The First Manifestation

“...AHH…!”

Anastasia jolted upright violently, the terrified cry tearing from her throat before she could stop it.

Her small body trembled against the sheets while shaky breaths escaped her unevenly, broken… almost painful, it felt as though fear itself had wrapped too tightly around her chest.

Sweat clung heavily to her skin. But even while awake… the nightmare refused to let go. It still burned vividly behind her eyes… Burning kingdoms collapsing beneath blackened skies.

Massive wolves ripping through blood-soaked battlefields, their vicious snarls swallowed by the agonizing screams of dying warriors. Rivers of blood stretched endlessly across the earth, thick enough to reflect the flames devouring the world around them.

Bodies… smoke with nothing short of absolute ruin. And then the screams… God, the screams.

They echoed endlessly through the darkness, twisted with agony so deep it barely sounded human anymore.

But the worst part…

The thing that made fear crawl violently through her chest… Was what stood above it all.

Enormous black wings stretched slowly across the blood-red sky, vast enough to swallow the light itself whole. They did not look like feathers… nor flesh. They looked like darkness… Living darkness.

Something ancient and wrong. And beneath those monstrous wings… Something was watching. Not merely watching the destruction… but watching her.

A presence so terrifying it made her entire body go cold, it felt less like death… and more like the very thing death itself answered to.

Her breathing trembled violently. And before she could even fully understand what she had seen… Anastasia scrambled out of bed in panic.

Fear moved her faster than thought itself.

Her tiny legs rushed desperately across the cold floor while her trembling fingers clutched tightly against the fabric of her nightdress. Tears blurred her vision. Her heart pounded so hard it hurt.

The darkness of the hallway suddenly felt too large… too endless, every shadow making the nightmare feel as though it was still chasing her.

“Mother…!”

Her frightened voice cracked helplessly through the silence.

“Father…”

The moment she pushed the chamber doors open, both Lucien and Anana were already awake.

The fear on Anastasia’s face was enough to pull every ounce of attention towards her instantly.

“Anastasia…”

She rushed towards them without hesitation, climbing hurriedly onto the bed as tears streamed down her cheeks, her tiny body trembling so badly she could barely breathe properly.

Lucien immediately gathered her against his chest, his large arm wrapping securely around her as instinct itself demanded he protect her from whatever had frightened her this badly.

One hand cupped the back of her head carefully, holding her close enough for her to feel his warmth.

“You’re alright,” he murmured softly, his voice calm despite the sharp concern hidden beneath it. “Easy, little wolf… breathe.”

And somehow, even frightened, Anastasia still instinctively clung tighter to him at the sound of his voice.

Anana moved closer instantly, pulling both of them into her embrace as her fingers slid gently through Anastasia’s hair, soothing and patient.

“Oh, my angel…” she whispered tenderly, pressing a kiss against her daughter’s forehead. “What happened?”

Anastasia swallowed shakily before managing to speak through uneven breaths.

“I saw…” she whispered fearfully, her voice trembling so badly the words almost broke apart. “Burning kingdoms…”

Her tiny fingers tightened desperately against Lucien’s shirt like letting go would drag her back into that nightmare.

“Wolves… tearing through battlefields…”

Anana’s expression shifted slightly at the fear in her daughter’s voice.

“Rivers of blood beneath broken skies…” Anastasia continued weakly, tears slipping down her cheeks now. “And screams everywhere…”

Her breathing faltered.

“There was smoke… and giant black wings in the sky…”

The last words barely left her lips above a frightened whisper.

Then silence followed… so heavy and unsettling.

Anana immediately pulled Anastasia closer against her chest, her hand stroked slowly through her hair.

“Oh, my sweet girl…” she whispered tenderly, pressing soft kisses against her forehead again and again. “Nothing is going to hurt you. Not while we’re here.”

Lucien’s arms remained firmly around Anastasia, steady and protective in a way that made even fear seem smaller beside him.

His hand moved slowly along her back, grounding her carefully while he lowered his head to press a lingering kiss against her hair.

“You’re safe,” he murmured quietly. “No nightmare can reach you here.”

Anastasia clung tighter to them both, her tiny fingers curling weakly into Lucien’s shirt while Anana continued humming softly beneath her breath.

The sound was gentle and warm. And slowly… little by little… the violent trembling in Anastasia’s small body began to ease. Her breathing steadied, her tears slowed. Until exhaustion finally pulled her back to sleep safely within their arms.

The room slowly fell silent again afterwards.

Only Anastasia’s soft breathing remained between them now as she slept peacefully within their arms, unaware of the quiet tension that had settled over the room.

Then Lucien finally lifted his gaze towards Anana. And Anana looked back at him instantly. No words were needed at first.

Because the understanding had already passed between them the moment Anastasia described what she saw.

“This was her first manifestation,” Anana murmured softly, her fingers still brushing gently through Anastasia’s hair. But even while holding her daughter close, worry flickered visibly across her face now.

“She’s only ten…”

Her voice lowered further, quieter this time.

“It’s too early.”

Because every supernatural child manifested at thirteen and never at ten.

The silence that followed felt heavier now.

Lucien remained quiet for a moment, his gaze resting on Anastasia’s sleeping face before he finally spoke.

“It’s shocking… yes,” he admitted softly.

Then his eyes lifted towards Anana again.

“But Anastasia was never meant to be ordinary.”

His voice carried a certain calm certainty… the kind that came from already knowing the truth long before tonight.

“Not when she’s our child.”

A faint silence followed before he continued quietly,

“I’m a rare hybrid born from two royal bloodlines… wolves and witches intertwined into one existence.”

Then his gaze softened slightly as it settled on Anana.

“And you are the last true blood of the Blue Moon Pack’s royal lineage.”

His hand moved gently along Anastasia’s back as he spoke again, quieter this time… almost thoughtful.

“Anastasia was born from power itself.”

A pause settled between them.

Then finally…

Lucien lowered his gaze towards their sleeping daughter once more, something unreadable flickering softly through his eyes.

“Of course she was going to be different.”

Anana exhaled softly, her fingers brushing carefully through Anastasia’s hair again as she slept peacefully between them.

Then slowly… her eyes lifted back to Lucien’s.

A quiet silence passed. Before finally…

“It’s time,” Anana whispered softly.

Lucien remained still for a moment, his gaze resting on their daughter.

Then he nodded once.

“Yes.”

A faint sadness flickered through Anana’s expression despite herself.

“She’s still so little, Lucien…”

“I know,” he murmured quietly.

Anana looked back down at Anastasia. “But if her manifestation has already begun…” she whispered, concern threading through her voice now, “then her training has to begin too.”

Lucien’s arm tightened slightly around Anastasia as if instinct alone wanted to shield her from everything waiting beyond this room.

“She needs to learn control,” he said calmly. “Before her power grows beyond her.”

Silence settled briefly again. Then Anana finally nodded faintly.

“The academy…”

Lucien looked at her.

“Yes,” he answered quietly.