Chapter 4 - The Human.
1123 Words
From the peak of the tower, an impossibly high perch above the base—Axel narrowed his gaze downward. Even from such an extreme height, his sharp vision vividly picked out the image of a small figure—rigid and still.
The lowly scent of mortality curled into his lungs, triggering his curiosity at the impossibility.
Human.
It was wrong. Out of place.
There—standing at the edge of the darkened path leading to Dreadfang Peaks—was a girl.
She was wholly, unmistakably a human girl.
Axel remained calm, watching. A human in the mystical realm? Interesting.
She stood in the shadows, staring up at the tower with wide eyes; admiration and surprise laced with unease.
Although she stood in the dark, Axel could clearly see the bold crease of curiosity on her brow. And at that moment he could already tell what she was thinking— Going in. Bold….but foolish.
Did she know where she was? Did she understand she teetered at the mouth of a den no mortal should enter?
Axel’s fingers twitched slightly, but he didn’t move. He only observed. Silent. Unseen.
It wasn’t long before the wolf guards sensed her too. Took them long enough. Axel’s senses were far sharper compared to his likes.
The moment their heads snapped in her direction, she stiffened.
He could hear her heart jumping wildly in her chest as the guards called out to her. Mortals, weaklings. Their fear was always a satisfying catch.
Horror crept through her, breath unsteady, the pulse at her throat fluttering like a trapped bird.
Axel knew she was about to be in danger. It was the full moon.
The wolfian door guards were mostly Omegas. And on a full moon, they could barely restrain their thirst for human blood.
Still, Axel did nothing. Without doubt, she’d piqued his interest but not enough to intervene.
He was going to let the little bird be food.
A mortal freely crossing through the mystical portal might just be a trigger-sign for the return of Velthera.
And Velthera…he loathed.
“Are you lost?”
Lylah froze. The voice belonged to one of the masked guards— a Venetian mask concealing his face, his bloodshot eyes locked on her despite the darkness where she stood.
Lylah’s heartbeat rode ahead from normalcy.
She was genuinely startled, wondering how the guards could see her when she was completely cloaked in the shadows.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stepped forward nervously, revealing her presence.
She needed information on where she was and on how to get home, so it was reasonable to converse.
The ambient glow from the tower casted deep crimson and violet hues across her dress.
Moonlight kissed her skin, illuminating the delicate contours of her face and revealing the ravishing features of her petite frame.
Axel exhaled slowly, watching with detached curiosity.
“I…I need directions. Could you help me?” Lylah said shyly, trying to suppress her racing heart.
She tugged at the hem of her strapless ivory dress as she watched the two guards exchange a silent glance than answer her.
What was that look?
A chill slithered over her ribs. The atmosphere felt off. She didn’t know why exactly but she could tell somehow that her presence was unconventional.
The second guard, his face hidden behind a Cyborg mask, tilted his head.
“Intrusion,” he said. His voice was eerily mechanical, as if he was more machine than man.
Dread skittered along Lylah’s nerves like spider legs.
She knew now for sure that she didn’t belong. Before she could think of what to say or how to react to their indifference, they were both….moving towards her. Or so she thought.
But she didn’t see them neither walk nor run.
What in the seven hells?
One second they were several feet away from her. The next—they were there. Right in her face.
She hadn’t blinked. It was as if reality had skipped a time frame.
No time to let her run. No time to plot. In a flick unnoticed motion, too fast for her eyes to trace, they’d already gotten to her.
Lylah yelped in shock at the possibility of what happpened. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she stood frozen in the light, struggling to comprehend.
Shout? No. Big odds it might turn out wrong. Be tactful, Lylah.
A slow smirk tangoed at the corner of Axel’s lips, he could see her eyes suddenly gleaming with a sense of morale.
Her fright was growing faint.
He got into her a head, he knew again what she was playing at—feigning confidence despite despair.
“Interesting little bird,” Axel scoffed.
“I don’t even know where ‘here’ is,” Lylah’s mouth moved. She spoke as softly as she could.
“But if you guide me, I’ll be out of your hair in seconds.” No matter how scary this scene was, she knew she had to be strategic and bold enough to leave in one piece.
These men in front of her didn’t exactly look like help, they reeked of something otherworldly. Something…..impossible.
And in that moment, her thoughts were confirmed. Their eyes glowed.
A sharp, stormy blue color, lacking emotion. And as their lips parted, she saw them. Fangs.
Goosebumps prickled her neck like tiny warning signs. Worry heavy on her face, washing her pale.
Sweet mother of mozzarella! It couldn’t be real.
A gush of wind brushed harshly against Lylah’s collarbone, blowing away the strands of hair that covered her porcelain tender neck. A soft pulse thrummed just below the surface, hinting at warmth and life.
In an abrupt surge of sensation, their gazes drifted to her neck—dark with ominous, passionate longing.
She shuddered, stumbling backwards in fresh terror.
Their glare was so intense, she felt it in her bones. It wasn’t out of admiration or interest. It was like that of an apex predator orienting towards its prey. Food.
She barely had time to run before the Venetian masked guard snatched her arm, his grip firm like iron.
Lylah couldn’t move. She struggled, heart banging against her ribs like hammer on nail.
I’m going to die.
These ‘things’ are far from being human.
The sad realization set in. Adrenaline pumped aggressively, drop of tears trickled from the corners of her eyes as her body trembled.
The guard’s vision sharpened, locking onto the delicate line of her throat.
A low growl rumbled from his chest, sending tremor through her small build.
Her fear spiked—raw and intoxicating.
Their mouth parted widely, fangs lengthened, nostrils flaring as they drank in the scent of her final moments.
Nothing mattered anymore. Their feast had only begun.
- Writer
