Fated Opposites

CHAPTER 2: DESTINIES COLLIDE

The prison was a fortress of stone and metal, buried in a zone that can't be reached except through portals — “The Obsidian Hold”. Jayden had been chained here for years, the cold iron designed to drain his power, sapping him of the strength he once wielded. His mark, once vibrant l, now barely flickering beneath his tattered shirt. The guards had long stopped worrying about him breaking free. He had been neutralized, a vestige locked away in darkness

Or so they thought

The chains around his wrists felt heavier tonight, but beneath them, Jayden felt something stir. His mark began to burn – a slow glowing heat that spread across his body. He clenched his fist, his pulse quickening. The faint glow from his chest grew brighter, more intense.

What is this? He thought, heart pounding in his chest. The energy surged, stronger than ever before, as if the mark had been reawakened. He pulled against the chains, feeling a strange power well up from deep within him. Metal creaked, resisting him at first, but he strained harder, the surge of energy overwhelming his senses.

With a final burst of energy, the chains snapped with a loud c***k, the sound echoing through the stone corridors.

Jayden didn't hesitate. He moved swiftly, his senses sharp. His body hummed with energy, each step lighter than the last. He slipped out of his cell just as the alarms blared, red lights flashing through the dim hallways. Guards scrambled, some already transforming into their werewolf forms.

Jayden rushed forward, his mark burning with raw power. One guard, fully transformed, lunged at him with a snarl. Jayden ducked, grabbing the wolf by the throat and slamming him into the wall. Still holding the wolf, another guard, still human, drew a blade, but Jayden was faster, sending a burst of energy from his palm that knocked the man out cold.

More were coming. Jayden's eyes darted to the portal at the far end of the corridor, glowing faintly. His only way out. He bolted towards it, dodging the claws and fangs of the remaining guards.

“Don't let him escape” one of the officers shouted, their voice filled with desperation. “He mustn't leave this place, don't let him go through that portal”.

Jayden's mark flared again as he reached the portal. He glanced back at the chaos left behind – guards lying crumpled, snarling wolves ready to attack – but it didn't matter. He jumped into the swirling energy, feeling it pull him towards the cold night air as everything vanished behind him.

Jayden landed hard in the forest, rolling to a stop among the trees. The woods were dark, only the faint light of the moon casting shadows through the branches. His breath came in ragged gasps, but the adrenaline kept him moving.

As he stood, his eyes caught a faint glow through the trees – a light that seemed to call him. His instincts screamed at him to keep running, to stay ahead of the guards, but something about the glow tugged at him. Cautiously he moved towards it, his footsteps light on the moss-covered ground.

Reaching the source of the light, he found Bella lying unconscious under the soft glow of the moon; he froze. The mark on her chest flickered, just like his. His eyes widened as realization hit him.

The moon vestige

This was her. The one they had been searching for – the ones the elders wanted. If the guards caught her, they'd take her back to the hell he'd just escaped from.

“Damn it”. Jayden swore under his breath. “Can't leave her here, not with these bastards running around, especially since she is the moon vestige”, he muttered, confused.

With a heavy sigh, Jayden knelt and carefully lifted Bella into his arms. “Let’s hope neither of us regrets this”, he muttered to himself.

Bella drifted in and out of consciousness, her body limp in Jayden's arms. Her vision blurred as they moved, trees passing by in a rush. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. The wind whipped through her hair, and she could feel the warmth of someone carrying her, but she couldn't make sense of it.

“What’s….going on?” she murmured weakly, her voice barely audible.

Jayden didn't respond. His focus was on the sounds of pursuit between them – the faint howls that carried through the trees. Whatever was after them was relentless and fast.

He ran harder, scanning through the forest, but the weight of Bella slowed him down more than he liked. His heart pounded in his chest as the sounds of the guards grew closer, the ground beneath him trembling and air stifling as they transformed.

I can't outrun them like this, he thought, scanning the terrain ahead. His eyes locked onto a waterfall in the distance. He made a split-second decision.

With a sharp turn, Jayden sprinted towards the edge and leaped, clutching Bella tightly as they plunged into the icy cold water below. The cold hit him like a wall, but he forced himself to the surface, gasping for air as they tumbled through the water.

Behind them, the guards reached the cliff's edge. One of the wolves growled low, eyes scanning the water below.

“Is he alone?” one of the officers asked, his voice rough from shifting.

“No way”, another guard muttered. “He's never this slow. It looked like he was carrying something – or someone”.

The squad leader snarled, his eyes glowing red in the dark. “Fan out. Find him. And whoever is with him.”

Meanwhile, Jayden held Bella close to his chest, feeling the weight of her unconscious body as they tumbled beneath the crashing waves. His senses flared – every muscle aching from the energy he'd burn through, and his lungs screamed for air, propelling back to the surface.

“Damn it”.... This wasn't part of the plan,” he muttered, feeling the weight of her slowing him down.

Up ahead, a small weathered cottage came into view, hidden by trees. “This'll have to do”, he said, pushing the door down with his shoulder. He gently laid Bella down and quickly worked to start a fire.

“Where…. where am I?” she asked, voice shaky. Her gaze landed on Jayden across from her. Her heart raced but not from fear. It was something else – something she couldn't explain. She didn't know who he was, her breath caught but it felt like she'd known him forever. “Who are you?”

“Doesn't matter”, Jayden grunted, throwing more wood into the fire. “We’ve got at least 30 minutes so get yourself together. We don't have time”.

Bella frowned, struggling to sit up. She could hardly focus, her head a mess. “Time for what? Who are we running from?”

“The Authorities?” she asked, her eyebrows raising in doubt. “You have one too, don't you?” she asked, pointing at the mark faintly visible under his torn shirt.

Jayden stood, turning away. “Yeah, I've got one. And the only reason you're here is because of yours. If they get you…. I don't even want to think what they'll do”.

“You know what this is?” Bella asked, hope mixed with confusion. She should have been terrified, but being near him felt strangely right.

Jayden blew out the fire, his movements quick and frustrated. “Enough to know that if we don't leave in the next 5 minutes, we're dead.”

Bella's eyes widened, her mind still fuzzy from the events, but that sense of knowing him, of trust, was growing. “I'm not going anywhere. My parents…. I need to find them.”

Jayden spun around visibly annoyed. “Your parents? If I hadn't found you, you'd already be in their hands. And trust me you'd never survive a day in their cells.” He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “We leave. Now.”

Bella hesitated. It wasn't just his words; it was the strange bond she felt towards him like she had been waiting for him her whole life. She nodded, still not fully understanding, but knowing she couldn't stay.

Jayden closed his eyes, listening to the faint sounds outside. His jaw tightened. “They're close, he muttered, opening his eyes and looking at her again. “Can you use your powers?”

Bella looked at him, confused. “Powers? I don't even know what this thing is,” she replied, touching the mark on her skin.

Jayden sighed, running a hand through his head. “Of course you don't”. He stepped forward, scooping her up in her arms before she could protest.

“What are you –”

“You won't be fast enough on your own,” he said, already moving towards the door.

Bella's heart raced again, her pulse quickening from both the danger and the closeness of him. She felt safe in his arms. “They can transform too, can't they?” she asked, panic setting in.

Jayden didn't answer at first. “They wouldn't be guards if they couldn't”. He broke into a sprint, his senses guiding him as he weaved through the trees. Howls echoed from behind them, the sound chilling Bella to her core.

One of the transformed guards nearly reached them, claws extended. Bella screamed. “Behind you!”

Jayden moved without thinking, sending the werewolf crashing into a tree with a powerful punch. Without missing a beat, he kept running. They reached a narrow path, and Jayden set Bella down. “Move back”, he said, his voice low.

He concentrated while gathering up energy in his fist as he raised his hands, sending a bolt of fire toward the boulders ahead, causing them to collapse and block the path. The guards screamed as the rocks fell.

“Let's go”, he panted, clearly exhausted from the effort. Bella stared at him, shocked. “How did you….?”

Jayden didn't look at her. “Just a bit of what I can do”, he said, his voice rough.

They made their way through the trees in silence, the tension thick between them. After a while, they reached a small village. Jayden looked around, scanning for a place to stay. “We'll rest here tonight”, he said l, walking them towards an inn.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow at them. “Room for two”? She asked, eyeing their disheveled state.

Jayden didn't hesitate “Just one”.

Inside the room Bella collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. She glanced at Jayden again. She shouldn't be feeling this way, not about someone she didn't even know but something about him pulled her in.

Jayden walked into the bathroom without saying a word, turning on the water. When he emerged, his toned scarred body and black mark were clearly visible, his wet hair falling over his golden eyes.

Jayden noticed, his brows furrowing. “You’re staring?” he muttered, clearly annoyed.

Bella flushed, quickly turning away. “Sorry”, she mumbled before rushing into the bathroom. When she came out, Jayden was already asleep on the couch as she noticed a fresh change of clothes on the bed.

She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. Why does he feel so familiar? How were her parents faring?. All these thoughts raced as she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in Smith's mansion, the atmosphere is thick with desperation. Mrs Smith sat at the dining table, her hands trembling as she held a picture of Bella, while Mr Smith stood by the fireplace, staring into the flames, his jaw clenched tight.

“We can't just wait around”, Mrs Smith whispered, her voice barely audible. “She's out there, and we're doing nothing”.

Mr Smith turned, his face hard. “I've called them”, he said, his voice low tight with emotion.

Mrs Smith looked up in confusion in her eyes. “Them? Who–?”

Before she could finish, the door to the room creaked open, and a group of shadowed figures stepped into the room. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, their movement unnaturally quiet. They seemed to blend with the shadows like they weren't human.

The couple exchanged a nervous glance, but Mr Smith nodded towards the figures. “They're specialists. They deal with…. situations like this”.

Mrs Smith's breath caught in her throat as she rose from her chair. “Can you find her? Can you bring our daughter back?”

The lead figure stepped forward, their voice a low, hollow whisper. “We've been told of her disappearance. We can find her…. but there's always a cost”.

“We don't care about the cost!” Mr Smith snapped, his desperation showing. “Just find her. Bring her home”.

The lead figure nodded slowly. “Then we will begin. But understand, once we start, there's no turning back. No matter what stands in our way we'll complete our mission”.

Mrs Smith clutched her chest, tears spilling from her eyes. “Thank you…. thank you”.

The figure turned, their movements like a ripple in darkness. “We will return when we have news”, the leader said before they slipped out of the room as quietly as they had come.

As the door closed behind them, the rooms seemed to settle into a heavy silence. Mrs Smith sank into her chair, gripping the photo of Bella even tighter, her heart pounding in her chest.

Mr Smith stood in the same spot, staring at the door where the figures had disappeared, his fists clenched. “We'll get her back”, he said more to himself than his wife.

“We have to”. And at the same time a figure that seems to eavesdrop on their conversation runs out.