LOGIN~Celina~ After the vision or dream whatever it was, sleep never really came again. I had closed my eyes, turned to one side, then the other, willing my body to rest, but my mind simply refused. Every time I drifted close to sleep, the images returned. As though they hadn’t ended when I woke, only paused. The markings, the chained girls and Clara flashed in my mind again and again. By the time the first light of dawn slipped through the curtains, I had already given up trying. There was no point pretending it was just a dream. Not anymore.I was out of my room before the rest of the pack had fully stirred, my steps quick and purposeful. I simply had to find Derek. There was only one place he would be at this hour. oOne place where he would always be at this hour no matter what chaos surrounded us. The training grounds.The moment I reached the edge of the arena, I slowed. Not because I meant to but because I saw him. I stood rooted to my spot, my faze taking in the fluid grace with
~Celina~Even though my body felt tired, sleep did not come easily. Even when exhaustion finally pulled me under, it did not feel like rest. It felt like sinking into something heavier than darkness. And for a while after that, there was nothing. No dreams or chaos. Just silence. And then it began.At first, it was only a sensation of biting cold. And it was not the kind that brushed against the skin, but the kind that seeped inward. The air felt thick and unmoving, pressing in from all sides as if intending to suffocate me.Slowly, I became aware of the ground beneath my feet. Uneven and rough, biting into my feet. I looked down to see a strange dark stone surface beneath my feet. Lines cut deep into its surface, peculiar patterns etched on it. My breath hitched as it finally dawned on me. They were ritual markings but unlike anything I have ever seen. Dark ritual markings!A faint glow pulsed through them as though something beneath the surface was responding. There was a pungent me
~Clara~I lifted a hand slowly, brushing my fingers along my cheek, feeling smooth skin beneath my touch. Unmarked and untouched. Perfect. A mirror of what I had once been. The pain still lingered beneath it, of course. It resided deep inside, a reminder of what had gone wrong. Sharpening my hatred for Celina. She had made me suffer, costing me my beauty, power and even sanity. But at least I had regained my beauty even if it had cost me too much. Appearances were enough for now. I will regain everything else and make her pay for everything.I clenched my fists, hatred pulsing inside my mind. But then I smirked. Vengeance was on its way already. Slowly, I looked up, taking in the sight before me with a grin. The chamber was vast, hidden deep inside the forest, far from wandering eyes and foolish intrusions. The ground was etched with markings that pulsed faintly under the dim glow of torchlight. Off to one side, separated by iron bars layered with protective sigils, the captives lay h
~Derek~Once Derek adjourned the meeting, I left along with the rest, my mind full of chaos. By the time I returned to my room, the tension from the meeting didn’t fade in the least.I sat on the bed, the matters discussed in the meeting faded into the back of my mind while something else took my full attention. Derek’s voice lingered in my mind, not the words about the ritual but the ones he spoke before that. The ones about my childhood memories ‘Why don’t you remember?’My fingers clenched into a fist as I stared ahead without really seeing anything. It shouldn’t have mattered. I had lived my life without those memories. Whatever had been lost had never felt important enough to search for. Until now. Now it felt like something missing wasn’t just a gap. It was a piece of me. Somehow I had the feeling that it mattered. Mattered a lot.I let out a breath and closed my eyes. If I had lost something, then I would find it. It must be buried deep inside my own mind, right? I let my mind
~Derek~The tension in the room sharpened at the guard's words. All attention shifted to him, the urgency in his posture mirrored in the gazes of the rest. I didn’t move from where I stood, but my focus narrowed on him.“Speak,” I said.The guard straightened. “Your Highness, a missing person report was filed early this morning. The individual was last seen at Colvin’s nightclub.”“Details,” I demanded.“Yes, Your Highness. Richard Featherington. He had been drinking with friends in the Corwin's club in the western parts of Silverfall pack. They are saying he left alone around 1 am, appearing intoxicated. He never made it home.”I narrowed my eyes. So a male? That didn’t fit the pattern. But I couldn't just write it out like that without knowing the rest of the details. There were always chances that what we deducted as the pattern was not what the ritual demanded. I needed more details.“Age?” I asked.“Forty five, Your Highness.”That alone shifted the direction of my thoughts. Way
~Derek~Celina stood by the table, her gaze still fixed on the map, her expression thoughtful. There was a quiet intensity in the way she observed things, a natural instinct that didn’t come from training alone. It wasn’t guesswork that had led her there, it was clarity. The kind that came without effort. And that was what caught my attention. Because I had already seen it. The pattern had begun to take shape in my mind the moment we laid out the locations. The spacing, the alignment, the intention behind each point. It had not taken long to recognize what it could become. A heptagonal structure, incomplete, as if waiting for the final victim to complete the structure.I had thought of discussing it once I called a meeting with the rest of the team but Celina surprised me by reaching the conclusion before I could do it. And she didn’t do it through calculation refined by years of strategy or battlefield experience, but through instinct alone. There was nothing remarkable in my noticin
~Celina~Days passed by in a blur as the entire Royal pack buzzed about in preparation for the Alpha Summit, and finally the day was here. As I stood in front of the mirror wearing the exquisite gown that made me feel like a warrior princess, Fiona fussed around me like a mother hen. I couldn’t hel
~Clara~“Logan, where are you going? We need to enter now!” I called out as I saw Logan walking away, talking on his phone. I could hear Beta Robert’s voice from the other end of the phone and knew it was some official business. Couldn’t he have waited until we were done with the Summit? Was it so
As I stared at Derek and Fiona in confusion, Derek just stared at me nonchalantly. Meanwhile, Fiona practically vibrated with excitement. Will someone tell me what is going on here?Seeing my baffled look, Fiona let out a laugh before taking my hand.“Don’t look so panicked. We are not going to bit
~Logan~“I think this blue gown makes my eyes look bluish rather than gray. But then again, this red one is stunning and goes well with my dark hair. Logan! Which one do you think I should wear to the Alpha Summit?” Clara asked excitedly, raising two gowns, and I gritted my teeth as I stared at her







