MasukJohanis' POVI barely had enough time to take in the sight of Cladbridge before steel flashed in front of my face.One second, I was staring at the crystal city spread out beyond the glowing gates—the bridges of ice, the towers lit with warm gold, the strange beauty of a place Aya had once called home.The next—Spears crossed in front of me.“Do not move.”The command rang sharp through the cold air. In an instant, at least a dozen guards surrounded us, appearing so quickly I hadn’t even seen where they came from. They wore silver armor edged with pale blue crystal that shimmered under the aurora-lit sky. Their helmets were carved into elegant, sharp designs, almost like frozen crowns.And every single weapon was aimed at me..I instinctively tensed, my body reacting before my mind caught up. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, not fully surfacing, but alert and ready.The guards formed a perfect circle around us.Not one gap.Not one opening.They were all fast and disciplined. And def
Johanis’ POVI stared up at the mountain until my neck hurt.The thing was impossibly huge—an endless wall of ice and snow that looked less like a mountain and more like the edge of the world itself. Wind screamed down its face in sharp, frozen gusts, biting through my clothes and sinking straight into my bones.It was merciless as it towers so high I couldn’t even see the peak through the swirling mist.For a long moment, I just stood there, trying to process the fact that this was apparently where we were headed.Then I looked at Alaric.“…People live here?”My voice came out flatter than I intended, somewhere between disbelief and accusation.Because there was no way.No sane person looked at this frozen death trap and thought, ‘yes, let’s build a home here.’Alaric actually chuckled.Chuckled..Like I hadn’t just asked the most reasonable question in the world.“Well,” he said, eyes still on the mountain, “Aya and I lived here for years…”I blinked. He finally glanced at me, one b
Johanis’ POVWe didn’t stay still for long. Even resting felt like a risk now—like every second we weren’t moving was a second they were closing in. But exhaustion had its limits, and even wolves couldn’t outrun that forever.So we paused.Barely.Just enough to breathe. Just enough to gather what little strength we had left before pushing forward again.I leaned back against the cold rock, head tilting slightly as I stared up at the dim stretch of sky above us. The stars were faint tonight. Distant. Almost blurred.Or maybe that was just me.My body was running on fumes. Muscles tight. Lungs still burning faintly from the constant pace. But none of that compared to the ache in my chest.A faint pulse brushed through it, like an echo carried across impossible distance. Weak. But steady.“She’s holding,” I murmured under my breath again, more to myself than anything.Sora stirred quietly. ‘She is.’Before I could respond—A sharper presence cut through my mind.Familiar and urgent.‘Jo
Johanis' POVIt happened fast.Too fast for words.One moment, the clearing was nothing but tension—thick, suffocating, ready to snap.The next—It did.“Stand down,” one of the Bloodbury authorities warned, power already rising under his skin.And then—Alaric moved.No warning.No signal.Just pure instinct.His hand shot out, grabbing my arm with bruising force as his eyes flashed—wild, sharp, certain.“Run.”That was all he said.And then—He shifted.Bones cracked and his power suddenly surged. Fur tore through skin in a violent, seamless transformation as his wolf burst forward—massive, dark, and terrifying in its presence.I didn’t hesitate.Couldn’t. Not even for a second.Because the moment he moved—They did too.“Stop them!”Pheromones ignited behind us.I felt it before I saw it—sharp, burning arcs of power slicing through the air, aimed to immobilize, to trap, to contain.Not kill.Not yet.But close enough.“Shit—”I shifted mid-step. Bones rearranging, senses exploding
Aya's POV The moment the love of my life stepped out—I felt it.Not saw.Not heard.Felt..The bond stretched—tight, thin, aching in a way that made something inside my chest twist painfully. Like a thread pulled too far, threatening to snap but refusing to break.My breath caught. “…Joha.”The name barely left my lips, dissolving into the quiet the second it did.Because he was gone.Again.The forest didn’t react the way it had when he entered. It didn’t lash out. Didn’t surge or shift or test.It simply… settled.Like it had allowed something it wasn’t supposed to—and was now correcting itself.The light dimmed slightly around me. The faint glow beneath my skin flickered once before stabilizing again. The roots at my feet tightened—not painfully, not restraining—but firmer. Anchoring.Reminding.‘You are still here.:I exhaled slowly, forcing my breathing to even out.“I know,” I murmured.Silence answered me.But it didn’t last.It never did.A low hum began to build beneath the
Johanis' POVThe forest didn’t let me walk out.It pushed me.Not violently like it had done to Alaric—but firmly. Unyielding. Like a hand pressed flat against my chest, guiding me backward step by step until the air changed, until the weight eased, until the line between her world and mine snapped back into place.And just like that—She was gone again.The bond stretched.Thin.Achingly present.. But suddenly.. it was not quiet anymore.A low, familiar rumble brushed against the back of my mind. Not sound. Not exactly. More like instinct given voice.“You could've just whisk her away..”I went still.Then huffed under my breath, something bitter and relieved twisting together in my chest.“You finally come out now?” I muttered internally. “After being silent for days?”A pause. Then—“Well, I figured you want to have some real alone time with her after being separated for years. Who would've thought this would happen..”I scoffed quietly, jaw tightening. “Damn right.”After that sm
Aya’s POVDay one.And I already want to riot..Because apparently, being last year’s representative of the interschool tournament does not grant Woodhill University any glorious advantage.No..It grants them a handicap.A freaking handicap!!They are required to defeat three teams.Three!!!While
Johanis POVRyan always does when it matters. He pushes hard left, signaling Kael forward.They move fast—faster than before. No sloppy collisions this time. No accidental body checks. They’re coordinated now. Leon hangs back, reading lanes.I secretly smirked as it was really a smart move. Finn sh
Aya's POV I don’t remember closing my eyes. One moment I was listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing, feeling the weight of his head against my shoulder, the faint hum of the bond brushing against my senses like a quiet lullaby. The next—Complete darkness. A stillness but one that is comf
Aya's POV The principal arrives like a storm that doesn’t bother knocking. The clinic door opens with a sharp crack, and the air seems to change immediately—thicker, heavier, like every molecule is bracing itself. Principal Reed steps inside with his hands clasped behind his back, posture rigid, e







