The soft murmur of voices brings me out of my sleep. Slowly I open my eyes, letting myself take a moment to adjust to the soft light of the sun slanting in from the small window. I’m lying on the soft rug, wearing only Alistair’s cloak and covered in a soft warm blanket. The fire has been put out. And Alistair is nowhere to be seen. Again my attention is swayed by the voices outside. I pick up my clothes from last night and get dressed, the memory of last night still fresh in my head. My face heats up, but I just continue and head outside. Standing outside the little hut is Alistair, surrounded by a dozen of people including Candor, Jossie, and Hendrik. I freeze halfway through the door. “Um, good morning.” Alistair turns around. “Elora.” Hearing him say my name after he moaned it last night feels weird now. “Hey.” I nervously turn to the other people. “What’s happening?” Candor steps forward. “We would like to apologize to you

⇼ E L O R A ⇼Everything is happening fast. Perhaps too fast. The moment I get up and get dressed, things just go by, flicking past me like images from a rushing carriage’s window. Everyone in the camp is getting ready or packing up, separating into six big groups that will go to every city-state and attempt to dismantle the authoritarian government in place.Like Alistair said, Hendrik and I will be left here in Corrin, but we will not be staying in the camp. We will go with Kristoff, the designated diplomat, to head to the town square and make our presence known at the Feast of Independence.But that would be tomorrow. For now, we have to get the others prepared.I’m currently in Jossie’s tree house, helping her pack the weapon kits that will be distributed among them. She will be with Alistair in the Capital. He’s currently meeting with the diplomats.“You okay?” Jossie’s voice brings me out of my reveri

⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼The path to the Capital is long and unforgiving, and the strong cold winds of the dawn doesn’t help. I’m the only one carrying a small lamp to light the way and to lead everyone, and even though it’s enough to illuminate my immediate surroundings, I still feel like we’re in the dark, like I’m leading them in the dark. Perhaps in more ways than one.“The sewer is where we’re supposed to go,” Jossie tells me in a hushed tone, sidling up close to me. “Hendrik said that we might be encountering something there. He was trying to explain but Candor cut him off.”“That’s Candor for you,” I say jokingly, trying to lighten up the mood, but as we go deeper and deeper into the forest, I’m starting to feel darker. My mind is drifting towards places and people. People who aren’t here with me now. People who might be in danger. People who might get hurt because of this mission. “Are you still regretting splitting up?” Jossie suddenly asks. I don’t answ

⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼ ‘Don’t hurt them!’ I try to tell the wolf, but it’s no longer listening to me. I’m pushed all the way inside our shared consciousness, so deep that the only way I can get out right now is if the wolf lets me. But no. There’s no chance. The only thing going on in its head is war and his desire for a bloodbath. The soldiers fire another round, and the wolf only growls, but all the ammunition disappear midair. That’s when I realize that the wolf and I are surrounded by this acidic cloud of darkness that’s melting everything that comes close. Jossie is driving our own allies away from me. They all look terrified of what the wolf is doing. Some of the soldiers are scaling the wall to get close to us, and the wolf just runs to meet them halfway. ‘None of you will hurt me,’ it says menacingly. ‘Not again. Never again.’ The wolf rears as the men try to attack us with a spear, and instantly a cloud of shadows engulf them. Th

⇼ A L I S T A I R ⇼ The bricks of the wall behind me start to cascade down in a cacophony of thuds and cracks. In a puff of smoke, the entire section of the wall crumbles, taking down some of the guards standing on top of it, sending them crashing right on the ground. The crack of their bodies hitting the concrete is grating my ears, but it’s doing the opposite to the wolf. It’s music for it. I can sense its dark satisfaction, rippling through its body like a wave of warmth in a bitter winter. I look to my side and see that my allies have made it down safely, but they’re still backing into the corner, away from the palace guards and away from me. Any moment, they could be attacked. If all these guards, who are pointing their cannons and other weapons at me, turned to them and decided to hurt them instead, they would all be dead. And it would be my fault for not being strong enough to control the raging beast that’s dominating the show now. ‘Please let