SOMETHING INSIDE ME AWOKE
457 Words
The creatures didn’t move.
Not a single step.
Their glowing eyes stayed locked on me, their bodies tense—but not attacking.
Waiting.
Watching.
Like they were expecting something.
My breath came out unevenly as the heat inside me spread again, stronger than before. It wasn’t just warmth anymore.
It was power.
Unfamiliar.
Uncontrolled.
“Kael…” I whispered.
He didn’t respond immediately.
But I could feel his attention shift completely from them—
To me.
“Don’t fight it,” he said suddenly.
My head snapped toward him.
“What?”
“Just… don’t panic,” he added, his voice lower now.
That didn’t help.
At all.
“I don’t even know what ‘it’ is,” I said, my voice rising slightly.
Another creature stepped forward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Not attacking.
Approaching.
My heart pounded harder.
“Why are they looking at me like that?” I asked.
Kael’s expression darkened.
“Because they recognize it.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“Recognize what?”
Before he could answer—
The heat surged again.
This time, it wasn’t subtle.
It exploded.
A sharp wave of energy pulsed outward from me, strong enough to push the air around us. The leaves trembled, the ground beneath my feet vibrating faintly.
I gasped, stumbling slightly.
“I didn’t do that—”
“I know,” Kael said quickly.
But his voice wasn’t calm.
It carried tension.
Concern.
Something close to fear.
The creatures reacted instantly.
Not by attacking—
But by lowering themselves.
Submission.
My breath caught.
“That’s not normal…” I whispered.
“No,” Kael said quietly. “It’s not.”
The energy inside me didn’t fade.
It lingered.
Burning.
Alive.
Like something had just woken up.
“What is happening to me?” I asked, my voice softer now.
Kael stepped closer, his gaze fixed on me in a way that made my chest tighten.
“That’s not just power,” he said.
My heart skipped.
“Then what is it?”
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
That hesitation meant everything.
“It’s a claim,” he said finally.
I froze.
“A claim?” I repeated.
His eyes darkened.
“Not yours.”
A chill ran through me.
“Then whose?”
Before he could answer—
A deeper, louder growl echoed through the forest.
Different from the others.
Stronger.
Commanding.
The creatures immediately lifted their heads, their attention shifting away from me.
Toward something else.
Something coming.
Kael’s body tensed instantly.
And this time—
He didn’t look surprised.
He looked ready.
“They’re not alone,” he said.
My heart dropped.
Because whatever was coming next…
Was something even he was preparing for. 😈🔥
- Writer
