Cursed Duality

The Perilous Escape

Aiden’s POV

The streets narrowed as I pressed onward, buildings towering above like cold, silent giants. Here, on the outskirts, the lights dimmed, replaced by flickering neon lights that cast an eerie glow across the cracked pavement. Each step was a fresh reminder that I was cut off. Anger smoldered beneath my ribs, but I tried to keep it at bay, to keep moving.

I’d never questioned my father, never doubted he was right when he warned me to be cautious, to never reveal my true nature saying it was for my protection. But now, I wondered if that was his fear speaking, his own shame coloring the way he saw me. Maybe, deep down, he’d never fully accepted me either. He’d kept me close, but also kept me hidden, like a dark secret he couldn’t bring himself to face.

The narrow alleys of the outer city twisted and turned, a dark maze with walls that closed in on me from every side. The only sound was my breathing, steady but low, as I wove deeper into the shadows, listening for footsteps. I knew they were close…Elara’s soldiers, probably sent by her to drag me back to the fortress, or, more likely, to finish me off.

Elara was Zara’s aunt. My stepmother’s little sister. Shortly after my stepmother’s death, my father stepped up her rank which made her a high-ranking member of the Elites. Elara secured her place within the ruling hierarchy under the guise of grief for her sister. She was a strategist and had intimidating control over her emotions, making her a key political player.

Elara’s soldiers weren’t here by chance. She’d sent them, of course, watching as I struggled to evade capture, relishing the game from her high towers. She had always been a manipulator, drawing strings that no one else could see, especially when it came to me.

Elara and I shared something twisted, a connection rooted more in defiance than in any real feeling. She was poison; every word she spoke was carefully crafted, every glance hiding something darker. I’d known that from the start, but that hadn’t stopped us. We’d been together more times than I cared to count, a secret neither of us cared to share.

A dangerous affair that was just as cold and calculating as she was. There were no real feelings, no trust. Only the thrill of crossing a line neither of us was meant to touch. At least, to me, that was all it meant. If it meant more to her…. I wouldn’t know because Elara clearly couldn’t be trusted.

But here we were, her guards bearing down on me, each step I took drawing me deeper into her trap.

I ducked down, pressing myself against a cracked wall, my ears tuned to the faintest hint of movement. They thought they could chase me down easily, but they’d underestimated me, just as everyone else had. My Serakyn strength hummed in my veins, coiled and ready to spring. I wasn’t the half-breed they whispered about in fear. I was something else, something they couldn’t predict.

A shadow flickered across the alleyway’s entrance, and I held my breath as the soldiers moved closer. Three of them. Armed, armored, and confident. I waited until they were nearly past me before slipping out of the shadows, silent as the night, and struck.

I moved fast, catching the first soldier’s arm before he even saw me. With one swift motion, I twisted it back, hearing the c***k of bone before he dropped to his knees, his weapon clattering to the ground. The second guard swung around, his weapon raised, but I was already one step ahead, dodging to the side as his energy blade sliced through empty air. He barely had time to blink before I drove my fist into his chest, sending him sprawling backward.

The third one hesitated, his gaze darting between me and his fallen comrades. I could see the realization dawning in his eyes, the fear that tightened his grip on the weapon. He had probably heard the stories about me…about my strength, my speed, but seeing it firsthand was a different thing altogether.

’’You really think you’re going to get out of this, half-blood?’’ he sneered, trying to mask the tremor in his voice.

’’The whole city’s watching for you, Nyren. You’re not going to get far.’’

I clenched my fists, feeling the energy ripple through me. The label stung but I pushed the anger aside, keeping my focus sharp.

’’I don’t need to get far,’’ I said, my voice steady.

’’Just enough to show you what you’re up against.’’

He lunged at me, his weapon slashing through the air, but he was slower than the others. I sidestepped, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back before slamming him into the wall. He struggled, cursing under his breath, but his strength was no match for mine. I tightened my grip, leaning in close enough for him to hear me over his labored breathing.

’’Tell Elara and the others that if they want me, they’ll have to try harder than this.’’ I said, my voice low.

I released him, shoving him forward, and watched as he staggered, clutching his arm. He looked back at me, wide-eyed, before scrambling to his feet and disappearing down the alley.

As his footsteps faded, I took a deep breath, letting the tension drain from my body. The adrenaline still pulsed through me, a reminder of the fine line I was walking. I was stronger than they knew. But I couldn’t afford to let my guard down. Not even for a moment.