chapter 32
1097 Words
AVELORA
I stopped only when I was sure I had gotten very far away from the cursed cave.
My lungs were burning and I could hardly make out anything with how blurry my vision.
Goddess, what made me think it was a bright idea to just enter an unknown cave? I berated myself, the thoughts chaotic and loud in my head.
I had absolutely no idea where I was. I spun around in a slow circle, my heart hammering against my ribs. There was nothing to identify my location. No familiar rock formations, no trees I recognized from the academy grounds, no shrubs I could use to orient myself. The forest felt like it was laughing at me, mocking my stupidity.
My heart was still beating incredibly fast, the phantom sound of rushing water roaring in my ears. My knees shook violently, barely supporting my weight. I squeezed them shut, pressing the palms of my hands against my temples as another wave of panic began to paralyze me. No matter how closely I looked, no matter how hard I stared into the thick canopy, nothing seemed familiar. I was completely, utterly lost in a territory I didn't understand.
"Avelora!"
The voice shattered the suffocating silence of the woods. It was deep and instantly recognizable.
I whipped my head around, turning blindly toward the direction of the noise. I didn't think. I just ran, throwing my weight forward and pushing through the thick underbrush, tearing my dress even further. "Alpha?" I screamed back, my voice cracking under the strain.
"Avelora!"
I heaved a massive breath of relief, the tight band around my chest loosening slightly when I realized how close his voice actually was. He was near.
"Just stay," his command boomed through the trees as he spotted me from afar.
The moment his eyes locked onto mine, the energy in the air snapped. The suffocating fog in my mind instantly cleared. The blurred, terrifying shapes of the forest settled into sharp focus, every single leaf became distinct, and the dull, terrifying gray world rushed back into vibrant color.
A sharp jolt of deja vu hit me. A dizzying sensation washed over me, carrying an unsettling feeling that I had been lost before. In this exact same place. Surrounded by these exact same trees. It felt less like a new mistake and more like a recurring nightmare I had been forced to relive.
Before I could process the memory, Khyrix was there. He closed the distance between us in a blur of speed. He threw his arms around me the second he reached me, pulling me so tightly against his chest that the air left my lungs. I felt his hands traveling rapidly over my back, gripping my shoulders, checking the tattered hem of my dress, and looking down at my bare, bleeding feet to see if I was okay. A wave of relief washed over his features before he buried his face in my hair, pulling me into another desperate hug.
For a second, I let myself lean into his warmth.
Then, the warmth vanished. He let go, stepping back.
"What the f**k was that?" he thundered.
The roar echoed through the entire forest, scaring a flock of birds from the canopy above. The fury in his voice made the ground feel like it was shaking.
I flinched, the sound vibrating uncomfortably in my chest, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. "I'm sorry," I said simply.
I was quiet, deadpan. There was no point in arguing or crying. I knew I had been stupid for running blindly into the wild, but I wasn't about to swallow all the blame. He was just as much at fault for what triggered this. "I wouldn't have left the arena in the first place if you guys hadn't been sitting up there, having fun watching students mutilate each other for sport."
The anger in his golden eyes cooled instantly, replaced by an impenetrable shield. His expression went entirely blank, a terrifying mask of indifference. "I told you. It is tradition. There is nothing I can do to change the foundational laws of this academy."
I shook my head, a humorless laugh bubbling up in my throat. "Don't give me that political bullshit, Khyrix. You chose a fake mate because you didn't want to be controlled by the council or your family. You defy rules when it suits your freedom. I know there is plenty you can do about it, you just won't lift a finger because it doesn't affect you."
His eyes flashed a deep shade of gold. Then, his face went completely blank, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper. "There is nothing I can do to change the academy's traditional, Avelora. But I can do a lot to keep you on the leash you are supposed to be on."
He lunged forward, his hand wrapping firmly around my wrist to drag me back toward the path.
That word snapped whatever restraint I had left. I violently snatched my hand out of his grip, stepping back and glaring at him with pure hatred.
"I mean, I knew everything about this school was twisted and evil," I spat, the words dripping with venom as I took a step toward him, refusing to be intimidated by his size. "I just didn't realize that you guys were a bunch of sadistic f***s who get off on the blood of your own students."
He took a slow, deteermined step closer, his towering frame casting a dark shadow over me, trying to force me to submit to him.
"And I am not an animal, Alpha. I will never be your pet," I said, pointing a finger directly at his chest. I motioned aggressively between the two of us, my annoyance and disgust radiating from every single inch of my body. "What we have is a business arrangement. A structured deal to get the council off your back. That is it."
I leaned in, ensuring he heard every syllable. "You might be the all powerful Alpha, Khyrix. But in this arrangement, we are equals. You don't own me."
Without waiting for his response, I turned sharply on my heel. I aggressively grabbed the torn hem of my heavy dress, lifting it just enough to clear the dirt, and began walking rapidly in the direction he had come from, leaving him standing alone in the clearing.
Fuck everything and everyone in this place.
To hell with the academy, to hell with the terrifying visions splitting my skull open, and more importantly.
To hell with Khyrix.
- Writer
