CHAPTER 3
1138 Words
AURORA DARETH
“You must be mistaking me for someone else. I didn’t do that…,” I whisper, calmer now.
He sighs, shaking his head as if he doesn’t believe me.
I don’t know what he is, but he doesn’t seem like a normal person.
“It was you. I saw. Aurora Dareth. You’re a danger to everyone.”
He stands up and I blink.
I can’t remember anything before I was twelve, and I don’t know what happened to me.
“You want revenge on me? Is that why you want to kill me?” the words come out softer this time.
He doesn’t look at me.
“Your fate is sealed, you can’t stay alive any longer. I’m here to make sure of that.”
“You can’t kill me for something I didn’t do or don’t remember.”
“Your memory was erased when you were sent to live among the humans.”
My eyes widen as I pull at the chains, trying to break free.
“What?”
He doesn’t answer me anymore.
I close my eyes, feeling my wrists aching from the chains.
“I swear I won’t do anything, but can you let me go now, please?”
He looks at me like he’s trying to see if I’m telling the truth or not.
“Promise you won’t do anything stupid.”
His voice is hard as stone, but something in his tone carries a note of exhaustion. Or maybe pity. I don’t know which is worse.
I’m on my knees, my wrists still bound, hair clinging to my forehead from the forest’s humidity, and my pride shattered at my feet.
“I promise,” I whisper, my voice hoarse and full of restrained anger.
He hesitates for a second, but even so, he removes the chains with firm fingers, like he’s holding back a wild animal ready to bite.
And in a way, he is.
The moment my arms are free, I attack.
My hands grab the dagger strapped to the side of his belt, and with a quick spin, the blade is already pointed at his neck. He steps back just barely — but not enough.
I tackle him with the weight of my body, landing on him with a growl of fury.
“Now tell me what you really are!” I snap, my legs pressing against his ribs.
He grabs my wrist before the blade can touch his throat, his silver eyes flashing.
I stop breathing — we’re very close now. He looks at me like I’m not even real.
I press the blade harder against his skin.
“Get off me before I do it,” he murmurs.
With a brutal move, he flips me over and slams me to the ground.
The impact knocks the air from my lungs. Before I can recover, he’s already on top of me, pinning my hands to the damp earth.
“You promised,” he growls, and now the pity is gone — only contempt remains.
“Go to hell,” I hiss, struggling, kicking the air.
He stands up and, with a swift motion, wraps my wrists in glowing chains. I’ve never seen anything like it.
I feel my energy draining immediately, as if part of me is being sucked out.
“What is this?” I ask, breathless, squirming.
“Magic chains,” he says without emotion. “You can’t use magic with them. No fire. No shadow. No lies.”
I turn to him with fury.
“Lies? You treat me like a criminal and expect me to believe I’m the villain here?”
He doesn’t answer. He just pulls the chains and starts walking, forcing me to follow.
“Hey! Where are you taking me?” I shout, stumbling behind him through the thick vegetation.
“We need to leave before the Shadows arrive,” he says over his shoulder.
“Shadows?” I stop for a second. “What are you talking about?”
He stops too, turning his face toward me, and for a moment I see real fear in his eyes.
“In this forest live creatures even the gods dare not name. They’re ancient… and hungry for tribrids like you.”
A chill runs down my spine.
“Seems like we’re not talking about the same thing anymore. I’m not what you think I am!”
He looks at me with anger, as if he’s losing patience.
“Come on, we can’t waste time here. The Shadows can smell you.”
“But... why?”
“Because you are power. Power they want to devour.”
“And why do you care if they get me?” I ask bitterly.
“Because I was assigned to kill you,” he replies without hesitation.
“Who… is ordering you to do that?” my voice cracks, trembling.
He lets out a sigh.
“The Two Kingdoms. The Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Night. Both believe you’re a threat to balance.”
“But I don’t even know who I am!” I scream, desperate.
He looks at me, as if weighing for a moment whether he should say more. Then he says:
“Your father was Tal’Rhazel, the last Pureblood Dragon, ruler of the Burning Skies. Your mother… was Nyssara, Queen of Shadows. And your grandfather was alpha of the last sacred werewolf bloodline.”
I feel my legs give out. The world spins.
“That’s not possible…” I whisper.
“They hid you among humans. They did it to protect you. But they also knew that one day… you would awaken.”
My eyes fill with tears I refuse to shed. Everything I thought I knew about myself is falling apart.
“Who are you?” I ask, my voice weaker than I imagined it could be.
He lifts his sleeve. A symbol is marked on his shoulder — an eight-pointed star surrounded by ancient runes. His golden eyes gleam in the darkness.
“I’m Kael. A Border Sentinel. A hybrid hunter.”
“You’re a werewolf,” I say, horrified.
He nods.
“Please…” I beg, for the first time. “Don’t hand me over to them. I don’t want to die.”
He looks away. “I have no choice.”
And then, before I can say anything else, a sound echoes through the trees.
It’s not an animal. Not a branch. It’s a sound made of whispers and bones breaking at once.
“What is that?” I ask, tense.
Kael goes pale.
“The Shadows.”
My eyes widen and I turn my head, scanning the area around us — and then I start seeing them.
Dark shadows coming our way.
Shit.
“Run!” he shouts.
But it’s too late.
They found us.
- Writer
