CALANTHAThe rune blinked once then glowed gold. The words on it shifted and changed:Passed ⅓.“Oh, thank the gods,” Eloise breathed out behind me, placing a hand over her chest. She looked like she had been holding her breath the whole time. I let out a small laugh, the tension finally easing a bit. I turned to the timid boy.“Well done.”He smiled shyly, his cheeks turning red as he looked down at his shoes. His ears were flushed too.Before we could say anything else, another door shimmered to life —this time, the obsidian one. A second riddle echoed through the chamber:"I wear your face, but hide a knife. I smile as you bleed. Once I strike, the scent of trust never returns. What am I?"Isadora folded her arms across her chest and stepped forward with her usual smugness. “That’s betrayal.” She said with a slight toss of her head, her voice sharp and confident.“Wait,” I said quickly, holding up a hand. “Could it be deception? Or maybe false love?”She let out a small snort. “I
CALANTHA As everyone started to panic, shouting things like “Who are you?” and “Why are we here?”, I took a step back and let my eyes roam around the strange room that had trapped the five of us together.The walls were tall panes of silver glass, stretching out in every direction like an endless mirror maze, reflecting our confused faces a thousand times over. A soft hum echoed through the room, and suddenly, a glowing clock appeared on one of the mirrors.00:10:59.An eleven-minute countdown.Fear climbed up my throat. What were we supposed to do?Beside me, the timid-looking boy stepped closer to the mirrors, frowning as he studied the clock.“We’re being timed.” He said quietly.“Timed?” The girl with soft cherry-brown hair echoed, stepping forward to see for herself. Her forehead creased with worry.As everyone started pacing in confusion, trying to make sense of the place, I moved closer to one of the mirrors and stared into it.My breath caught in my throat.My reflection didn
CALANTHA“I remember my name now!” The timid boy said as we lay on the ground, breathing hard and trying to recover from the adrenaline rush. A small, relieved laugh escaped his lips. “Oh, gods… I actually remember!”“I remember too!” Eloise gasped, turning her head quickly to look at me. A wide, happy smile lit up her face, just like his. “Calantha. I remember now. Damn, I thought I was going to lose my mind back there.”I laughed softly, still catching my breath. It felt so strange that just a few minutes ago, I couldn’t even recognize the girl beside me as my best friend.This trial was definitely the hardest, scariest, and most confusing thing we had ever faced. And honestly, I would give anything not to go through the main tournament after this.“Come on. Let’s go find Nyx.” Eloise said, pushing herself up and reaching a hand out to me. I took it and stood, brushing dried leaves and dirt off my clothes. The others got up too, and I looked around.Other participants were stepping
NYXI didn’t miss the way Eloise kept glancing at me with concern during the entire car ride from the academy. Her silence spoke louder than words. Every time I felt her eyes on me, I looked away, pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window, pretending everything was fine.When we finally arrived at my aunt’s mansion, I opened the door and stepped out quietly, shutting it behind me. Just as I turned to leave, her voice stopped me.“Should I come in with you?” She asked through the rolled-down window, her tone gentle but filled with worry.I forced a small smile onto my face as I looked up at her. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”But the moment our eyes met, she caught the fear behind my mask. I saw it in her face—the way her expression shifted. She opened her door and got out at once. “Come on,” she said, reaching for my hand. “Let’s go in together.”“I already said it’s fine.” I pulled my hand back softly, not harshly, but firm enough that she understood I wasn’t g
NYXTrigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of attempted assault and may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with caution.~~~~After a while, I finished showering. The cold water stung the open cuts on my back from Aunt Diane’s whip, making me flinch every time it touched my skin. I bit back the tears, trying not to cry as I washed the blood away.Once I was done, I changed into the usual lingerie I wore on nights like this—thin, see-through, and short. It stopped just above my thighs, showing the lace panties and bra I wore underneath. I hated it. But I didn’t have a choice.I sat in front of the mirror, spraying some perfume on my neck and wrists. The smell filled the air, sweet and heavy. My stomach twisted, and I felt sick. My eyes were full of tears, but I held them back. I just stared at the broken girl looking back at me in the mirror.This was when I always blamed my mother. The anger inside me burned. If she had been a real mother, none of this would be hap
NYXMy eyes widened in shock and fear. My heart thumped wildly as I stared at the broken pieces of the vase I had just smashed against his head.He lay on the floor, groaning in pain, a small trail of blood trickling from the side of his head. At least he was still alive. For a second, I had thought I killed him.“You…” he groaned, trying to crawl toward me, reaching for my foot. But before he could get close, I turned and ran—bolting out the door and down the hallway, my torn nightie flapping behind me, barely covering my body.I didn’t stop. Not even when I passed Aunt Diane, who was sitting in the foyer, lazily smoking her pipe. She sat up fast, sensing something was wrong. But I didn’t wait for her to ask. I just kept running.Because I knew that attacking an elite meant so much trouble for me. I was so done for. Once I burst through the gates and out onto the road, barefoot and shaking, I stopped in the middle of the street, my chest heaving. My ears rang with the sound of rushi
[ Calantha] I exhaled deeply and adjusted my cheap dress for what felt like the hundredth time. My nerves were getting the best of me and making my hands fidgety as I stepped inside the mansion. The place was buzzing with the sound of laughter, loud music, and the heavy scent of alcohol and cigarettes hung in the air. At every corner of the mansion were young adults shamelessly making out. Some were half dressed and some were worse. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus as my eyes searched around the room carefully, mentally aware that I had limited time to be here. Mrs. Grant, my owner, had sent me on an errand and I had taken advantage of the opportunity to trace and find him. Ryker. The guy I had dated for three years but never met in person. And then, all of a sudden, he went ghost on me for the past two weeks. At first, I had been worried and feared that something bad had happened to him. But now that I was standing in this chaotic scene, surrounded by wild party vibe
[ Calantha ]THE NEXT DAY "Calantha! Where the hell is that useless slave?!" Mrs. Grant’s sharp voice rang out from outside, her impatient footsteps echoing closer. In the kitchen, I was scrambling to finish washing the dishes while keeping an eye on the food simmering on the stove. My heart raced as I shouted back. “I’m almost done!” I tried to move faster but in my rush, my hand bumped against an expensive ceramic plate. My stomach dropped as I watched it slip off the counter. Instinctively, I focused my mind, and just before it could shatter on the ground, the plate froze midair. Relief washed over me as I carefully picked it up and placed it back on the counter. I quickly returned to my work, pretending nothing had happened. My powers were my deepest secret and to be honest, I didn’t know how it got it either. From a young age, I discovered I could move things with my mind, heal injured animals, and even bring dying plants back to life. But my adoptive parents had warn
NYXMy eyes widened in shock and fear. My heart thumped wildly as I stared at the broken pieces of the vase I had just smashed against his head.He lay on the floor, groaning in pain, a small trail of blood trickling from the side of his head. At least he was still alive. For a second, I had thought I killed him.“You…” he groaned, trying to crawl toward me, reaching for my foot. But before he could get close, I turned and ran—bolting out the door and down the hallway, my torn nightie flapping behind me, barely covering my body.I didn’t stop. Not even when I passed Aunt Diane, who was sitting in the foyer, lazily smoking her pipe. She sat up fast, sensing something was wrong. But I didn’t wait for her to ask. I just kept running.Because I knew that attacking an elite meant so much trouble for me. I was so done for. Once I burst through the gates and out onto the road, barefoot and shaking, I stopped in the middle of the street, my chest heaving. My ears rang with the sound of rushi
NYXTrigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of attempted assault and may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with caution.~~~~After a while, I finished showering. The cold water stung the open cuts on my back from Aunt Diane’s whip, making me flinch every time it touched my skin. I bit back the tears, trying not to cry as I washed the blood away.Once I was done, I changed into the usual lingerie I wore on nights like this—thin, see-through, and short. It stopped just above my thighs, showing the lace panties and bra I wore underneath. I hated it. But I didn’t have a choice.I sat in front of the mirror, spraying some perfume on my neck and wrists. The smell filled the air, sweet and heavy. My stomach twisted, and I felt sick. My eyes were full of tears, but I held them back. I just stared at the broken girl looking back at me in the mirror.This was when I always blamed my mother. The anger inside me burned. If she had been a real mother, none of this would be hap
NYXI didn’t miss the way Eloise kept glancing at me with concern during the entire car ride from the academy. Her silence spoke louder than words. Every time I felt her eyes on me, I looked away, pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window, pretending everything was fine.When we finally arrived at my aunt’s mansion, I opened the door and stepped out quietly, shutting it behind me. Just as I turned to leave, her voice stopped me.“Should I come in with you?” She asked through the rolled-down window, her tone gentle but filled with worry.I forced a small smile onto my face as I looked up at her. “It’s fine. You don’t have to.”But the moment our eyes met, she caught the fear behind my mask. I saw it in her face—the way her expression shifted. She opened her door and got out at once. “Come on,” she said, reaching for my hand. “Let’s go in together.”“I already said it’s fine.” I pulled my hand back softly, not harshly, but firm enough that she understood I wasn’t g
CALANTHA“I remember my name now!” The timid boy said as we lay on the ground, breathing hard and trying to recover from the adrenaline rush. A small, relieved laugh escaped his lips. “Oh, gods… I actually remember!”“I remember too!” Eloise gasped, turning her head quickly to look at me. A wide, happy smile lit up her face, just like his. “Calantha. I remember now. Damn, I thought I was going to lose my mind back there.”I laughed softly, still catching my breath. It felt so strange that just a few minutes ago, I couldn’t even recognize the girl beside me as my best friend.This trial was definitely the hardest, scariest, and most confusing thing we had ever faced. And honestly, I would give anything not to go through the main tournament after this.“Come on. Let’s go find Nyx.” Eloise said, pushing herself up and reaching a hand out to me. I took it and stood, brushing dried leaves and dirt off my clothes. The others got up too, and I looked around.Other participants were stepping
CALANTHA As everyone started to panic, shouting things like “Who are you?” and “Why are we here?”, I took a step back and let my eyes roam around the strange room that had trapped the five of us together.The walls were tall panes of silver glass, stretching out in every direction like an endless mirror maze, reflecting our confused faces a thousand times over. A soft hum echoed through the room, and suddenly, a glowing clock appeared on one of the mirrors.00:10:59.An eleven-minute countdown.Fear climbed up my throat. What were we supposed to do?Beside me, the timid-looking boy stepped closer to the mirrors, frowning as he studied the clock.“We’re being timed.” He said quietly.“Timed?” The girl with soft cherry-brown hair echoed, stepping forward to see for herself. Her forehead creased with worry.As everyone started pacing in confusion, trying to make sense of the place, I moved closer to one of the mirrors and stared into it.My breath caught in my throat.My reflection didn
CALANTHAThe rune blinked once then glowed gold. The words on it shifted and changed:Passed ⅓.“Oh, thank the gods,” Eloise breathed out behind me, placing a hand over her chest. She looked like she had been holding her breath the whole time. I let out a small laugh, the tension finally easing a bit. I turned to the timid boy.“Well done.”He smiled shyly, his cheeks turning red as he looked down at his shoes. His ears were flushed too.Before we could say anything else, another door shimmered to life —this time, the obsidian one. A second riddle echoed through the chamber:"I wear your face, but hide a knife. I smile as you bleed. Once I strike, the scent of trust never returns. What am I?"Isadora folded her arms across her chest and stepped forward with her usual smugness. “That’s betrayal.” She said with a slight toss of her head, her voice sharp and confident.“Wait,” I said quickly, holding up a hand. “Could it be deception? Or maybe false love?”She let out a small snort. “I
CALANTHA"Um... I-I think I panicked and pressed the wrong runes." Isadora mumbled as the floor finally stopped tilting and the magic fog faded. We slowly picked ourselves off the ground. Eloise and I stayed close together, like something terrible might happen if we let go of each other. Isadora, on the other hand, was still trying to act calm, like nothing had shaken her."It’ll work this time.” She said confidently and started walking toward the rune slab again, but Eloise quickly stepped in front of her."We only have one chance left, Isadora," Eloise warned. "You already messed up the first try. What makes you so sure you won’t mess up again?""Oh really? Then why don’t you try it if you think it’s so easy!" Isadora snapped, glaring at her.Eloise scoffed. "Oh, now you admit it’s not easy? That’s funny coming from someone who said she’s the best in werewolf history.""You’re just jealous because I’m better than you!" Isadora hissed, her face red with anger."Me? Jealous of you?"
CALANTHAWe were all sorted into groups of five. In my group, there was me, Eloise, Isadora, a girl, and another timid looking guy whose names I didn’t know. Each group was given a name, and ours was called Group Starlight. Nyx ended up in a different group.I couldn’t help but glance over at Kaiden. He was grouped with Lysandra, Sara, Ryker, and another boy. A jealous feeling crawled up my stomach at the thought of Lysandra being in the same group as him. My jealousy only grew when Kaiden sent me a small smile from across the field. I pouted and looked away, feeling even more annoyed. Why couldn’t I have been in his group instead of her?"The gods, I’m so nervous." Eloise said next to me, kicking her legs as she warmed up, her face serious like she was going into battle.Before I could say anything back, Mr. Fisher spoke up again."Each group will enter the portal one at a time," he said, his voice loud and clear. "You’ll each be taken to a different puzzle room. You’ll have no mor
CALANTHA"I still can't believe you're hooking up with the Lycan King again after everything he did to you!" Eloise said beside me, throwing her hands up in frustration as we walked down the academy hallway, surrounded by other students. I had just finished telling her and Nyx about what happened yesterday. About me and Kaiden’s ‘little moment’, and Queen Adeline showing up at my doorstep. And Eloise and Nyx’s reactions were exactly what I had expected."Shhh!" I hissed quickly, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. I turned back to Eloise, shooting her a warning glare. "Someone might hear you! And remember, no one’s supposed to know I’m out of the packhouse yet."Eloise just rolled her eyes, and Nyx leaned in closer to ask in a quieter voice, "How did you two even make up?""I don't know," I said with a small shrug. "It just... happened."Eloise shook her head. "Well, as much as I don't want to see you get hurt again, I'm glad Queen Adeline walked in on you and Kaiden hal