Fractures of Trust
971 Words
Nyxara didn’t sleep.
She lay awake long after returning to the Asylum Hostel, staring at the ceiling as shadows shifted faintly across the room.
Cassian’s words echoed in her mind.
You’re already involved.
Her fingers curled slightly against the sheets.
She had spent days running from one danger… only to walk straight into another.
And now—
A vampire prince knew exactly what she was.
Yet he hadn’t exposed her.
That alone didn’t make sense.
Nyxara turned onto her side, her gaze drifting toward the window.
Outside, the academy grounds were still.
Too still.
Her wolf stirred uneasily.
—
Morning came with noise and movement.
Students filled the halls again, their energy a sharp contrast to the tension Nyxara carried inside her.
“You look worse than yesterday,” Lena Hale said as they walked toward class.
Nyxara let out a quiet breath.
“Didn’t sleep much.”
Lena frowned slightly. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.”
The lie came easier than it should have.
But Nyxara didn’t have the luxury of honesty.
Not here.
Not with anyone.
—
By midday, the familiar group gathered again in the courtyard.
Kaelen Ward leaned forward slightly, studying her.
“You’ve been off since yesterday,” he said. “Something happen?”
Nyxara shook her head.
“Just tired.”
Mira didn’t look convinced.
“You’re not just tired,” Mira Solenne said quietly. “You’re… tense.”
Nyxara forced a small smile.
“I told you, I’m fine.”
Rowan’s gaze lingered on her, thoughtful.
He didn’t speak—but he didn’t look convinced either.
The silence stretched for a moment.
Then Kaelen leaned back with a shrug.
“If something’s wrong, you’ll tell us eventually.”
Nyxara nodded, though she wasn’t sure she ever would.
—
Later that afternoon, Nyxara found herself alone again.
She hadn’t meant to drift away from the others, but her instincts had pulled her toward the quieter side of the academy.
Toward the outer grounds.
The same place Cassian had warned her about.
She stopped near the edge of the trees, her senses alert.
The air was different here.
Heavier.
Colder.
That metallic scent returned—stronger now.
Too strong.
Nyxara’s body tensed.
“Should’ve listened.”
The voice came from behind her.
She spun around—
Too late.
A figure lunged from the shadows.
Fast.
Inhumanly fast.
Nyxara reacted on instinct.
She moved, dodging just as claws—no, not claws—fingers, sharpened like blades, sliced through the air where she had been standing.
Vampire.
Rogue.
Its eyes were hollow, its movements erratic—uncontrolled.
Nyxara’s wolf surged forward, her vision sharpening.
She didn’t fully shift—but her strength spiked, her reflexes faster, sharper.
The rogue attacked again.
This time, Nyxara met it head-on.
She caught its wrist, twisting hard, forcing it back.
The creature hissed, baring its fangs.
“You shouldn’t be here,” it snarled.
Nyxara didn’t respond.
She moved again, faster now—her hybrid instincts taking over.
She struck.
The rogue staggered.
For a moment, she thought she had the upper hand—
Until it smiled.
A second presence.
Behind her.
Nyxara’s eyes widened.
Another rogue stepped out from the shadows.
“You’re not human,” the second one said softly.
Nyxara’s heartbeat slammed against her chest.
They knew.
Before she could react—
A blur of movement cut through the space between them.
Cold.
Precise.
Deadly.
The first rogue was gone in an instant—thrown back against a tree with inhuman force.
The second didn’t even have time to react before a hand closed around its throat.
Cassian.
His expression was no longer calm.
It was cold.
Lethal.
“You’re trespassing,” he said quietly.
The rogue struggled, but it was useless.
Cassian’s grip tightened slightly.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the rogue choked.
Cassian’s eyes darkened.
“Neither should you.”
In a single, swift motion, he threw the rogue aside.
Both vampires retreated immediately, disappearing into the forest as quickly as they had appeared.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Tense.
Nyxara stood frozen, her breath uneven.
Cassian turned toward her slowly.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
“I told you not to come here,” he said.
Nyxara lifted her chin slightly, though her heart was still racing.
“I don’t take orders well.”
A faint flicker of something crossed his expression.
“You’ll need to learn,” he replied.
She stepped closer, her gaze sharp.
“They knew what I was.”
Cassian didn’t look surprised.
“Of course they did.”
Nyxara’s chest tightened.
“So it’s true,” she said quietly. “I’m not just hiding anymore.”
Cassian held her gaze.
“No.”
The word settled heavily between them.
Nyxara clenched her fists slightly.
“Then tell me what’s going on,” she demanded. “No more half answers.”
Cassian was silent for a moment.
Then he stepped closer.
Close enough that the tension between them felt almost tangible.
“The rogues are not just hunting,” he said quietly. “They’re searching.”
“For what?”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“For you.”
Nyxara’s breath caught.
The world seemed to tilt slightly beneath her.
“Why?” she whispered.
Cassian’s voice dropped, softer now—but no less serious.
“Because you’re not just a werewolf.”
He paused.
Then—
“You’re something they can use to change everything.”
Nyxara’s heartbeat pounded in her ears.
The weight of his words settling deep within her.
This wasn’t just survival anymore.
This was bigger than her.
Bigger than her escape.
And for the first time since she arrived at Blackthorn Academy—
Nyxara truly understood.
She wasn’t just being hunted.
She was becoming the reason for the war itself.
- Writer
