登入ENISA'S POVSilverstone pack The first thing I registered was the cold. It wasn’t a gentle, creeping chill, but a violent, gasping shock that slammed into my chest and stole the air right out of my lungs.I bolted upright, choking on a lungful of water that burned my nose.My eyes snapped open against a world that was suddenly entirely blindingly wet. I shivered violently,as water cascaded down my wet matted hair, soaking my nightshirt and plastering it against my shivering body.A freezing torrent of water had just crashed over my body, soaking my blanket, my pillow, and every inch of exposed skin.I sputtered, coughing as a stray rivulet rushed up my nose and burned the back of my throat.My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Disoriented and blind, I frantically swiped the wet hair out of my eyes, the motion doing nothing to stop the heavy droplets from stinging my cheeks. I was drowning on dry land."What in God's name—!" I shrieked, the words catching on a s
Leinna's POVFor a moment, I simply stared.Then I laughed.A short, strained laugh that sounded far more hysterical than amused."No."I said, shaking my head vigorously."No, absolutely not. I have finally lost my mind."My back struck the wall of the hut as I tried to pull away, reminding me that I was trapped."That is what happens when I stay awake for too many nights and start seeing things.""You are not seeing things."The voice explained calmly, but I refused to listen.This is a dream. It's a dream. Wake up, Leinna. It's time to wake up. Come on now."Listen to me!"The voice roared, and a thunderous gust of wind swept through the room, nearly spinning me off balance.My dress billowed violently, and my hair thrashed wildly around my face, followed by the loud groaning of the hut and the rattling of the windows.I nearly swallowed my tongue.The thing was talking back.The thing.Not Kael.Because no matter how many times I looked at him, his lips weren't moving."I will lis
Chapter 41: Writer's PovVENNASNearly half of the small settlement in the eastern coast had been reduced to ashes.Charred beams jutted from the earth at odd angles, while collapsed roofs rested in heaps of smoldering debris. The scent of burnt wood and scorched earth hung heavily in the air, refusing to fade.It was a moonless night, and the dark clouds hovered the earth like an endless canopy stretching across the heavensThe wind howled through the wreckage, cold and mournful, slipping through shattered doorways and hollow windows. It swept across the ruined settlement in restless waves, lifting loose ashes from the ground and carrying them into the air like ghostly spirits disturbed from their slumber.The occasional groan of weakened timber echoed from somewhere in the darkness, followed by the distant crack of something finally giving way beneath the weight of destruction.Some gathered in small whirlwinds before scattering once more into the night.Here and there, faint tendr
Chapter 40Tick. Tick. Tick.The wall clock droned on, each second stretching itself thin until it felt less like time passing and more like something being counted down.“Nobody knows we’re here,” the thought echoed again in my hollow mind, though it didn’t belong to anyone in particular. It just… lingered.My eyes were open, but they didn’t really see at first. The space in front of me was too much to process all at once.It was like stepping into a memory that wasn’t mine.“What… what do you call this place again?” I demanded at last, forcing my gaze to settle.Books.Thousands of them, lined shelf to shelf, with a daunting accuracy, the perfect spacing. Some volumes were sealed behind glass cases.“The Hall of Knowledge,” Butler Grey replied. He stood a few paces behind me, perfectly still, hands clasped behind his back.I didn’t turn to look at him.Instead, I let my gaze drift upward again.Today, I had taken a bold step, if it could even be called that. A decision to tour the
MELANI'S POV Silverstone pack “Careful now, Layla,” I said softly, my voice threading like a blade. “You say it, and it might just happen that way.” I cautioned, but my wolf remained untamed, coiling beneath my control like something refusing every leash I forced upon it. “You play with dark magic, you die by dark magic.” Her words barely scratched the surface of my intent. I didn’t answer her immediately. Instead, I pushed my hair back and lifted the necklace between my fingers, before bringing it to my neck. The moment the clasp locked into place, something inside me snapped awake. Power surged through me like a violent tide breaking through a dam. My breath hitched as the room spun around me, thoughts thrashing into a whirlwind. I felt my eyes rolled to the back of my head before rolling back. The universe tilted on its edges like a pause button, and for a moment it felt like I was the only thing still conscious in the silence as everything became still. The necklace
Melani’s POV Silverstone pack What is your definition of a perfect daughter? I know. A daughter who is obedient and humble. One who bends gracefully to her father's wishes without question. Modest in appearance, refined in manner, admired by her people. The pride of the pack. The kind of daughter whose name is spoken with reverence and whose accomplishments are worn like a mantle upon her shoulders. Laudable, isn't it? My life isn't perfect, but the lie is. Growing up beneath the roof of a general with three spiteful stepmothers and only one biological mother, the youngest of his wives, was never easy. Every achievement came at a cost. Every rejection left a mark. Every humiliation taught me something valuable. People like to believe hardship makes you stronger. It does, and it also tames you. It makes you observant, fills you with discernment; it breaks you, destroys your hopes, and then builds you back, piece by piece. For every step forward I took, th