Clumsy Beasts, You’ve Crossed The Line Novels & Stories

Rage claws through me, violent and absolute. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

The beasts, as if they understood me, looked at me all at once and growled. I raised my hands and chuckled helplessly. "Easy, easy, my only request was that I want you to eat me whole. Please don't tear my body apart. It's painful, you know!" I said bitterly. They roared and looked at me fiercely. Why do I think these beasts misunderstood me? Suddenly, they made a move together and attacked me at once. My eyes widened, and my body subconsciously evaded all their attacks. But they were too fast, and a thorny beast slammed its tail into my body. I couldn't dodge it, and I was sent flying into the distance and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Sophia hesitated only for a second before stepping forward. Because this was it. The moment she **crossed the line.** There would be no turning back. And a dark part of her **didn’t want to.** Not anymore. Not with him. Not in this world. Because the deeper she fell— The more she realized **she belonged.** ---

he replied flatly and looked at Cain, “Let’s get moving then.” Slowly, we began to walk to the other end of the river which was much more shallow, but terrifyingly, more than two dozen beasts followed us. I kept on glancing at Cain from time to time. Veins bulged out of his temples now and his eyes were bloodshot. I could see the strain in his eyes as he struggled to keep hold of the spell. The water was finally shallow enough for us to cross and my heart was racing as we stepped into the cold water and the beasts followed.

Every muscle in my body ached, trembling from the cold and exhaustion. Kael climbed up beside me, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, his chest heaving. “Are you hurt?” I shook my head, though my entire body felt like one massive bruise. “I’m fine,” I rasped, shivering violently. Victor wasn’t convinced. His sharp gaze swept over me, his jaw tightening. “We need to move before they find another way down.” I looked back at the cliff, dread coiling in my gut. The beasts stood at the edge, snarling, their red eyes gleaming in the darkness. They couldn’t jump—not without risking death—but I knew this wasn’t over.

The shift rushed through me instantly, and just then, the first beast reached me. Its arm swung downward with enough force to shatter stone. I dropped beneath it and the claws missed my head by what felt like the width of a breath. Then the second beast arrived. It joined the show passionately but this wasn’t a party so I didn’t wait for a hug. I twisted violently to the side as another set of claws slashed through empty air where my face had been moments earlier. Sand exploded around me. My pulse hammered against my ribs. The beasts collided again. For a moment they shoved each other while growling furiously, and I used the opportunity to stumble backward across the sands.

Its eyes were a dismal blood red, devoid of intelligence, and driven only by a crazed ravenous hunger. The ferocious beast let out a terrible, twisted growl, its razor-sharp claws swinging straight for Clara's throat. Instinct, sharpened over many years as a renegade, took control. Clara flung herself sideways, her silk robe splitting a little as she rolled on the rough stone floor. The beast’s claws missed her neck by a fraction of an inch, striking the volcanic rock with such force that it sent a shower of sparks into the blackness. The beast turned around with unnatural, jerky speed, its jaw unhinging as a thick, white foam fell from its yellowed fangs.

I cursed under my breath, already feeling my nerves tightening. “Do not trust your eyes.” Lucy’s calm voice echoed inside my mind. “Nor trust your balance.” “Trust only your instincts… and follow your heart.” After saying that, she went silent once more. Before I could even respond— CRACK! The ground beneath my feet split apart with a deafening roar. A massive fissure opened beneath me. Several grotesque beasts suddenly crawled out from the opening, stretching their claws toward me as though trying to drag me into the endless darkness below.

Certain. Her teeth gleamed under the light. Her claws dragged against the floor. Ready. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. I thought I had a second chance. Thought maybe, This time, Things would be different. A quiet, bitter thought slipped through. Why would it be? Then, A crash. Something slammed into her. Hard. A second beast. Bigger. Faster. Furious. They collided, claws and teeth clashing in a blur of movement. The room shook with the force of it.

“I won’t—I won’t ask again—” “You won’t,” Marcus agreed. The word landed like a door slamming shut. Silence stretched between them. Heavy. Suffocating. The morning traffic continued around them, but it felt distant, like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them on that crosswalk. Marcus leaned in just enough that his voice dropped even lower—private, dangerous, the kind of calm that promised worse things if ignored. “I could make you disappear,” he said evenly. “And no one would ask questions.”