WITHERBRANC

chapter 9: The Truth Beneath the Mask

Thea's POV – 12:15 a.m.

The first thing I felt was cold.

Not the cold of the wind, or the cold of the rain, but the cold of stone. I was lying on my back, and my fingers touched rough, uneven ground. Dust. Cobwebs. I blinked, but everything was dark. No moon. No light. Only a faint, flickering glow somewhere in the distance.

Where am I?

I tried to move, but my wrists were tied behind my back with something rough. Rope? Chain? I couldn't tell. My ankles were bound too. I was trapped.

The voices.

I called out to them in my mind, expecting their usual chaos. But there was only silence. For the first time since they had appeared, the four voices were quiet.

[Whisper – Witch]: "We're not gone. We were just... waiting for you to wake up."

[Silk – Vampire]: "This place is old and dirty. I don't like it at all."

[Jaws – Wolf]: "Grrr... I don't like being trapped. Let's get out of here, one way or another."

I clenched my fists, feeling the rope dig into my skin. I tried to remember what had happened. Rebekah's house. The air. The presence. The woman with the hood. And then... nothing.

"Shit... I'm in trouble," I whispered to myself.

A door creaked open somewhere in the distance. Footsteps echoed against stone. Slow. Deliberate. The flickering glow grew brighter, and I saw a figure approaching, carrying a lantern.

It was her. The woman. The one with the hood.

She stopped a few feet away from me, setting the lantern on the ground. The light illuminated her face for the first time. She was older than I had expected maybe in her late forties with sharp features, dark eyes, and a scar running from her temple to her jawline. She looked like someone who had fought a thousand battles and survived.

"Hello, Thea," she said, her voice calm and steady.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice trembling despite my efforts.

She smiled, but there was no warmth in it.

"My name is Helena. And I've been watching you for a very long time."

"Why? What do you want from me?"

Helena crouched down, bringing her face closer to mine. Her eyes studied me like I was a puzzle she had been trying to solve for years.

"I want to give you the truth. The real truth. Not the lies your parents told you. Not the half-truths that wolf and that vampire are feeding you."

I stared at her, my heart pounding.

"What truth?"

She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, worn photograph. She held it up, and in the dim lantern light, I saw a picture of a woman holding a baby. The woman had dark hair and familiar eyes.

"Is that... is that my mother?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Helena shook her head.

"No. That is your real mother. And she is the reason you exist."

Ezra's POV – 12:30 a.m.

I was still standing in the old mill with Derek, the cold wind whipping through the broken windows, when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, expecting a text from Thea. It wasn't.

It was Rebekah.

Rebekah: "Ezra, I need you. It's Thea. She's gone. Please come to my house. Now."

My blood ran cold.

I turned to Derek, shoving the phone in his face. "We have to go. Now."

He read the message, and his expression shifted. For a moment, the cold mask cracked, and I saw fear in his eyes.

"This is my fault," he said. "I should have told her. I should have warned her about Helena."

"Who the hell is Helena?" I demanded.

Derek looked at me, his jaw tight.

"Helena is the one who created Thea. She's the reason Thea is a hybrid. And she's been hunting her ever since the day she was born."

Thea's POV – 1:00 a.m.

Helena paced slowly in front of me, her footsteps echoing in the dark chamber. I was still tied, but I had stopped struggling. I wanted to hear what she had to say. I needed to know.

"Your real mother was a hunter," Helena began. "One of the best. She hunted vampires, wolves, witches anything that threatened the balance of the world. But she made a mistake. She fell in love with one of her targets."

"A vampire?" I asked.

Helena shook her head.

"A wolf. A powerful one. He was the alpha of his pack, and he seduced her. They had a child together. You."

I felt my chest tighten. "So I'm... I'm half wolf?"

"You are more than that," Helena said. "Your mother was a hunter. Your father was a wolf. And when you were born, something... unexpected happened. You were born with the blood of four species. Four different creatures." She paused, her eyes meeting mine. "You are the first of your kind in over a century."

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking.

Helena stopped pacing and turned to face me.

"Because your mother made a deal with a witch to save your life. You were dying at birth, and she would have done anything to keep you alive. The witch gave her a potion, but it came with a price. It bonded you to four different bloodlines vampire, wolf, witch, hunter. You were no longer just a hybrid. You were a living weapon. A creation meant to be used."

I stared at her, my mind racing.

"My parents... my real parents... what happened to them?"

Helena's face darkened.

"Your mother died protecting you. Your father died by my hand."

My eyes widened. "You killed him?"

"I had no choice," Helena said, her voice cold. "He wanted to use you. He saw you as a weapon to conquer other packs. I couldn't let that happen. So I did what I had to do."

"You're lying," I said, my voice trembling.

Helena knelt down and looked me in the eyes.

"I am the one who hid you. I gave you to a human family the Mercers and I erased your memory. I made them believe you were their daughter. I made them believe you were a normal child. And I made sure no one would ever find you. Until now."

"Why now?" I asked.

Helena stood up.

"Because the world is changing. There are forces that are coming, Thea. Wars between the species. And you are the key to stopping them."

Ezra's POV – 1:15 a.m.

I grabbed Derek by the collar and shoved him against the wall of the mill.

"You knew this whole time? You knew who she was? And you didn't tell me?"

Derek shoved me back, his eyes flashing with anger.

"I was trying to protect her. If I had told her the truth too soon, she would have run. She would have panicked. She needed time to trust us."

"Trust you?" I spat. "You lied to her. You kept secrets from her. How can she trust you now?"

Derek's expression hardened.

"Because I'm the only one who can help her. Helena is not going to hurt her. She's going to try to use her, but she won't kill her. Not yet. And I need to be there to stop her."

I stared at him, my fists clenched. I didn't trust him. But I didn't have a choice.

"Fine. But if anything happens to her, I will end you myself."

Derek nodded, his eyes cold and serious.

"Deal."

Thea's POV – 1:30 a.m.

Helena untied my wrists. I could have attacked her, but I didn't. I was too tired, and too confused. And deep down, I wanted to hear more.

"You said I'm the key," I said. "Key to what?"

Helena knelt in front of me, her eyes meeting mine.

"Your blood is the bridge between species. You can unite them or destroy them. The choice is yours, Thea. But you need to learn to control your power first. And I am the only one who can teach you."

I looked down at my hands. They were still trembling.

"Even if I believe you," I said, "why should I trust you? You kidnapped me. You tied me up. You're not exactly building a case for yourself."

Helena smiled, and this time, there was a hint of something softer in her expression.

"Because I've been protecting you your whole life, Thea. I erased your memory to keep you safe. I gave you to the Mercers to hide you. And I've been watching over you ever since."

I stared at her, my mind spinning.

"So what now?" I asked.

Helena stood up and extended her hand to me.

"Now, you start learning who you really are. Are you ready?"

I looked at her, then down at my hands. They were still trembling, but not from fear. From something else. Something I couldn't name.

"But first," I said, my voice steady, "try to give me back my memory. The one of how... how my little brother died."

Helena looked at me directly.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

I nodded.

Helena stepped closer and placed both hands on my head. Her fingers pressed gently against my temples, and she began to recite something in an ancient language:

"Memoria dormiens, sanguine revoca.

Frater mortuus, per manum sororis.

Veritas mordet. Vide et porta."

When she finished, a sharp pain pierced through my skull, like someone was driving hot needles into my brain. My heart contracted so violently that I thought it would burst. My eyes rolled back.

And the world faded away.

FLASHBACK – The Night Ben Died

I was in my room, staring out the window, when Ben came running in.

"Sister, come play with me! I'm bored!"

He ran up to me and shook me a little.

"Come on, sis! Just for a little while!" he said with a warm smile.

I looked at him with annoyance.

"Not now. I don't have time. I'm going out with my friends. Don't bother me."

Ben's smile faded.

"But you promised you'd play with me today. Just for a little while, please?"

He hugged me, but I pushed him away roughly.

"I told you no! Now get out of my room!"

Ben looked at me with tear-filled eyes. His lower lip trembled.

"But... I just wanted to be with you..."

"GET OUT!"

Ben ran out crying.

I heard his footsteps fade away, and I felt a knot in my throat. But I ignored it. I closed the door and threw myself onto my bed.

Then, I heard a voice. It wasn't Ben. It was a voice I knew, but one that didn't belong to that moment.

[Whisper – Witch]: "Aw... poor little thing. You break little Ben's heart. What else will you do? Will you cause his death? Hehe... hehe..."

I sat up, looking around in fear.

"Who's there? I'll call the police!"

[Whisper – Witch]: "Let me... take you... to when your stupid little brother died..."

I felt the world distort around me. Suddenly, I was no longer in my room. I was in the kitchen, with rain pounding against the windows.

11:00 p.m.

I heard my father's voice.

"Thea, your mother and I are going out to dinner. Don't open the door for anyone. And make sure Ben goes to bed early."

My father came over and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart."

I nodded, watching my mother appear in a beautiful dress.

"Thea, I left you money to buy food... or if you want to eat, there's food here too. And please, no friends over, okay?"

I smiled.

"Okay, okay, Mom. I understand. No friends."

My mother hugged me and ruffled my hair.

"Mom! Stop!" I laughed, hugging her back. "I love you."

My father made a dramatic gesture.

"What? You only love your mother and not your poor father? You break my heart, daughter."

I laughed and threw myself into his arms.

"I love you too, Dad."

They both hugged me.

"And we love you, sweetheart."

At that moment, Ben came running in.

"Family hug! Yayyyy!"

We all laughed and hugged each other.

12:00 a.m.

The house fell silent. I went up to my room, but I couldn't sleep. I lay there staring at the ceiling, listening to the rain. Then, I heard a thud. It wasn't the wind. It was a sharp sound, like something had fallen to the floor.

I got up and crept down the stairs. The back door was wide open. Rain was pouring into the kitchen, soaking the floor. And on the floor, a puddle that wasn't water.

It was blood.

"Ben?" I called, my voice trembling.

There was no answer.

Then, a shadow moved behind me.

I turned, but it was too late. A hooded figure grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground.

"Finally, we found you, hybrid," a metallic voice whispered.

I struggled, but I couldn't breathe. My feet dangled in the air.

At that moment, Ben appeared in the kitchen doorway. He was holding his favorite stuffed animal, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Thea? What's going on?"

He looked at the hooded figure and, without hesitation, ran toward him and started hitting him with his tiny fists.

"Let go of my sister! Let her go!" he screamed.

The hooded figure turned his head toward him with terrifying slowness. He released me and lunged at Ben with supernatural speed.

"NO!" I screamed.

But it was too late. The hooded figure raised a dagger and plunged it into Ben's chest.

Ben's eyes opened wide. His lips moved, but the words were drowned in blood. He collapsed to the floor. His stuffed animal fell beside him.

I felt something break inside me. Something ancient, something that had been dormant and now awakened with fury. My eyes turned purple and yellow. And I let out a scream that wasn't human.

A wave of energy burst from my body, knocking everything in its path. The hooded figure flew against the wall. Then, silence.

I fell to my knees beside Ben and the pool of blood spreading from his small body. I took him in my arms, trying to stop the wound.

"Ben... Ben, wake up, please..."

His body was cold. His chest wasn't moving.

"Sister..." Ben whispered, his voice weak.

"Sister... are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked, looking at me with those eyes I would never see again.

I tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Yes, little man... I'm okay. You'll be okay. I'm sorry for not playing with you. I'm sorry..."

Ben placed his hand over mine.

I felt my heart shatter.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Ben smiled weakly.

"I forgive you."

His eyes closed.

I felt his last breath on my cheek.

And nearby, his favorite stuffed animal lay soaked in blood.

I didn't know how much time had passed. Minutes. Hours. Time had stopped.

Then, I heard the sound of a car engine. Headlights approaching. My parents had returned.

I jumped to my feet. I couldn't let them see me like this. But it was too late. The front door opened.

"Thea, why are all the lights on at this hour?" my mother asked.

Then she saw Ben on the floor.

My mother let out a gut-wrenching scream.

"BEN!"

She ran to him, dropping her purse.

"No, no, no! WAKE UP!"

My father came running.

"What happened? Thea, what happened?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but the words wouldn't come out.

My mother turned to me. There was no pain in her eyes. Only hatred.

"You did this. You killed him."

"No, Mom, I didn't..."

"Don't you dare call me Mom!"

My father looked at me, and for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.

"Get out of my house," my mother said, her voice cold and broken.

I took a step back.

"Mom, please..."

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!"

I took another step back. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

It was Helena.

"Thea, listen to me," she said, her voice firm. "You have to forget this. If you don't, it will destroy you."

"I can't..."

Helena placed her hands on my head.

"Yes, you can. And you will, just like your parents. I erased their memories so you could come back."

I felt the world begin to fade. The sounds faded away.

"Ben..." I whispered.

And then, everything went black.

Thea's POV – 1:50 a.m.

I opened my eyes. I was back in the cave, with Helena standing in front of me. My face was wet. Tears. I had been crying without realizing it.

"Now you know everything," Helena said, her voice soft.

The words wouldn't come out. I could only feel the weight of the memory crushing me.

"Ben didn't die because of me," I whispered. "He died saving me."

Helena nodded.

"And your parents blamed you because I erased their memories. They didn't know the truth. They only saw their son dead and you next to him."

I stayed silent, processing everything.

"So what now?" I asked, my voice broken but steady.

Helena offered me her hand.

"Now, you start learning who you really are. And you make sure Ben's death wasn't in vain."

I looked at her hand. Then I looked at the darkness around me. I thought about Ezra, Derek, Rebekah, Tiffany. About the life I had been living.

I've been a victim my whole life. It's time to stop running.

I took her hand.

"I'm ready."