Ivy’s POVI snapped towards the figure looming over me, baring my fangs before I could think. The person flinched, then held both hands up, retreating with a cocky grin.“Woah, tigress. Easy now. It’s me,” he said. “Daniel.”Daniel?That smug, irritating guy who teased me constantly. The one I didn’t remember knowing but always had something sly to say. My eyes narrowed, watching his every breath. But my wolf... she responded differently.“You look… majestic. Glorious,” he whispered, almost reverently.Nyxara purred under his gaze.I swear to the Moon, she tilted her head and posed. She actually posed.“Okay, now try changing back,” Daniel said, his tone dipping into something serious. “It’s important you do that now. We can’t risk anyone else seeing you like this.”I tilted my neck, uncertain. How? How do I change back?My tail twitched. I looked down at my paws and then back at him, feeling the first trickle of panic rise in my chest.“Hey,” he said gently, kneeling. “It’s okay. Foc
Ivy’s POVI turned.No one.Just the empty hallway.So I just shook it off. Probably a servant.Back to the screen. Minutes passed. Then—Another sound. A softer rustling.From the kitchen hallway. As though someone was tiptoeing towards me.My heart picked up, but I forced a breath.No need to panic. It’s probably just a servant, trying to stay quiet so they don’t disturb me.I took another bite, washing it down with cocoa.And then the dizziness began.Slow.Heavy.My limbs started to sag.I stood, intending to head back to bed—But my legs wouldn’t obey. Too heavy. Too slow.So I curled back into the couch, eyes drooping.The tray sat untouched now. And then—Two shadows walked in and were standing in front of me.One leaned in.A voice—whisper-soft, male—breathed against my face.“Is she out now?”I wanted to move. To at least fight back.But my body wouldn’t obey.Footsteps circled me—light, efficient. I felt something cold against my wrist.Metal. A snap. A click.Handcuff
Ivy’s POVThe forest was alive.But not with birdsong. Not with rustling leaves or moonlight.No—this forest breathed shadows.Thick. Suffocating. Alive.They slithered behind me, circling like wolves in the dark, whispering my name in voices I didn’t recognize. Every time I turned to look, they vanished—slipping behind the trees like smoke.I ran.Barefoot. Branches slicing across my skin, my lungs burning. The ground was wet and uneven, pulling at my feet, like it didn’t want to let me go.Pain bloomed in my neck—sharp and electric. I stumbled with a cry I couldn’t hear.Then it vanished.But before I could catch my breath, another pain—hotter, crueler—shot through my ribs, knocking me down. My cheek slammed against the cold earth.I tried to get up.I couldn’t.The shadows closed in.Invisible hands gripped my arms, my throat, dragging me backward into the brush as I screamed—silently. My voice wouldn’t come.That’s when I saw her.Me.Standing in the clearing ahead.Same face. Sam
Midnight TruthsThe sun-keepers stood in a circle around the sanctum, their gold-threaded robes glittering faintly in the pale light of a hundred floating lanterns. The chamber smelled of frankincense and ash, of ancient oil and blood memory. The midnight air was heavy with reverence.Above them, the ceiling of the Hall of Veils had been pulled back with magic—revealing a slice of the black sky streaked with dying stars. Moonlight spilled into the center of the room like a silver altar.At the heart of it, barefoot and cloaked in ceremonial white, stood Shina.The veil was open.The energy thrummed low and slow, like a beast inhaling. The runes on the floor shimmered softly. Candles danced without wind. And all around them, the world held its breath.A voice from the edge of the circle spoke. “The realm of the dead listens, Priestess. Speak now.”Shina raised her chin, her voice steady, though her bones trembled from exhaustion and revelation.“I seek the spirit of Mireya of the Light
Shina’s voice dropped like steel.“Then come, sister. Take your victory. Step through.”Dina didn’t move. But her smile never faltered.“Oh no, Shina,” she whispered. “I don’t need to cross the gate. The moment Leo begs for me…” She leaned in closer.“The gate will open itself.”“You don’t want the throne anymore,” Shina said, watching her. “So what do you want? Why are you really here?”Dina’s smile widened. “Oh, I just came to say hello… here too.”Shina narrowed her eyes. “Here too? Where else have you been?”Dina tilted her head like a mocking doll. Her voice dipped into a sing-song pitch that twisted the air.“I’ll never tell.”Shina’s fists flared with soft blue fire.“Whatever you’ve started,” she said, “it ends here. With you and I.”Dina chuckled. “You really think you can stop what’s already begun? The King is spiraling into madness, your palace is bleeding faith, and your people whisper that the Priestess of Light has already failed.”“You’re wrong.”Dina leaned in, the sil
Leo Ashton’s PalaceThe candles in the war room burned low.Scrolls were sprawled across the table—spells, failed remedies, desperate prayers etched in trembling hands. The silence in the room was brittle, ready to break.“Every healer has tried,” Zane muttered, his voice thick with frustration. “Every priest. Every potion. And still your sister’s curse burns through him like wildfire.”“He’s not just cursed,” Shina said quietly. “He’s consumed.”Zane turned to her. The flickering flame carved harsh lines on his face, shadows pooling under his eyes. He hadn’t slept properly in weeks. He couldn’t afford to—not when the King of the realm snarled like a beast behind sealed doors, eyes blackened with a hunger that wasn't his.“He doesn’t recognize me anymore,” Zane whispered, voice fraying. “Not even his Beta. The man I would’ve died for is gone, Shina. You’re our last hope at this point.”Before she could speak, a blast of wind slammed the war room doors wide open.“Beta Zane! Priestess