All Chapters of What Survived The Burn: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Loria’s POVThe days that followed blurred together in waves of light, fear, and shifting power.It started the first night.I woke with a start, heart pounding and skin slick with sweat. My breath came in short gasps as my body glowed faintly, bathing the room in a soft, silvery light. It was like moonlight poured directly from my pores, forming a halo around me in the darkness. I looked down at my hands, at the soft shimmer there, and felt the first ripple of panic.Zerina?She stirred sluggishly, her presence distant, almost distorted. "Something's wrong... no, not wrong. Changing."My chest tightened. I sat up slowly, careful not to wake Simon, but the flickering lights above us betrayed me. One after another, they sparked, buzzing angrily before dimming down to a dull hum. My emotions spiked with every breath—fear, confusion, awe—and the lights mirrored them. Flashes with every surge. Dimness with every doubt.The shadows on the walls began to move.Not crawl. Not flicker. Move.

Loria’s POVThe phone felt heavy in my hand—slick with the weight of everything it suddenly represented. Not just a line to the world I’d left behind, but a thread I was desperately trying to tug back into my life. My thumb hovered above the screen, trembling with hesitation. Andy’s number was already typed in, glowing faintly in the soft light spilling through the bedroom window.I could feel Simon’s presence beside me on the bed, his eyes on me. His steady breathing was like an anchor. My thumb pressed the call button.One ring.Two.Three—"Hello?" His voice burst through the speaker, crackling with surprise.My throat tightened. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My body was shaking, and not from fear—relief, longing, everything at once. “It’s me,” I finally said.“Loria?! Oh my god—where are you? Are you okay? You just disappeared. I—I thought you were dead or kidnapped or—did you find your place? Your pack? Are you even in the same state?”The words spilled from him like a dam brea

Simon’s POVThe moon hung high above the treetops, casting a soft silver glow over the forest as I sat on the edge of the bed, watching Loria sleep. Her breathing was deep, peaceful. Her hand rested protectively over her stomach, the soft rise and fall of her chest like a metronome calming my thoughts.She was safe. For now.I brushed a curl away from her face and stood, heading quietly out of the bedroom and down the hall. I didn't want the sound of my voice to wake her, especially not for this.The phone buzzed in my hand just as I stepped into my office. Andy.I answered before the second ring. "Andy."“Hey, Alpha,” came the voice on the other end, sounding tired but steady. “Didn’t think you’d pick up this fast.”“I’ve been waiting for your call,” I said truthfully, pacing toward the window. “Did you leave already?”“Left the second you sent those coordinates. I’m already in Watson City.”That earned a raised brow. “You made good time.”“I didn’t stop.”I nodded to myself. Fiercel

Loria’s POVWhen the door clicked softly behind them, silence settled over the bedroom like a heavy, comfortable blanket. I curled up deeper into the couch cushions, the book glowing faintly in my lap. My hand drifted again to the amulet at my neck, and then down to my rounded belly.This child… this prophecy… how could I possibly be prepared for any of this?"You were made for this," Zerina whispered, her voice rich with certainty.I opened the book again and turned the page.New text shimmered into existence as though written by invisible ink meeting morning light. My breath caught."Blood opens the way, but heart guides the path. She who carries the light must first look into the shadows of her own soul."My brow furrowed."Look into the shadows of her own soul," I murmured. "What does that even mean?"A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. Amy’s voice filtered through the door. "Luna? May I come in with Anthony?"I quickly closed the book and placed it beside me. "Yes, of course."

Loria’s POVThe knock at the door startled me out of a dream I couldn’t remember. My eyes blinked open to darkness, the only light coming from the soft glow of the alarm clock. 4:13 a.m.Simon stirred beside me. He was already slipping out of bed before I could even ask who it was. His bare feet padded across the room and I heard the creak of the door opening. I didn’t get up, but I turned my head toward the sound, straining to listen."Andy?" Simon’s voice was a low murmur.I couldn’t make out the reply, only that it was definitely Andy’s voice, hushed but intense.Simon reentered a few seconds later, flipping on the bedside lamp. The sudden light made me wince. Behind him stood Andy, disheveled and gripping a book against his chest like it might run away.I blinked at him, confused, but then my gaze fell on the book—and something in my chest tightened.I’d seen it before. Once. Tucked under his bed when we were kids. He caught me looking, back then, and yanked it away before I could