ANMELDENPelin’s POV My breath hitched as I felt my body lift, helpless, my hands and feet locked in place by an unseen force. I tried to reach for Manolya but she was long gone. I couldn’t move or even scream. The silence was unbearable. I watched Libra drift closer, her presence pressing in on me until it felt like the air itself was judging me. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst through my ribs. Then she raised her hand. A silk ribbon slipped over my eyes, cool and soft as it wrapped around my vision, plunging me into darkness. Panic flared instantly. I tried to fight it, tried to move, but my body refused to obey. I felt her breath next against my hot skin. A gentle exhale against her palm, and then something light scattered over my face. Stardust. The moment it touched me, my mind lurched. My thoughts fractured, slipping away from my control. I felt my eyes roll back as the spell took hold, white-hot fear tearing through me as reality warped and twisted.
Manolya’s POV My heart hammered against my ribs as we fell, seconds stretching into pure agony. The air tore past us, ripping the breath from my lungs. Above us, Artemis floated effortlessly, crossing her legs as if she were settling into a throne instead of watching us plummet. “You witch, make us stop falling!” I hissed through clenched teeth. “As you wish, little girl,” Artemis replied, amused, that familiar madness gleaming in her eyes. A chill crawled up my spine as the small animals clinging to her marble skin and flowing dress began to roar and shriek. “Hold on to my hand Pelin!” I screamed her way as she frantically tried to inch closer to me while still falling freely. “Hold on to my hand, Pelin!” I screamed, reaching for her as she struggled to inch closer to me while still falling freely. “I’m trying!” she yelled back, panic cracking her voice. “Manolya, I can’t slow down!” My chest tightened, breath shallow and frantic, as Artemis slowly cupped her dark fingers t
Manolya’s POV “Stay alert,” I warned, scanning the environment. The pools were everywhere now, limiting our movement and cutting off potential escape routes. “She’s setting us up for something bad!.” Pelin nodded, gripping her weapon tightly as the oppressive silence pressed down on us. Then, from the far side of the astral plane, a thick fog began to roll in. “This is my dearest darling, Virgo!” Artemis sang unseen from above. “I’m sure you will enjoy her company!” My heart pounded as the shadowy figure of Virgo, The Virgin, emerged from the mist. She was stunning, with long, flowing purple hair and a crown encrusted with gems that sparkled like distant stars. Her white gown clung to her form, exuding an air of purity that seemed almost holy. But as she moved, dipping her hands into the poisoned pools, I realized how wrong that image was. The purity was only a lie. Her dress darkened, black tendrils spreading through the fabric like ink in water. When she stood uprig
Manolya’s POV She was slumped against the tree, blood soaking through her black combat attire , with her breath ragged. The arrow still in place. “Don’t move! I’ll get it out,” I said, my hands trembling as I grabbed the shaft. She groaned, clenching her teeth. “Just… do it! One…two…three!” I took a firm grip and pulled. The arrow slid free with a sickening sound, and Pelin gasped sharply. Without hesitation, I pressed my palm against the wound. “Natural healing!” I commanded, calling on the forest around us. The trees rustled. The scent of wet leaves and earth thickened in the air. Power surged up through my fingers, drawn from the moss, the roots, the pulse of magical life beneath us. Green light shimmered faintly beneath my hand. Pelin shivered, her lashes fluttering as the pain dulled. The blood slowed and the wound closed up. “I’ve got you,” I sobbed. She gripped my wrist. “Thanks, now let’s go!” But I wasn’t moving. Artemis floated beautiful in the air, silent and
Manolya’s POV I couldn’t help it. I looked back only to see Sagittarius thundering forward behind us on his four hooves. His lower half gleamed with the metallic sheen of a horse, Akhal-Teke gold, smooth and glimmering. His upper body was human, muscular, with tousled blonde locks. His eyes were a cold blue steel hue. He saw me looking, smirked and shouted, “Thousand Arrows!” Then he multiplied into a hundred riders. “Manolya!” Pelin screamed, her voice sharp with panic. “What the hell did he just do?” “I don’t know, copied himself?!” I yelled, grabbing her hand. “Climb! Get up the tree!” We ran and threw ourselves at the nearest tree. I shoved her up first, boosting her as arrows flew past us like a hailstorm. One grazed my leg, stinging hot, but I didn’t stop. I pulled myself up right behind her, gasping for breath. I held her tight as the rain of arrows dug into the trunk just below us. Just as we caught our breath, something green slithered out of the canopy above.
Manolya’s POV I didn’t even have time to catch my breath before the air shifted again. “She’s at it again,” Pelin muttered, coughing as she spat sand from her mouth. “She really likes torturing us.” I gave her a tired side-eye. “Yeah. I bet her soul got twisted staying locked in that temple for centuries…” “Yes, no visitors. No worshippers or fighters” Pelin answered me, she then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes scanning the arena. “You think they just left her here?” “Sure, why not? Who would even want to set her loose?” I whispered. “The cult of Artemis probably forgot to release her when the earthquakes started,” I muttered. “They must’ve run like cowards.” I dusted sand off my clothes and looked up at the blazing sky. “Left her trapped in duty while they saved themselves. And now we’re the ones paying for her insanity.” “Ooh, Manolyaaa… Peeeelin,” Artemis sang, her voice chiming like a dozen bells. She hovered above us, spinning slowly in the air, her smil
Emre’s POV The hotel room door shut with a heavy thud behind us. I leaned against it for a moment, letting my head fall back against the wood. My legs ached from hours of walking, searching, questioning. My lungs still burned from the night air. We’d covered every street and alley we could wit
Uncle Eren’s POV The silence after the fight was heavier than the stone above us. For a long moment all I heard was our panting, the hiss of torches, and the drip-drip of water from somewhere deep in the tunnels. I turned in a slow circle, scanning the kids first, their safety was my first prior
Manolya’s POV The trail felt like a noose tightening around my chest. Every step Aziz took, every flick of his ears, every low growl rumbling in his throat pulled us deeper towards the maze of dead stone. I wanted to believe he knew exactly where he was going. That he could lead us straight
Aziz’s POV The streets of Kapadokya changed flavor the deeper I pushed into its veins. The carved facades and polished terraces gave way to broken steps, cracked stones, and shutters hanging half-off their hinges. I padded along on four paws, ears flicking to every whisper of the night. The bon







