Mag-log inThe girl froze, her head shooting up instantly with a wide pair of mismatched eyes.“Lillia?” Her voice cracked. And for a second, disbelief flooded her face, followed almost instantly by fear as she watched Lillia. Then suddenly, she scrambled to her feet.“Lillia!” She bolted up to her feet and broke into a run.The moment she crashed into Lillia, the force nearly sent both of them back into the water. Amelia clung to her desperately, fingers bunching tightly into Lillia’s wet clothes like she feared letting go would make her disappear.“You came…” Her voice shook uncontrollably against Lillia’s shoulders. “You really came.” But in that instant, she pulled back, her expression growing apologetic as her eyes fell on Lillia’s neck. “Are you alright?” She reached and touched Lillia’s neck softly with tears pooling in her eyes. It almost seemed as though she had something to say, but how to say it was the problem. “I am so sorry. I would never—”“I’m alright. And it’s not your fault.”
The space twisted with her descent, folding and unfolding in violently fluid strokes as though some unseen hands were painting over reality faster than she could comprehend. Structures appeared and vanished in rapid succession beneath her, too fast, too chaotic, and almost too intentional to be random. She had guessed it was trying to bring her down… but it was at the same time doing a terrible job, because at this rate she would only end up dying from this fall. Wait… she was already dead. Was it possible to die again—Lillia! Fenris' voice cut in sharply through her thoughts as a jagged slab of rock appeared, suspended mid-air, and Lillia instantly lunged for it. She stretched desperately and clawed into it, wincing at the sudden jolt of pain that ran through her arms as momentum slammed into her shoulders, nearly tearing her grip free. But ignoring the pain, she held on, teeth gritting, muscles screaming in protest as her body swung violently beneath the slab. There was still a
The darkness was so sudden that the acrid taste of decay coated the back of her throat, and with it came a suffocating wave of dread. It worked? Lillia tried to look at her hands and body, but she couldn’t see anything. Yet, she could feel it… smell it, and the fact that her body remembered this place meant it had worked. She was back at that place. Lillia turned sharply in full circle, looking at the unending darkness as memories flashed violently through her mind. And although the frightening pressure she had felt and the eyes that had appeared with it were not present, there was the lingering feeling of dread that clung to the back of her mind whenever she remembered what had happened on her first visit. The thought that she could be attacked at any moment swelled the dread. But Anubis had masked their scent, so they should be safe for now… perhaps. Fenris rose in response, her senses sharpening as they expanded from within, assessing the darkened space. I don’t sense any t
That day had begun beautifully. After a few days of rain, the sun was warm to her skin. She could still smell the moist earth as she buried her feet into the loose soil and tilted her head backwards to feel the warm rays on her face. That day, her father had been busy with the elders, and she had no one to play with. So, after snuggling up by the fireplace, surrounded by books, she made up her mind to make friends. Just then, a string of voices drifted from afar into her ears, and her gaze shifted immediately in the direction. They were children like her. She could hear their laughter, screams… the bubbly excitement that came from warmth and carefree happiness in seeing the sun after many days of wetness. Friends… she whispered as her little heart swelled, still, it thumped in the anxious anticipation of being accepted. But she did not allow that to remain as she brushed her thoughts to the back of her mind with determination. Then, she clutched her favourite book tightly to her c
Lillia stared into space. She could still vividly remember everything like it was yesterday. The night her father died, and the next day she was rejected by her mate who had married the woman that murdered her. It was like a nightmare she had woken up from, and revisited every night she slept. Only it wasn’t a nightmare. She could finally have the revenge that had haunted her ever since she took over this body. She could save her father. Lillia’s vision blurred and her eyes stung but she kept her tears at bay, glistening beneath the eerie blue light. “I can… I can see my father again?” Her voice wavered, uncertainty loudly evident in them.“Not just that, you will remember everything.” Anubis went on, her tone almost coaxing now, like a soothing whisper curling through the mind. “You will remember every face, every lie, betrayal, every plot and this time… you will not lose.”Silence followed pressing heavily between them. Lillia was in a daze. Had she heard wrongly? Had Anubis real
Yes… Lillia thought, her gaze sweeping the space again, more carefully this time.“Maera. Selene. You need to see this.” Lillia called out expecting a response but there was nothing. Wait… hasn’t it been a moment since we entered? Why had Selene and Maera not entered? They were right behind us. Fenris was on high alert as she spoke, and Lillia could feel her senses primed to the peak. That’s right. Lillia thought back quickly, a frown settling on her face as she turned back, but the fabric she had brushed aside to enter the tent had not been rustled or shifted. She couldn’t even hear footsteps outside. “Maera? Selene?” Lillia called out again but silence answered. Just as she was about to reach for the fabric, her pulse faltered violently as suddenly, the entrance stretched away from her reach, farther than where she stood, despite knowing she had briefly stepped into the tent. She had entered knowing the entrance was right behind her, but now it was a distance away.The space wit
The night deepened with Lillia’s thoughts.‘When fear spreads without a face, seek not the scream, but the silence that follows it.’ With a miniature lamp hovering over the opened book she held, its pale glow casting long shadows across the pages and her fingers, Lillia blinked slowly. She hadn’t u
Her pulse thundered in her ears as she stood motionless, one hand still gripping the iron gate, knuckles white.Then slowly, too slowly, Lillia turned her head.“Pa—”Lillia, don’t listen. Fenris’ voice cut sharply through her thoughts. That voice is not—Father? I know… Her response wavered, surpr
“You don’t owe me anything, Maera.” Lillia smiled softly. Though the ache beneath her skin never truly faded. She reached for Kyla and Selene, taking their hands in hers, grounding herself to their warmth. Her gaze drifted over each of her maidens, lingering where once there had only been distan
When Lillia opened her eyes, she watched the blurred space before her in silence, overwhelmed by the intense feeling of hate. Hate for the entirety of Clan Clearwater for betraying her father the moment his heart stopped.Even more, she was enraged by Poppy and Pete for the ease with which t







