The Flame That Won’t Stay Hidden
1263 Words
Ivy sat in the corner of the library, the worn letter crumpled in her hand. The one naming her Moonborne. The one that shattered everything she thought she knew about her life.
Her mother had never told her anything. No hints. No signs. Just the strict rules growing up—don’t draw attention, don’t use her anger, don’t let anyone see what happens when she was scared.
Now she understood why.
She wasn’t just a scholarship student.
She was a secret legacy.
A danger.
Outside the library windows, the sky had turned gray. A storm rolled over the hills surrounding the academy. Distant thunder echoed across the grounds.
Kael hadn’t spoken to her since the Headmaster interrupted them. She felt the distance like a splinter in her chest—aching and sharp.
He was keeping something from her. She could feel it.
She didn’t expect to see him again until evening—let alone this soon.
But as she rounded the corridor toward the courtyard, she slammed straight into his chest.
Hard. Solid. Unforgiving.
Kael didn’t move.
“I was just—” she started, then froze when she saw his expression.
His eyes weren’t cold.
They were burning.
“You’re not safe here,” he growled low, grabbing her hand and pulling her into a side passage. “We need to talk. Now.”
The corridor led to the underground dueling hall—empty, echoing with old magic.
Kael didn’t speak right away. He paced. Clenched his fists. Looked like he was barely holding back a storm.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Ivy said, heart pounding.
He turned, his jaw tense. “There’s a new transfer student arriving tomorrow. From the Northern Claw.”
“So?”
“She’s not just any wolf. Her name’s Sorenna. Daughter of Alpha Magnus.”
Ivy blinked. “The one who—”
“Led the rebellion against the Elders five years ago,” he finished. “Yes. And she has one goal: become Luna to the next crowned Alpha.”
Her throat tightened. “You.”
Kael nodded once.
“She’s not here to study. She’s here to challenge the bond.”
Ivy felt like the floor tilted beneath her.
“She can’t do that. We’re—whatever this is, it’s already happening. The bond—”
“Is unstable,” he said, cutting her off. “Because you’re not a wolf.”
Ivy stepped back. The words stung more than she expected.
“I didn’t choose this, Kael. I didn’t ask to be born with strange blood or glowing veins.”
“I know,” he said, softer now. “But politics don’t care about destiny. And neither do wolves like Sorenna.”
A long silence stretched between them.
Kael stepped forward.
“Listen to me. She’s going to test you. Provoke you. Question your right to stand beside me.”
“Let her try,” Ivy said. “I’m done hiding.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
“You sound like a Luna already.”
She raised her chin. “Maybe I am.”
He reached out slowly, brushing a lock of hair from her face.
And in that moment—she felt it again. The pulse. The draw.
But before either could speak, the door creaked open.
Professor Velar entered, expression grave.
“There’s been a breach.”
Kael stiffened. “What kind?”
“The magical wards around the eastern forest were triggered. Something crossed into academy grounds.”
Ivy’s chest tightened. “What kind of something?”
“We don’t know yet. But it’s strong. It left a trail of ash.”
Kael’s entire body tensed. “Ash?”
Velar nodded.
“I want patrols doubled. And Ivy under guard at all times.”
“I don’t need a guard,” Ivy protested.
Kael’s voice was final. “Yes, you do. If this is what I think it is…”
“What do you think it is?” she asked.
Kael’s jaw clenched. “A Shadowborn.”
That night, Ivy didn’t sleep again.
She stared out her window at the edge of the woods. She could feel something out there. Not watching.
Waiting.
She paced her room, the mark on her palm still glowing faintly under her skin. The prophecy, the blood magic, the bond with Kael—everything was starting to collide.
And now, a creature made of ash and shadows?
Why now?
Why her?
The next morning, the academy buzzed with tension.
News of the breach had spread fast.
And so had the arrival of Sorenna.
Ivy spotted her first in the training field.
Tall. Blonde. Smiling like she already owned everything. Wrapped in silver armor that shimmered when she moved. Her claws were painted black. Her eyes were ice.
And Kael was talking to her.
Close.
Too close.
Ivy’s stomach twisted.
Sorenna turned her head slowly—and smirkedat Ivy like she could already smell the bond.
Ivy turned away before she could react.
Later, in combat class, Ivy paired with Nora for sparring.
But halfway through the match, Sorenna strutted in.
“I’d like to challenge her,” she said, pointing at Ivy.
Professor Velar raised an eyebrow. “This is a structured lesson.”
“She’s the bond mark,” Sorenna said. “And I want to see what she’s made of.”
Ivy looked at Kael.
He was standing at the edge of the field.
Watching. Tense.
But he didn’t stop it.
He didn’t protect her.
That was all the answer she needed.
Ivy stepped into the circle.
Sorenna smiled like a predator. “You’re brave. I’ll give you that.”
“I don’t need your compliments,” Ivy said. “Just try not to cry when I win.”
A few gasps from the crowd.
Sorenna’s eyes narrowed.
The duel started.
Sorenna struck fast—too fast for a normal wolf. She fought like someone who’d trained in blood, not drills. Her claws grazed Ivy’s arm, slicing deep.
Ivy hissed but stayed on her feet.
She moved purely on instinct, ducking, rolling, spinning back with a burst of speed she didn’t know she had.
Flames sparked from her fingertips.
The crowd gasped.
Sorenna blinked.
Ivy punched forward—and the fire exploded in a controlled arc, forcing Sorenna to leap back.
“You’re not just a bond mark,” Sorenna growled. “You’re a freak.”
“No,” Ivy said calmly, breathing hard. “I’m the girl who’s going to take your spot beside Kael.”
The crowd erupted.
Sorenna’s face darkened.
Before she could strike again, Professor Velar stepped between them.
“That’s enough.”
Kael approached her later that night in the corridor.
“You shouldn’t have taken that fight.”
“You didn’t stop it.”
“I needed to see what she was after.”
“And?”
“She’s not just here for me. She wants to break you.”
“Then she’ll have to try harder,” Ivy said. “Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Kael stepped closer, his voice low.
“She marked you today. That wasn’t a duel. That was a warning.”
“She can’t scare me.”
“She should,” Kael said. “Because if the council sides with her, I may have no choice but to end our bond.”
Ivy’s heart dropped.
He stepped closer, eyes burning.
“But if it’s a choice between her… and you…”
He brushed his fingers against hers.
“I’ll burn down the council.”
- Writer
