. How am I supposed to find answers in seven days?”

Caspian, who had remained surprisingly silent, finally spoke. His voice low, calm, and dangerous all at once. “One week is enough to keep you alive. Enough to begin understanding the terrain and the players. After that… your survival depends on what you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown. Don’t mistake time for weakness”

I froze, taking in his words. There was a subtle edge in the way he said weakness. Almost as if he knew exactly how fragile I truly was.

I turned back toward the elders. “So… I’m staying with your people? Trapped under your rules?”

I exhaled sharply, letting my hands fall to my sides. “Fine,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. “One week. Then I leave. But I need to understand something first…”

Maria’s eyes flicked to me. “What?”

“Everyone,” I said, taking a small step forward, voice steadier. “Everything that’s happening here… the vampires, the werewolves, the witches… the war… I need to know who I can trust”

The elders exchanged glances. One of the older wolves, the one with graying fur—spoke. “You will learn. By seeing, by doing. But do not mistake appearances. None here are innocent, and none outside will wait for you to understand before striking”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of my own power and blood. It was terrifying, and… isolating. Something my mom. Never talked about before disappearing and now I had to figure it all by myself.

Richard finally stepped forward. “We will watch over you and keep you alive,” His eyes flicked to me, steady and certain. “But you must follow rules. One week here is all. You will train in physical combat and will learn”

I let out a quiet breath, trying to let that sink in. “Fine,” I said again. But even as I spoke, I felt the walls pressing in. Seven days. That was nothing. Seven days to figure out my mother, seven days to protect myself, seven days to understand the chaos I had just stepped into and now, to survive it.

Caspian’s eyes met mine, his gaze unreadable. I could feel the weight of centuries behind him, and yet, just beneath, a careful calculation. He knew I was dangerous. He knew I was valuable. And he wasn’t letting me out of sight.

I clenched my fists again. “Alright,” I said, louder this time. “One week. I’ll stay. But I’m not going to sit here idle. I’ll train, I’ll learn, and I’ll figure this out” I said.

My mother… she’s the only reason I came here. And if anyone thinks I’m just going to sit around while they fight… they’re mistaken.

The elders nodded slowly, satisfied. One even gave a small, approving smile.

“Partially ready,” they said again. “You are safe, for now. But do not be foolish. Power without control will kill you faster than any enemy”

I looked around at everyone, Maria, Richard, Jasper, even Caspian and realized that in the middle of all this, I was still standing. Still alive.

For now.

But deep inside, I felt the tug of inevitability. One week. Seven days. My time here would be measured in hours, and my blood… my blood was a beacon I still haven't known anything about. Why was it powerful, why was it what it is.

I let the thought settle. Because denying it, pretending it didn’t matter… that would not save me.

It was already too late.