CHAPTER 1;THE ATTACK

Isla's pov

All my life, I had remained hidden behind these walls and barriers surrounding our clan.

Beast clans usually kept to themselves, but the Bunny Beast Clan had taken that isolation to another level. We were considered weak—too small, too peaceful, and incapable of defending ourselves against the stronger clans.

So we hid.

But hiding had never stopped others from seeking us out because beneath our harmless appearance was something the other clans desperately wanted.

Our magic and healing abilities were rare, and among the strongest of our kind, our blood could do far more than heal wounds. It could strengthen the powers of other supernatural beings.

That was why our clan had survived for so long by remaining hidden. When I saw my father being carried through the gates that night, my heart nearly stopped.

“Father!”I called out running towards him.

Blood soaked through his clothes, dripping onto the ground with every step.

Two nights ago, he had left the safety of our barrier to deal with something urgent. He was supposed to return before dawn.

Instead, he had come back barely conscious.

“What happened to him?” I demanded, rushing to his side.

“He was attacked on his way back,” one of the guards answered.

My hands trembled as I looked at the deep wound across his chest.He was losing too much blood .

“Take him to the healers!”I urged them to help him.

“We already did,” the guard said grimly. “They're waiting for you.”

I froze,waiting for me.That could only mean one thing.His injuries were beyond what ordinary healing magic could handle.

I swallowed hard and knelt beside my father, trying to see what I could do to help.“Father,” I whispered, taking his hand. “Please wake up.”

His fingers twitched weakly,then his eyes opened, and the fear I saw in them made my blood run cold.

“Isla”His voice was barely a whisper.

“I'm here, father.”I said, still holding his hands.

He tightened his fingers around mine.“You have to listen to me.”

I nodded, listening closely. He could barely speak a word.

“What happened, father?”I urged him,his voice was but a whisper but I understood everything.This wasn't the first time they tried but we had been careful and had peace for years now.I couldn't help but wonder what went wrong.

We were being attacked by the Lion Beast Clan. Their leader was Elvis, and his name alone was enough to make my stomach twist.

He had been after me and my younger sister, Lisa, since we were little. He had never hidden his intentions. He wanted our bloodline, our abilities, and most importantly, he wanted to breed with us.

To him, we weren't people.We were valuable possessions.He had taken other members of our clan as slaves before, but he had always been particularly interested in Lisa and me because of our lineage.

Now, he has finally found us.My father's life was hanging by a thread, and yet I couldn't stay by his side.As the princess of the Bunny Beast Clan, I had a responsibility that came before everything else.

barrier.If it fell, the Lion Beast Clan would find our village.if they found us, there would be no escaping them.

I forced myself to leave my father's side and hurried toward the centre of the village.Behind me, Mother remained beside Father, desperately trying to help the healers keep him alive. Lisa was there too, her small hands trembling as she watched them work.

My mother and sister were both black bunnies, a colour considered among the weakest of our kind.

But Bunny Beasts came in many colors.Red.Green.Purple.Brown.And white.

For generations, white bunnies had been extremely rare.I was the only white bunny born into our clan in a very long time, and because of that, everyone expected more from me.

I closed my eyes and raised my hands.The barrier responded immediately.A pale light spread from my fingertips, racing across the invisible walls surrounding our territory.

Outside, the roars of the Lion Beast warriors shook the forest.

I gritted my teeth.

“Hold”I whispered under my breath. I couldn't let it break

My body trembled from the effort. It was still too much to do alone. I just turned 18th and had not fully mastered the extent of my power.

“Please, just hold on.”I begged, but the barrier flickered.

My heart sank as my energy kept reducing, and holding the barrier became harder. They were stronger than I expected.Another roar thundered through the forest.

Then came Elvis's voice he was testing the waters

“Isla!”

I opened my eyes that I had closed to concentrate. I sensed him in the forest. His voice carried through the barrier as if he were standing directly beside me.

“Come out willingly, little bunny.”he teased like a predator, closing on to his prey.

My blood ran cold, and the possibility that he might have spotted us, but I knew he hadn't. If he had, he wouldn't waste time talking.

“You know I will find you eventually.”he said you could hear his patience getting thin from his voice.

I clenched my fists.

“I will never let you take my sister.”I replied to him as anger surged through me.

His laughter echoed through the forest.

“You still don't understand ,You are the one I'm interested in”

A powerful blow struck the barrier,The entire village shook.I quickly suppressed it ,he was sending energy waves, something the Lion clan was good at.

Another strike followed,the barrier cracked.Elvis's voice came again as he said with all certainty ,“I came for you, white bunny.”

Fear cursed through my veins ,he had come for me.

The barrier was still breaking.I could feel every crack like a wound tearing through my own body. My knees weakened beneath me, and my vision blurred as I struggled to keep it standing.

I couldn't hold on much longer.Before I could do anything else, I heard coughing behind me.

I turned,and my father was dragging himself toward me.Blood stained his lips, and every breath seemed to hurt him, but somehow, he was still standing.

“Isla”he called out.

“Father!”I rushed toward him, but he raised a trembling hand.

He coughed again, blood spilling from his mouth.“Listen to me,You need to take the people and hide them away.”

I shook my head.“No. I'm not leaving you”

“You have to.”His voice was weak, but there was no hesitation in it.

“I will use my life force to renew the barrier. It will hide the clan again.”His voice was but a whisper, but I knew the weight of what he said.

My eyes filled with tears.“It will give you time,” he continued. “Time to escape,protect the clan, and to find somewhere safe , one day find your way back home.”

He placed the ring in my palm.He knew what he was asking me to do, and so did I.

We were the white bunnies.The king and princess of the Bunny Beast Clan.Our blood carried the strongest magic in our clan, and sometimes that meant we had to make sacrifices the others couldn't.

To keep our people alive, I had to do this, I threw my arms around himI eventually pulled away and turned toward my sister.

Lisa was standing beside Mother, tears streaming down her face.I walked over to her and knelt,She immediately wrapped her arms around my neck.

I hugged her tightly.

“I'll come back for you,” I whispered into her ear.

I didn't know if it was a promise I could keep, but I needed her to believe it.

Mother suddenly understood what I was about to do.

She rushed toward me“No, Isla! Don't you dare!”

I looked at her, my heart breaking.

“Mother ,I will come back”I whispered .

“You can't both leave me!”Her voice shattered.I knew losing both of us in one night was more than she could bear.

But it had to be done.If I stayed, Elvis would find the village, and everyone would die.I stood and wiped the tears from my face, and then I walked toward the entrance.

Every step felt heavier than the last.Once I was far enough from the village, I turned around.

I could already see my father standing at the centre of the formation.His body was surrounded by a faint white glow.

He was beginning the ritual.

“ELVIS!” I yelled,My voice tore through the forest.

The roars suddenly stopped.I knew he had heard me.I released my power, deliberately allowing my presence to spread beyond the barrier.