Chapter 8
1243 Words
“So, what’s the plan?” Dominic asked, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. He folded his arms across his chest, eyes fixed on me as if waiting for an immediate strategy.
I sighed, long and heavy. “I don’t really know what to do right now,” I admitted, turning away from him for a moment. “I’m confused.”
There was a brief moment of silence between us, the kind of silence that doesn't feel empty but instead makes every thought in your head echo louder than usual.
I could hear the sound of my own breathing, feel the tension in the air, and sense the weight of everything I had been holding in. My heart was beating a little faster, not from fear, but from something deeper… a quiet knowing.
Then I spoke, slowly at first, but with a firmness that even surprised me. "But I know one thing for sure..." I said, turning around to face him fully.
My eyes, once tired and unsure, now held a sharpness they hadn’t carried in a while. “I need to pull back from everything. From the noise, the crowd, the distractions.
I need to step away for a while. I need space — space to breathe, space to think, and most importantly, time to find myself again. Time to build my strength back up through training, not just physically, but in every part of me.”
Dominic raised an eyebrow. “Training?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I need to train.”
He tilted his head slightly. “Can you fight?”
“Of course I can,” I said, standing straighter, with a small smirk crawling up my lips.
What Dominic did next caught me off guard.
He laughed. Hard.
He laughed so much, he almost stumbled over his own feet, clutching his stomach like I had just told the funniest joke in the world. His laughter echoed in the open field, bouncing off the trees like teasing whispers.
“Oh, you think I’m joking?” I asked, stepping closer. “Do you want to test me?”
He stopped laughing just long enough to catch his breath. “Ohh yes,” he said, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. “I would love to test you.”
Without saying another word, I quietly stepped to the side. My eyes scanned the ground until they landed on a solid piece of wood lying a few feet away.
It looked strong—thick enough to feel heavy in the hand but still manageable, like something that could be used as a practice sword. Without hesitation, I bent down, grabbed it firmly, and stood up straight, gripping it tightly as I tested its weight.
He noticed what I was doing and didn’t waste time. He moved with the same quiet intensity, picking up a similar piece of wood from nearby. The way he held it made it clear—he was no stranger to this kind of challenge.
He took a step back, adjusted his footing, and then called out boldly, his voice steady and confident.
“fall out,” he said, using that familiar phrase we always used when it was time for a real test. His body shifted into a ready stance, balanced and alert, eyes fixed on mine, ready for whatever came next.
I didn’t waste time.
We clashed.
The woods in our hands cracked against each other, loud and fierce like thunder clapping in the distance.
I moved quickly, letting my instincts lead me. My feet were light, almost dancing around the dry leaves as I dodged his attacks and swung back with surprising strength.
Dominic’s expression changed. His playful smile faded into something else… something surprising.
“You weren’t lying,” he muttered under his breath as our sticks collided again. “You’re actually good.”
I ducked under one of his swings and jabbed forward. My strike missed his head by just an inch.. just an inch. He twisted away in the nick of time, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“You almost got me,” he breathed, a little shaken now.
We paused for a second, both standing tall, breathing hard. Sweat rolled down the sides of my face, but I didn’t break eye contact.
Dominic took that moment to launch forward with all his strength. It took everything in me to block and counter. But he was strong.
Stronger than I expected. After a few more moves, he finally got the upper hand and twisted the stick out of my grip. My weapon flew across the field and landed with a dull thud.
I stood still, panting, hands on my knees.
Dominic, also gasping for breath, looked at me like he had just discovered something rare.
“Rachael…” he breathed out, his voice rough and shaky, almost crushed under the weight of exhaustion.
Sweat ran down his face, his chest rising and falling fast as he tried to catch his breath. “You’re good… really good. I’ve never seen a lady fight like this before. Not since I was a boy. You shocked me… completely.”
His words hit me deeper than I expected. For a second, I just stood there, the wooden sword still firm in my hand, my body slightly trembling from the intensity of the fight. But then, something warm began to rise in my chest a feeling of pride, raw and real. A slow smile spread across my face, not out of arrogance, but because I had earned it.
Still breathing heavily, I straightened my back, my stance calm and composed. I pushed my hair back with one hand, letting it fall behind my shoulders. I held his gaze for a moment, and in that silence, I knew — I had proven myself.
“Well, now you’ve seen one,” I said, my voice steady and proud. “I’m not like the others.”
He smiled and nodded slowly, still trying to catch his breath. “No, you’re not.”
Then my smile faded.
My chest tightened. That familiar ache returned—the pain I had managed to bury for a few moments during the fight.
“My parents,” I said softly, my eyes growing colder. “My siblings… I saw their blood spill. I saw everything. And I promise you this, Dominic…”
I paused, clenching my fists.
“…I won’t let any of the people who did it go free. Not one. They will pay… with their blood.”
The air suddenly shifted.
We heard it.
A sound.
A terrifying, chilling, inhuman sound.
It wasn’t a growl.
It was something in between… something unnatural. It echoed from the woods beyond, crawling into our skin like ice.
Dominic’s head snapped in the direction of the sound.
My eyes widened.
Without thinking, we both dropped into a defensive stance, backs almost touching, weapons raised.
“What was that?” I whispered, barely able to hide the shake in my voice.
“I don’t know,” Dominic muttered, eyes scanning the shadows around us.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
What scared me the most…
Was the silence that followed.
Complete, dead silence.
Even the birds had stopped singing.
Then… we heard footsteps.
Slow. Heavy. Deliberate.
Coming closer.
One step… then another…
Then a deep, ragged breath that wasn’t ours.
I looked at Dominic.
He looked at me.
And then —
- Writer
