MasukAya's POVI looked around and a slow, deliberate pulse moved through the ground beneath me—steady, ancient, aware. It wasn’t chaos anymore. It was control.And then—It reached for me.Not with claws. Not with force.With knowing..Something slipped into my mind, quiet and absolute.‘Not all of you can leave…’My breath caught. My fingers tightened around Johanis’ face, grounding myself in the warmth that was still slipping away. Blood stained my hands, tacky and real.Not this again.Not another choice carved out of cruelty.I swallowed hard, but the weight didn’t move. It pressed deeper, settling into my chest like something final.A path must be paid for.A balance must be kept.My vision blurred.A tear fell before I could stop it.I dragged in a breath, sharp and unsteady, forcing myself to stay present—to stay here, with him.Because if I didn’t—I wouldn’t be able to do what came next.“Aya…?”His voice was barely there. But it was enough.. I leaned closer, resting my forehead
Aya's POV We were running out of time.That thought didn’t just sit in my head.It echoed.Loud. Relentless. Suffocating.Johanis’ blood stained the ground beneath us, too bright against the dark, damp soil of the forest. And the ground.. the woods, the forest itself seemed to feed on my mate’s blood even though he is not wolfless.“Aya…” Lily’s voice shook beside me, her hands still supporting Johanis’ other side. “We—we need to move. Now.”“I know,” I whispered.But I didn’t move.I couldn’t.Because Johanis was still looking at me.Like I was the only thing keeping him conscious.Like if I looked away—He’d disappear.“Aya…” His grip tightened weakly around my wrist. Barely there. But I felt it.Every bit of it.“Don’t… stay…”“Shh,” I cut him off immediately, my voice breaking despite myself. “Don’t talk. Just—just stay with me, okay?”Another cough.More blood.My vision blurred.This wasn’t happening.This wasn’t supposed to happen.“You said you were fine,” I whispered, my voi
Aya's POV.For a moment, everything held. The forest. The creatures. Even the air. It was like the entire world had paused just to watch us.To watch him.Johanis’ arms were still wrapped around me, tight but careful, like he didn’t trust himself not to break something if he held on any harder. His chest rose and fell against mine, uneven, sharp breaths that hadn’t settled yet.And I could feel it.Through the bond.The instability.The way something inside him hadn’t fully gone quiet.Just… waiting.“Aya…” His voice was rough, low, right above my head.“I’m here,” I whispered again, tightening my grip just slightly.Behind us—The forest shifted. Not violently this time. Not lunging. Not attacking.Just…Moving.Like it was adjusting.Adapting.My stomach dropped.“Johanis…” I murmured, pulling back just enough to look up at him. His eyes met mine immediately. Still dark. Still unstable. But clearer than before. Like he was now present and that was enough for now.“We have to move,”
Aya's POV The forest went still.Not quiet—still.Like everything had paused mid-breath.The creatures that had been lunging toward us froze where they were, twisted bodies locked in place, glowing eyes fixed on me. The shadows stopped shifting. The air itself felt suspended, thick and unmoving against my skin.And that pull—It was stronger now. So much stronger..It wasn’t just calling me anymore.It was… reaching.Something deep within the forest tugged at something inside me, something I didn’t understand but somehow recognized. My chest tightened as the feeling spread, warm and cold all at once, sinking into my bones.“Aya…”Johanis’ voice cut through it.Sharp.Panicked.“Don’t.”My fingers trembled slightly at my sides. I wanted to move. I wanted to step back, to run, to do anything—but my body wouldn’t listen.Because something inside me was listening instead.Answering.“Aya, look at me.”His voice changed.Not commanding.Not controlled.Desperate.“Look at me,” he repeated
Aya's POVThe forest felt like it was breathing. Not metaphorically.Not in the poetic, it’s just the wind through the trees kind of way.No…I could literally feel it in my bones.The ground beneath my feet shifted ever so slightly, like something vast and ancient was stirring underneath the soil. The air was thick. Heavy. It pressed against my lungs with every breath I tried to take.And the silence—It wasn’t quiet.It was watching.My grip tightened around Lily as she leaned against me, still weak but more alert now, her fingers clutching the fabric of my sleeve.“Aya…” she whispered. “This place… I don’t like it.”“I know,” I said softly.Because I didn’t like it either.Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to run. But there was nowhere to run to. Because this place..is so hard to find where the exit is. It looks and feels like it's never-ending..“Johanis…”My voice came out smaller than I intended. He didn’t look at me right away.Still standing in front of us, still
Aya's POVThe footsteps outside grew louder. Faster. Closer..My heart leaped into my throat.My mate.. He was coming.I could feel it through the bond—wild, sharp, almost violent in the way it surged through me. It wasn’t just awareness anymore.It was urgency.Rage.Fear.For me.The Blackmoor captain tilted his head slightly, as if listening to it too. That same calm expression remained on his face..Like this was all expected.Like everything was going exactly the way he wanted.“Perfect timing,” he murmured.“Stay back,” I snapped, pulling Lily closer to me. She was still weak, her weight leaning slightly against my side.“Aya… what’s going on?” she whispered.“I don’t know,” I admitted.But that wasn’t entirely true. Because deep down—I did. This was a trap. And we walked right into it.The footsteps stopped right outside the door.For one split second, everything went still. And then…BANG.The door slammed open so hard it hit the wall with a deafening crack.Johanis stood the
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
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 POV “…why on earth are you still here, Tavian?!”I stepped slightly behind him, peeking over his shoulder. And really, there he was..Leaning casually against the hallway wall like he owned the building.Tavian.Bright-eyed. Fully dressed. Annoyingly awake. He lifted one hand in greeting. “G







