The Seventh Shadow

Ch 7 : The Jet

The private jet emerged from the storm like a silver arrow.

For one absurd second, Mira thought she was hallucinating.

A sleek black aircraft was somehow flying directly toward their rooftop while a giant nightmare

creature crawled through the clouds behind it and seven supernatural Hunters chased them across

skyscrapers.

At this point, she honestly wasn't sure what counted as normal anymore.

"A jet?" she shouted over the wind.

Dante grabbed her hand.

"That's our ride."

"You can't be serious!"

"I am extremely serious."

The aircraft descended with impossible precision.

A side door opened.

Mira stared.

"No."

Dante raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"No sane person gets onto a moving airplane in the middle of a supernatural apocalypse!"

"We don't have many alternatives."

The Hunters landed behind them.

The rooftop trembled.

The crimson-eyed leader smiled.

"Nowhere left to run."

Dante sighed.

"That wasn't very nice timing."

The Hunter attacked.

Dark energy exploded across the rooftop.

Before Mira could react, Dante pulled her into his arms and jumped.

She screamed.

The city vanished beneath them.

Wind roared in her ears.

The jet rushed toward them.

Or perhaps they rushed toward it.

Either way, it felt like a terrible life decision.

Strong hands grabbed them from inside the aircraft.

Mira tumbled onto the cabin floor.

A second later Dante landed beside her.

The door slammed shut.

The jet immediately accelerated.

The force nearly threw Mira backward.

For several seconds she simply lay there.

Breathing.

Alive.

Trying to process everything.

Finally she looked up.

And froze.

The interior resembled a luxury penthouse.

Soft leather seats.

Crystal lighting.

Polished wood finishes.

Private lounge area.

Expensive artwork.

A fully stocked bar.

The aircraft looked less like transportation and more like a flying palace.

Mira blinked.

Then blinked again.

"What."

Dante loosened his coat.

"What?"

"What is this?"

"My jet."

"Nobody owns a jet like this."

He frowned.

"That's objectively false."

Mira stared at him.

For the first time, he looked genuinely confused.

As though he didn't understand why she was shocked.

Then realization crossed his face.

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"I forgot."

"You forgot what?"

Dante rubbed the back of his neck.

A surprisingly human gesture.

"The billionaire thing."

Silence.

Mira stared.

"The what?"

"The billionaire thing."

The words hung in the air.

Her brain refused to cooperate.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

She pointed at him.

"You're a billionaire?"

"Yes."

Mira laughed.

Not because it was funny.

Because she was losing her mind.

Monsters.

Immortals.

Seven shadows.

Ancient prophecies

And now apparently billionaires.

Of course.

Why not?

Dante watched her patiently.

"You seem upset."

"I seem upset?"

She stood.

"You broke into my apartment."

"I saved your life."

"You dragged me onto a flying mansion."

"It's technically a jet."

"There are monsters hunting me."

"That part is true."

"And now you're telling me you're a billionaire?"

Dante considered that.

"Fair."

Mira dropped into one of the leather seats.

She suddenly felt exhausted.

Completely exhausted.

The adrenaline was fading.

Reality was catching up.

Everything that had happened tonight felt impossible.

Yet here she was.

Covered in dust.

Flying somewhere unknown.

Sitting beside a mysterious billionaire with silver eyes.

The absurdity nearly made her laugh again.

Instead, she looked directly at him.

"No more secrets."

Dante's expression became serious.

"Mira."

"No."

She shook her head.

"No cryptic answers."

He remained silent.

"No mysterious looks."

Still silent.

"No speaking like we're in some fantasy movie."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Mira—"

"No."

She pointed at him.

"You tell me the truth."

The smile vanished.

For several seconds neither spoke.

The sound of engines filled the cabin.

Rain struck the windows.

Lightning illuminated the darkness outside.

Finally Dante exhaled.

"You won't like the answer."

"Try me."

He looked away.

Toward the storm.

Toward something only he could see.

When he finally spoke, his voice sounded older somehow.

Heavier.

"Everything you know about yourself is wrong."

Mira felt her stomach tighten.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you aren't ordinary."

The answer didn't surprise her anymore.

Not after tonight.

"Then what am I?"

Dante's silver eyes met hers.

The emotion inside them caught her completely off guard.

Pain.

Longing.

Regret.

Hope.

A thousand years of emotions trapped behind a single look.

"You are the reason Heaven fell."

The words stole the air from her lungs.

"What?"

Dante looked away again.

As though he couldn't bear to watch her reaction.

"A thousand years ago there was a war."

Mira listened.

Unable to move.

Unable to speak.

"There were gods."

Lightning flashed outside.

"There were kingdoms beyond this world."

Thunder rolled.

"There was a queen."

His voice softened.

A dangerous softness.

The kind reserved for precious memories.

"She protected every realm in existence."

Mira's heart began beating faster.

"The war lasted centuries."

Dante continued.

"Millions died."

His jaw tightened.

"And in the end..."

Silence.

The pause felt endless.

Mira leaned forward.

"And in the end?"

Dante's gaze met hers.

Silver eyes.

Ancient eyes.

Heartbroken eyes.

"The queen sacrificed herself."

The cabin fell silent.

A strange feeling spread through Mira's chest.

A sadness she couldn't explain.

As though she already knew the ending.

As though she had lived it.

Dante watched her carefully.

Then he whispered the words that changed everything.

"That queen was you."

The world stopped.

Mira stared.

The engines disappeared.

The storm disappeared.

Everything disappeared.

Only those words remained.

"That queen was you."

A sharp pain exploded behind her eyes.

She gasped.

The cabin vanished.

Darkness swallowed everything.

And suddenly she was somewhere else.

A throne stood before her.

Silver.

Ancient.

Magnificent.

Seven men knelt before it.

Their faces hidden.

Their heads bowed.

Their voices echoed together.

"My Queen."

The dream had returned.

But this time...

The woman sitting on the throne slowly lifted her head.

And she had Mira's face.

Darkness swallowed everything.

The roar of the jet engines vanished

The storm diappeared as well.....

But her feeling did ot fade or no ?

to be continued.........