Chapter 12
1663 Words
Chapter 12
Lucien stood in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by fallen warriors.
The forest had gone strangely quiet.
Only the sound of heavy breathing and the crackling of distant fire remained.
Lyra stared at him in disbelief.
He had fought them all.
Not just a few.
Almost every warrior the elders had sent after her lay defeated.
Some had fled.
Others were unconscious.
And many would never rise again.
Lucien looked down at his blood-covered hands.
He had never cared about the lives of werewolves.
They were not his people.
He was a demon prince, and their realm had always been an enemy of his.
Yet tonight, he had destroyed half of Lyra’s pack without hesitation.
Not because he hated them.
Because they had tried to take her.
Lyra slowly approached him.
“You killed them.”
Lucien looked at her.
“They were going to kill you.”
“But they were my pack.”
His expression remained cold.
“They chose to come after you.”
Lyra looked around the forest.
She recognized some of the warriors.
Men she had seen in the village.
Men she had grown up around.
Her chest tightened.
“They were afraid.”
“So was I.”
Lyra looked at him.
“You?”
Lucien stepped closer.
“I was afraid I wouldn’t reach you in time.”
The words escaped before he could stop them.
Silence fell.
Lucien looked away.
He didn’t understand why he had said it.
He didn’t understand why he cared so much.
Lyra stared at him, her heart beating strangely.
Before she could respond, a loud horn sounded from the direction of the village.
Lucien’s face hardened.
Mira immediately understood.
“They’re calling the warriors back.”
Lucien nodded.
“They’ve had enough.”
⸻
At the center of the village, the elders stood in silence.
Their strongest warriors had failed.
Half of the army they had gathered was gone.
The remaining men returned covered in blood, some limping, some carrying wounded warriors.
The eldest councilman stared at them.
“Where is the girl?”
No one answered.
“And Lucien?”
Still nothing.
Finally, one warrior stepped forward.
“We couldn’t stop him.”
The elder’s eyes narrowed.
“You had hundreds of men.”
“He destroyed them.”
Another warrior spoke.
“He wasn’t fighting like a demon.”
The elders looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
The warrior swallowed.
“He was fighting like he had something to lose.”
The chamber became silent.
The eldest elder slowly sat down.
“How many are dead?”
“Too many.”
His fist slammed against the table.
“Withdraw.”
Several elders looked at him in shock.
“But—”
“I said withdraw!”
The command echoed through the chamber.
The remaining warriors were ordered back.
The elders had no choice.
They had lost too many men.
If they continued, they would lose the rest.
But they weren’t giving up.
Not even close.
The eldest elder turned toward the others.
“Gather the remaining packs.”
“All of them?”
“All of them.”
His eyes burned with hatred.
“If Lucien wants a war…”
He stood.
“Then we will give him one.”
⸻
Deep inside the forest, Lyra, Mira, and Lucien continued running.
They had been moving for what felt like hours.
The farther they went, the darker the forest became.
The trees were enormous.
Their branches twisted together overhead, blocking out the moon.
Even the sounds of the night had disappeared.
No birds.
No insects.
No wolves.
Nothing.
Lyra slowed down.
“Where are we going?”
Lucien didn’t answer.
Mira looked ahead.
Her face suddenly became pale.
“Lucien.”
He stopped.
“What?”
Mira pointed ahead.
A thick line of black trees stood in the distance.
Beyond them was a strange darkness.
Lyra felt a chill run through her body.
“What is that?”
Mira whispered,
“The Forbidden Forest.”
Lucien’s expression changed.
“You know this place?”
“Everyone knows it.”
Lyra frowned.
“Why is it forbidden?”
Mira looked at her.
“Because nobody comes back.”
Lyra’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
Mira lowered her voice.
“Humans won’t enter it.”
She glanced at Lucien.
“Werewolves avoid it.”
Then she looked toward the darkness.
“Vampires refuse to cross its borders.”
Lucien remained silent.
Mira continued.
“Even demons stay away.”
Lyra stared at her.
“Why?”
“Because this forest doesn’t belong to any species.”
The wind suddenly moved through the trees.
A strange whisper followed.
Lyra shivered.
“What lives inside?”
Mira shook her head.
“No one knows.”
Lucien finally spoke.
“Things older than demons.”
Lyra looked at him.
“You’ve been here before?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know?”
Lucien’s eyes remained fixed on the forest.
“Because my people have stories.”
“What kind of stories?”
“The kind told to children to keep them away from places they should never enter.”
Lyra swallowed.
“And we’re going inside?”
Lucien looked behind them.
The sound of distant howls reached them.
The elders’ remaining warriors were still searching.
“They’ll find us if we stay here.”
Mira looked at the forest.
“And if we enter?”
Lucien’s expression was grim.
“We may never find our way out.”
Lyra stared at the darkness.
“So either way…”
“We’re in danger,” Lucien finished.
A distant horn sounded.
They were coming.
Mira grabbed Lyra’s hand.
“We don’t have a choice.”
Lucien looked at Lyra.
“Once we enter, stay close to me.”
Lyra nodded.
“What happens if something finds us?”
Lucien’s eyes darkened.
“Then I fight it.”
“And if you can’t?”
He looked at her.
“Then we run.”
Lyra almost smiled.
“You always have an answer.”
“Not always.”
He glanced at the forest.
“Especially not for this place.”
They stepped forward.
The moment Lyra crossed the invisible boundary, she felt something change.
The air became colder.
Her wolf suddenly went silent.
Completely silent.
Lyra stopped.
“Grandma…”
Mira looked at her.
“What?”
“I can’t hear her.”
“Who?”
“My wolf.”
Mira’s expression changed.
Lucien looked at Lyra carefully.
“Don’t panic.”
“But she was talking to me before.”
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
Lucien didn’t answer.
They continued deeper.
Behind them, the forest entrance slowly disappeared into darkness.
The trees seemed to move.
Not physically.
But somehow, the path they had followed was no longer there.
Lyra turned around.
“Lucien…”
He looked back.
There was nothing.
No entrance.
No path.
Just endless trees.
“We can’t go back,” Mira whispered.
Lyra’s heart began pounding.
Lucien stepped closer to them.
“Stay calm.”
Then they heard something.
A whisper.
Very faint.
“Lyra…”
She froze.
“Did you hear that?”
Mira shook her head.
“No.”
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
He had heard it.
Again.
“Lyra…”
This time, it came from deeper within the forest.
Lyra took a step forward.
Lucien immediately caught her wrist.
“Don’t.”
She looked at him.
“Someone called my name.”
“I know.”
“Then we should find them.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because nothing in this forest should know your name.”
Lyra’s blood ran cold.
A loud crack echoed behind them.
All three turned.
Something had moved between the trees.
Lucien stepped in front of Lyra and Mira.
His eyes turned black.
“Stay behind me.”
The darkness shifted.
A pair of glowing eyes appeared.
Then another.
Then another.
Lyra held her breath.
Mira grabbed her hand.
“Don’t move.”
The creatures remained hidden.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then, suddenly, they disappeared.
Lucien remained tense.
“They’re testing us.”
“Who?” Lyra whispered.
“I don’t know.”
They continued walking.
Hours seemed to pass.
The forest became stranger with every step.
Trees grew where there had been empty space.
Paths changed.
Whispers followed them.
Sometimes Lyra heard her mother’s voice.
Sometimes she heard the voices of villagers.
Once, she heard Lucien calling her from somewhere behind them.
But Lucien was standing beside her.
She finally understood why the forest was feared.
It didn’t simply hide monsters.
It played with your mind.
It knew your fears.
It knew your memories.
And somehow…
it seemed to know Lyra.
⸻
Far behind them, the elders stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Their remaining warriors stopped several feet away.
No one dared to cross the boundary.
The eldest councilman stared into the darkness.
“They entered.”
One warrior nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then we wait.”
“Should we follow them?”
The elder shook his head.
“No.”
He smiled coldly.
“Let the forest deal with them.”
⸻
Deep inside the darkness, Lyra walked beside Lucien.
She looked at him.
“Are you afraid?”
Lucien was silent for a moment.
Then he answered honestly.
“Yes.”
Lyra blinked.
“You are?”
He looked at her.
“Not for myself.”
Her heart skipped.
Before she could ask what he meant, a terrifying roar shook the entire forest.
Birds suddenly flew from the trees.
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Mira grabbed Lyra.
Lucien stepped forward.
His eyes turned black.
Something enormous was moving toward them.
And for the first time since the elders began hunting them…
Lucien looked genuinely afraid.
The Forbidden Forest had awakened.
And it knew Lyra was there.
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