ログイン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
LEINNA'S POV I became rooted to the spot, words failing me as I watched Mehan slump to the ground. For a brief moment, the battle around me faded into a distant blur. The shouting, the clash of steel, the frantic movement of men rushing in every direction….all of it seemed to dull away. My eyes remained fixed on her, on the place where she had fallen. My teary eyes unwittingly shifted ahead to the throng of bloody barbarians careening towards our direction. I blinked, maybe trying to escape what I was seeing, but the scene was right there in front of me; they were twice the size of any humans I had ever encountered. Dark markings ran along both sides of their faces, painted in bold stripes that stretched from cheekbones to jawlines. Some bore intricate symbols etched across their skin, while others wore scars as though they were marks of honor. Their appearance was wild and untamed. Many had tangled hair hanging past their shoulders. Others wore beads, bones, and leather orn
Leinna's POV VENNAS "What?!” The word came out far louder than I intended, and several heads turned. Kael didn't even flinch, didn't look up from the deer. There wasn't even a hint of guilt on his face, no shame either… Nothing. The man looked as calm as if we were discussing the weather. "You heard me." He said after a long pause, and my jaw dropped. For once in my life, words failed me. Surely he was lying, exaggerating, trying to provoke me. Unfortunately, the complete seriousness on his face made that theory crumble rather quickly. "You are impossible." "Has nobody taught you to be considerate of other people?" I nearly choked; the audacity. "Considerate?!" I repeated it, trying to keep a straight face. "Yes." His knife sliced smoothly through a strip of hide. "Some people enjoy sleeping at night." My lips parted, but all the words tumbling through my mind died in my throat. Because what exactly was I supposed to say to that? Sorry for distur







