KILL THE ALPHA

Carissa lay on the cold floor, her body barely responding as pain spread through her like fire, burning deep in her stomach and rising into her chest until every breath felt sharp and unbearable, as though something inside her was tearing apart with each attempt to stay alive. A heavy foot pressed firmly against her abdomen, pinning her down with a force that made her gasp, her fingers twitching weakly against the ground as she tried to push it away, but her strength failed her, her body refusing to obey no matter how desperately she tried. Her vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in slowly, yet she forced her eyes open, straining to focus on the figure standing above her, desperate to see a face, to understand who had done this to her, but no matter how hard she tried, the features remained hidden, distorted, as though something unseen was deliberately keeping that identity from her. She could not tell if it was a man or a woman. She could not recognize anything at all. But one truth settled heavily in her chest. She had been pushed. “It’s about time,” the figure said, the voice calm and emotionless, carrying a weight that pressed down on her harder than the foot holding her in place. Her wolf stirred faintly inside her, weak and distant, as if something had forced it into silence, unable to rise, unable to protect her the way it should have. Carissa tried to lift her hand again, tried to fight back, but her arm barely moved, her lungs burning as she struggled for air that refused to come. “Please…” her voice broke into a whisper, fragile and fading. “Someone… help…” No one came. Then suddenly, the pressure lifted, and air rushed violently back into her lungs, forcing a sharp gasp from her as her chest rose and fell unevenly, her body clinging desperately to the last fragments of strength she had left. The figure stepped back without hesitation, turned away from her, and began to walk off as though nothing important had just happened, as though her life meant nothing at all. Carissa’s fingers dug weakly into the ground as her fading vision flickered one last time— And then she saw it. A gold necklace, shimmering faintly under the light, with intricate dragons curled around the chain, their scales catching what little brightness remained, their design both elegant and dangerous at the same time. It hung loosely from the figure’s hand as they walked away. That was all she saw. That was all she would remember. The figure disappeared completely, and her world began to fall apart. Voices followed soon after, distant at first but growing louder, sharper, filled with urgency as footsteps rushed toward her from every direction. “Carissa! Oh my God, what happened?” “It looks like she was pushed, call for help now!” Someone dropped beside her, gripping her shoulders, shaking her gently at first before panic took over. “Carissa, stay with me,” a male voice pleaded, breaking under fear. “Don’t leave me… please, just stay with me…” Her body felt far away, her wolf completely silent now, and as her vision narrowed slowly, white began to consume everything around her until only one image remained— The golden dragon necklace. And then— Everything stopped. Carissa did not wake up in darkness. She woke up in something far more unsettling. She stood still, her breath slow and uneven as her eyes moved across the endless space surrounding her, a place with no walls, no boundaries, no clear ground beneath her feet, only a vast, blinding white that stretched beyond reason. The air felt heavy, unnatural, pressing against her chest in a way that made it difficult to breathe properly. “This… isn’t real,” she whispered, her voice small against the emptiness. Then she paused, her brows pulling together slightly as a strange realization settled in. Something was wrong. She tried to think, reaching for something familiar, something that should have been there, but her mind came back empty, leaving her with nothing but a growing sense of panic. “Why…?” she whispered, her breathing quickening. “Why can’t I remember anything?” A sharp pain shot through her head suddenly, forcing a gasp from her lips as she grabbed onto her temples, her body tensing while the pain pushed deeper, like something breaking into her mind. Then— Voices. Faint at first, but unmistakable. “Carissa!” “Stay with me… don’t leave me…” Her eyes snapped open wider. Her name. The memories rushed back all at once, crashing into her with overwhelming force. The cold floor. The crushing weight. The voice above her. And the necklace. Gold. Dragons. Her breath trembled as the truth settled in. “I… I was killed…” But when she tried to remember more, there was nothing. No past. No faces. No life. Only that moment. Only her death. Her fingers curled slowly as fear began to rise again. “…That’s all?” she whispered. “That’s all I remember?” The emptiness around her seemed to press closer. “This isn’t real,” she repeated, quieter this time. “You are right.” The voice came from behind her. Carissa turned sharply, her body tensing as something shifted within the empty space, something she had not noticed before but could now feel clearly. A woman stood a short distance away. Still. Watching. There was something deeply unsettling about her presence, something that made it difficult to look at her directly, yet impossible to ignore, as though her existence itself did not fully belong in that space. Carissa took a small step back. “What are you?” she asked, her voice tight. The woman tilted her head slowly, her gaze fixed on her with unnatural calm. “I am the one who found you.” Carissa swallowed hard. “Am I… dead?” A faint smile formed on the woman’s lips. “Yes.” The word settled heavily between them. Carissa’s jaw tightened as she forced herself to stay steady. “Someone pushed me,” she said. “I couldn’t see who it was.” “You were not meant to,” the woman replied calmly. Silence stretched between them. Then Carissa spoke again, more firmly this time. “I want to go back.” The woman watched her without blinking. “There is a price.” Carissa did not hesitate. “What price?” “You will carry a life that is not yours,” the woman said, her voice steady and controlled. Carissa shook her head slightly, her patience fading. “I don’t care about that. I just want to live.” The woman’s smile deepened just a little. “Then you will take a life in return.” The words settled into Carissa slowly, but instead of fear, something colder took root inside her chest. “Send me back,” she said quietly. “I want revenge.” For a moment, the silence stretched, and then the woman let out a soft laugh, a sound that did not feel entirely human. “Good.” The space beside her shifted, and a figure began to form, slowly taking shape until it became clear—a man, but not entirely human, carrying a presence that felt heavy, powerful, and deeply unsettling. Carissa felt it immediately. Her wolf stirred again. Stronger this time. “There is your path,” the woman said. Carissa’s gaze locked onto him. “What do I have to do?” The woman did not look away. “End his life.” The space seemed to still. Carissa’s fingers curled slightly. “I accept,” she said. And everything broke apart. Sound returned violently, crashing into her all at once as her body hit the ground, the smell of alcohol filling the air while loud music and voices surrounded her from every direction. “…Lucia, get up.” Carissa’s eyes opened slowly as bright lights flashed above her and unfamiliar faces moved around her in confusion. She pushed herself up, her heart racing as she tried to steady her breathing, but nothing felt right. Someone leaned closer, frowning. “Lucia, what’s wrong with you tonight?” Carissa froze. Her chest tightened sharply. That name— Was not hers. She drew in a slow breath, her fingers curling slightly as something unfamiliar settled deep inside her. She was alive. But something had changed. Something that did not belong to her. And as the noise around her continued, only one question echoed clearly in her mind— If she was Carissa… Then why was everyone calling her Lucia?