MasukHappy holidays everyone!!♥️
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
Johanis' POVI didn’t let go.I couldn’t even dare to think so.Not when she was finally in my arms again—real, solid, warm in a way that no memory could ever replicate. My fingers tightened slightly against her back, pressing her closer like I could anchor her here if I just held on long enough.Like I could stop this from becoming another goodbye..Her breath was soft against my neck.Steady.Alive.I closed my eyes, letting it sink in. Every second. Every heartbeat. Every small shift of her body against mine. Every single damn moment..Because I knew—This wouldn’t last.“…Joha.”Her voice was quiet.Gentle.A warning.I exhaled slowly, my grip tightening for just a second before I forced myself to loosen it. Just enough to pull back.Just enough to see her.My hands slid up—one settling at her waist, the other rising to her face, cupping her cheek like I needed to remind myself she was still here.Her eyes met mine.Goddess..That broke me more than anything.Because they were sti
Johanis’ POV Her father let out a harsh breath.Then—Without another word—He turned.And ran.Straight for the forest.“Alaric—wait—!” Mother shouted from behind us, but it was useless.He didn’t slow.Didn’t even hesitate.Didn’t stop.He crossed the boundary—And the forest—Rejected him.Violently.The moment he stepped in, something unseen slammed into him, throwing him back like he’d hit a solid wall. He hit the ground hard, breath knocked out of him.But he didn’t stay down.Didn’t even pause as he got up and ran again.Same result.. but harder this time, more brutal.The forest wasn’t just blocking him. It was warning him.I stepped forward instinctively—And that was when I saw it.At the edge.Left behind.A suitcase.Old.Worn.Familiar.My breath caught.Aya’s..She probably dropped it when she was abducted from the beginning before I saw her again..From when everything started.I crouched slightly, brushing my fingers over it. And the moment I did—The bond pulsed.Str
Aya's POV We were all still laughing.Still riding the high of Hillia’s last-second save. Tavian was dramatically reenacting the goalkeeper’s dive for the fifth time, complete with sound effects and an unnecessary slow-motion spin, while Lily critiqued his “form” like she was some professional ana
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
Aya's POV “Guess who?”My heart nearly launched out of my chest. I twisted instinctively, fingers already reaching for the wrist covering my eyes, I swore I went as far as getting ready to attack whoever this maybe…And then—“Omg! Uncle Taviii!” The voice shifted from playful whisper to full-volum
Aya’s POvThe scoreboard glowed mercilessly above the rink.3 – 2.Hillia Academy leading.And there is only two minutes left on the clock..The numbers seemed louder than the crowd. I leaned forward unconsciously, fingers gripping the edge of the seat in front of me. The unlinking stone in my pock







