Stars collide

A new city

Isa's pov

Why do I have to go? “How does this help our mission?” I grumbled, slinging my duffel bag over one shoulder. “Why can’t the prophecy just say who we need to find? Instead, it’s like we’re stuck in some eternal scavenger hunt, running through every hellhole imaginable.”

“Calm down, Isa.” Damian leaned casually against the doorframe, dressed in his usual black leather pants and jacket, the perfect bad-boy aesthetic. He flashed me a smirk, clearly amused. “You’re so dramatic.”

I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Dramatic? You think it’s fun running around blind, chasing someone we’ve never even met? How many cities are we going to burn through before the Alpha gets tired of this game?”

“It’s not a game,” Damian replied, his voice low, steady. “You know what happens if we fail.”

I did. And it wasn’t a future I wanted to think about. But the bitterness bubbled up anyway. “It’s not our fault. None of this is. So why are we the ones being punished for Dad’s mistakes?”

“Enough,” Damian snapped, his grin fading for the first time. “We don’t question the Alpha. You know that.”

He was right, of course. The Alpha’s word was law. Disobedience wasn’t an option—not after what happened to Father. But resentment clung to me like a shadow I couldn’t shake.

I tossed my bag onto the bed and pulled out a pair of tight pants and a loose shirt. Practical, easy to move in. That would have to do.

“That’s what you’re wearing for your first day of school?” Damian arched an eyebrow, shaking his head in mock disapproval. “C’mon, Isa, first impressions matter.”

“We’re not here to make friends, Damian,” I said flatly. “This is a mission, not a fashion show. Not everyone feels the need to look like they walked off a magazine cover.”

He shrugged, grinning again. “Suit yourself. I’m just saying, people will notice.”

“Good,” I shot back, grabbing my bag. “Maybe they’ll stay out of my way.”

I marched past him toward the door, my dark hair swaying against my back. For the hundredth time, I thought about cutting it off. The heat here was unbearable, and it would save me at least one headache—unlike this mission.

The Alpha sent us here to find someone. He didn’t say who, only that they were important and would change the course of… everything. It didn’t make sense. Nothing about this mission did.

All we had was the prophecy, the one Father died trying to decipher:

“The lost one will carry the key.

Through their blood, the Alpha sees.

But beware the price, for those who stray

Will burn before the dawning day.”

A key. Blood. It felt like a riddle designed to drive us mad. And now, instead of answers, I had to play human in some high school. As if that would magically lead us to the person the prophecy spoke of.

The monks insisted it was a human girl. That when we found her, we were to bring her back to the clan. But why would a prophecy of the great Wolf Clan involve a mere human? Sometimes I thought this was the Alpha’s way of punishing us for our father’s mistakes.

Damian watched me, still lounging by the door, the smirk back on his face. “Seriously, though. You look like you just rolled out of bed. Do something about that.” He waved a hand at my outfit, like a judge on some reality TV show.

“We’re not here to impress anyone,” I said, shoving past him. “And stop laughing like an i***t. You’ll blow our cover before we even start.”

But he kept laughing, the sound echoing through the almost-empty apartment. It was almost reassuring how unaffected he seemed. Almost.

“Don’t sweat it, sis. I’m the beauty of the family. Just stay close, and you’ll be fine.” He grabbed his keys, still grinning.

Outside, the cracked asphalt street stretched under a sky hazy with smog. The air reeked of garbage and stale beer—a fitting backdrop for this “home” the Alpha had chosen for us. I already hated it.

Damian patted the back of his bike. “Come on, let’s get moving.”

I stopped dead. “I’m not getting on that thing. Couldn’t they have given us a car or something? You know, something normal?”

“Your car comes tomorrow,” he said with a grin. “Until then, my ‘sweet ride’ is all we’ve got.” He patted the seat like it was some prized possession.

Grudgingly, I swung my leg over, keeping as much distance as I could between us. The leather of his jacket creaked under my grip as the bike jerked forward, nearly throwing me off. I clutched his shoulder before I toppled onto the street.

“Relax,” he said over his shoulder, his voice softer now. “You’re going to be fine.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t believe him. How could I? A part of me had died the day Father’s body was found.

The roar of the engine drowned out my thoughts as the city blurred around us.

Starlet Academy loomed ahead, its sleek gates and pristine facade a glaring contrast to the broken-down neighborhood we’d left behind.

“The lost one will carry the key.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. Fine? Yeah, right.