After being expelled out of the soul cairn, Shade and I found ourselves in another free-fall. We were in a drop through the deep blue sky. Instead of letting us go by the ground, it had let us plummet towards our destination. When it told me to fly, I never thought it would actually want me to.

All I could do was reach for Shade. For a moment I thought I touched her. My fingers barely grazed her fur before being pushed away by a gust of air, right out of her reach. I struggled to reline myself so I could see the ground below. With only a few seconds before I splattered, I cast an emergency spell.

"Supernatet!" I muttered right before hitting the ground, creating a cloud of dust to rise where I fell.

My body trembled, levitating inches away from the ground. It dawned on me how a second later I would have been a decorative piece on the earth. Shade wasted little time finding me. Screams and orders erupted from all sides. We stood in what appeared to be a war zone. Unable to see anything, all I could do was try to find my way out of the dust cloud.

Before I could make it out, Shade yanked me towards her when an unknown body fell next to us. Unable to see clearly, I reached down to check if they were alive, but instead of warmth, their body was colder than ice itself. It was something unnatural. A body would still be warm seconds after its expiration. Much to my surprise, it moved.

Shade's tail whisked me away completely and placed me onto her back, bolting out of there and into the ensuing chaos outside. Freed from the dust cloud, we found ourselves in a forest clearing. It was much larger than the one Fenris was the day before. It was where they had chosen the festival grounds to be. And most importantly, it was close to Silverant.

The barrier that was supposed to be protecting the festival was nowhere to be seen. Thankfully, since on the way down, we would have hit it otherwise. However, what was more concerning was that Lycans were going nuts on each other. Followed by what seemed to be corpses walking around. There seemed to be chaos everywhere my eyes landed. It was hard to find anything in this mess.

No matter where I planted my gaze, all I saw was unknown. Shade flicked away one corpse that came towards us with her tail, jumping into the sky to keep me safe. The cadavers seemed to be ants overrunning a nest that someone had stepped on by mistake. She only landed for a moment before having to jump again to another location, when a crazed Lycan launched at us. There was no time for anything but defense.

However, it was not long before my eyes caught something that distressed me. Ezra was holding down Owen, who seemed to have been in the same influence as the others who were attacking anything that moved. Other Lycans, who protected them from the incoming corpses, surrounded them. The more I saw, the more my anger boiled within me.

How could anything like this happen? Was the festival not supposed to be isolated from everyone? Everything that my brown orbs saw happening was unacceptable to me. In the distance, by a cottage, Lycan mothers tried to protect their children that cried in fear. Kira was among them. The moment I spotted children in distress, it affected me more than I thought it would.

It reminded me of the old days. When a young Fenris reached out to me. When he pulled me out of the darkness and into his light. All those children were innocent. I could not allow this to go on any longer. Stepping off Shade, I took off my second inhibitor bracelet, unleashing a blast of magic energy into my surrounding.

From what I read once when I studied under Stella, necromancy was one of the darkest magic out there. It reanimated corpses, but it did not give them a soul. Almost as if a puppeteer would control a puppet. They only had the casters' desires in mind. Even some of the fallen Lycans had reanimated as well.

I felt no remorse for what I was about to do next. Unleashing my magical energy into the surrounding environment. I cast a spell that witches would use when there were plagues and bodies would pile up to where no one could handle them.

"Sancte igne aufer haec cadavera nos malum." I commanded.

'Oh, holy flame, rid us of these corpses that plague us.'

Shade used one of her nails to slice into my palm for the spell to take effect. I had no knives to do the deed, but it did not matter. Her cut was deep enough to let the blood flow onto the ground. It was enough to set ablaze all the surrounding corpses. My body glowed blue with a hint of purple coming from my core.

With every step, all the corpses near me burned into ashes. The flames were blue and seemed mystical. Some of Fenris's essence from the night before remained within me. Probably was what had kept me stable for the past few hours. My body screamed for me to stop what I was doing, but there was no turning back anymore.

I would not allow this injustice to keep happening with no end. Not while I could do something about it. Alijah would not be right about us any longer. Not while I was around. In the end, all this fighting did was bring more hate into the world. Nothing would change if things continued in their current course. And if I had to be immoral to keep them safe, then so be it.

‘Wicked I will be.’

Whispers exploded in my mind, while pulses of energy erupted from me. Every corpse within my visible view was burning to ashes. Even Lycan cadavers burned at my command. However, the flame did not harm anyone with a beating heart. It quickly extinguished once it turned the body into cinders. Once the corpses vanished, only Lycans and staffers remained in plain sight.

They glued all eyes on me. The new unknown. Most of the staffers were human without powers, if not Lycans themselves. And all of them seemed bewildered to see me. With no doubt, they thought I was behind this. Ryker had isolated the wolves, thinking it was safer that way, but it seemed he was wrong. He had made it easier for the enemy to attack by herding them in one place. There were little to no Cerberus officers on the festival grounds.

Probably thought who would be crazy to attack a Lycan-infested party, but then again, witches were desperate to end them. Just like when the fall of Silverant happened. The higher-ups had gotten cozy. They thought the sisters had died or disbanded. I knew better, always did. Yet they always ignored me. They would not overlook me any longer, though. The fear in their faces alerted me enough to know they had messed up.

From the claw marks in every piece of furniture, every part of the festivities seemed to be torn apart by the Lycans themselves. Before the corpses even made their way there. Somehow whoever was attacking had taken down the barrier from the inside, while the cadavers went through it, creating even more chaos. Probably an insider from Cerberus. But who? It was easy to think it was a human officer who had probably gotten away by the time I arrived. The barrier only kept living things at bay too, so it did not defend against the cadavers that had come through it.

Therefore, it brought enough chaos to stop anyone from noticing the sabotage. It was a clever plan. One that would have been easy to predict if they knew who they were dealing with. However, what was more worrisome were the corpses themselves. It involved a necromancer. It was forbidden magic that required a vast amount of power to enact to this scale.

Death magic was also volatile and hard to control. Was it Edna again, or someone else? She was proving herself to be more than a simple witch. Everyone seemed to be frozen in place. The corpses that survived my spell withdrew into the forest's depths where their caster resided.

Drinking glasses were everywhere on the floor, making me wonder if there had been a toast gone wrong. Remembering the memory I had relived a few weeks ago, Stella had mentioned Edna's wolfsbane. Had some of it been placed into the drinks for the Lycans? Whoever drank it first seemed to have been affected by it. And luckily, not all wolves seemed to be out of control.

Even though my body felt weak, I ignored every warning it threw at me. I took a few steps towards Owen and Ezra. The only two I recognized from the group of Lycans that surrounded me. To look less frightening, Shade climbed onto my shoulder in her usual size. I stopped right in front of them. All the Lycans who had been fighting the corpses just watched me, unable to tell if I was a foe or friend. While the others continued to hold down their mad companions.

Most of the crazed Lycans that had not been contained ran out of the festival. Some wolves that stared at me knew about me, while others did not know what to expect from me. The difference between civilian and officer was so apparent in their eyes. Although all of them had read the news that was spread around thanks to the leaks. Was I enemy or foe? They watched me, not being able to tell.

Ezra's gaze met with mine. He seemed terrified of everything. That was when someone yelled at me from the side. A welcoming voice, but not the one I wanted to hear.

"What are you doing here?!?!" Amelia screamed from where she was.

She seemed lively, as always, with the same hostility she always wore against me. Even though I did not particularly love her, she was Fenris's sister, and he cared for her. On her side was an injured Ben, surprised to see me. His mechanical hand seemed to be busted. He probably tried to stop one of the mad Lycans, only to be attacked. Even though they were not happy to see me, I was glad to see them alive. Especially Ben, the gentle older brother. They seemed to be surrounded by a wall of wolves that were protecting them.

However, behind the two siblings was who I wanted to see the most alive. Fenris, who was being tended by Layla. He had a facial injury near his right eye that slowly healed. It had to be done by another Lycan for it to still be affecting him. Even though Liam's restored quickly, they were more superficial, thanks to his thick fur. Whatever happened to Fenris was when he was in his humanoid form, when he least suspected it.

His injuries came from someone he did not expect, most probably Owen. From the way, Ezra held Owen’s hand to his back and laid on him with his full weight. It alerted me that his friend had gone mad, just like the others. Probably affected by the deadly plant that Stella had mentioned in my memory. Blood was clearly visible on Owen's fingertips, too.

"Lilith?!?" Fenris called out, noticing my presence thanks to his sister's announcement.

Standing up from where he was, he took two steps towards me. Relief washed over me, even though he seemed so tired and weak. His appearance made me want to run to him. The only thing that stopped me was Owen. He elbowed Ezra, who seemed to have let his guard down for just a moment. The blow had been hard enough to escape and launch at me. Shade met with his aggression, slamming him back to the ground.

In a split second, she changed forms. I almost heard Owen's bones crunch under her weight. Instinctively, I reached for her. This was not what I wanted.

"Stop." I ran to Shade, wrenching my eyes away from Fenris.

I did not want to harm Owen or anyone innocent. But that state of mind would transform. Someone stepped from the shadows on the forest's edge where the corpses had retreated to.

"You, girl... why do you help your oppressors?" A corpse yelled from the edge of the forest.

All eyes were on me again. It was kind of them to announce I was not a foe to the Lycans. But I refused to acknowledge whoever they were. I crouched down to Owen, who seemed to be in constant pain. Ezra reached for me, not knowing what to expect. His sudden approach caused Shade to flick him away with her tail. She did not know his intentions. It was a warning to stay away from me.

Touching Owen's face, I traced down his cheek, only for him to snap at me. It triggered Shade to hold on to him tighter. There was no doubt in my mind what was affecting him. All the signs were there. Pitiful... poor wolf... No one deserved this. I felt hollow inside. To see an old friend in this state. I could barely...

"It hurts... doesn't it?" I simpered remembering all the times when I was a child.

We had played together in that shop so many times. I had engraved it into me. When I stepped out of the soul cairn, I had been willing to let the insignificant die. But that was not me. No… I could not close my heart to those in pain. I was wrong… so very mistaken. This wolf did not deserve this fate.

No one did.

"Cor tuum sit sedare, perturbatione anima patitur ut innotescat." I whispered.

It was a simple, calming spell. One I had no hope of being successful. But…

'Calming heart, allow this troubled soul to find clarity.'

Owen seemed to get a hold of himself for only a slight moment. He fought the raging beast within, too. This incantation would not usually help Lycans. I did not expect it to do anything, but I wished him to have a moment of peace. His strength resonated with my magic, allowing him some clarity. It was temporary, though. I had forgotten how he had always been strong. After all, he was one of Fenris's dearest friends.

Even after the fall, whenever Owen came around, he was not malicious to me. Or anything that showed hostility towards me. Just like Ezra and Liam. They had always been precious to me. My first friends, even if we had grown apart because of what life had in store. I would never forget the kindness they showed me the days before the fall. Even if Ezra was more of a brat than the others. Tears swelled in his eyes, regaining some self-awareness.

He recognized me.

"End it... please," Owen pleaded to me.

Ezra could not believe what came out of his friend’s mouth.

"What, no!" The grey wolf reached for us again.

The pain in his voice resonated with me. He wanted Owen to live. Shade again pushed him away. This time, a bit rougher. She knew I was reaching my turning point.

"Do not interrupt, mortal!" Shade snarled at him, knowing full well how I felt about the whole thing.

About Owen's last request to me. My feelings were influencing her. My rage was unending, yet I… could not show that to a dying man. No… to him…

"I am sorry... But I cannot save you." I whispered while none dared to get close to me.

Layla held a weakened Fenris back. I was thankful for her. He could not be near me for what was coming next. All others watched. One of the Lycans stopped Ezra from coming back towards me. Some knew what Shade was. I could feel the fear that radiated from them when she seemed agitated by the whole thing. I wondered if dread was another thing a witch could gain power from.

My kin were truly dark beings. Shade cared little to hide what she truly was. Her eyes glowed blue and her body radiated a darkness that no one wanted any part of. She did not appear like the cozy little cat she usually hid by. Instead, what was next to me and on top of Owen was a beast in its full splendor.

Ezra, a faithful friend, was the only one of two struggling to come towards me, but thankfully stopped by the others. Fenris's family and fiancée kept him away from me.

"I do not... want to hurt anyone else, please!" Owen pleaded to me, slowly losing himself within the beast again.

My heart ached in a way that it never had before. All I wished was to end his suffering. Grant him the mercy that the others were too scared to do. Wolfsbane would end up killing him after an hour of rampaging. And there was no known antidote for it. It was sad how no one had bothered to study it enough to create one. Sadly, the only peace he could get now was death. Around me were other cases like him, all loved by someone. All of them were waiting to be released from the agony.

Yet there was no saving them. I was too late to do anything for them but to be their harbinger of death. That was what witchcraft users were. Messengers of death. We communicated and fed off it. I once created a spell to bind dead gods to me. How hard could it be to create an incantation, to send a tormented soul to its rest? Closing my eyes, I placed my bloody hand over his. I was about to create the most meaningful spell I would ever accomplish. To create an incantation, all that was required were three simple things.

One was a strong understanding of how magic worked. The second was a powerful emotion to go with the idea of what the caster desired to happen. The third was the words to channel what one desired into fruition. However, this was a tricky thing alone since most magical spells would not affect Lycans. But if their resistances were overwhelmed by sheer power then...

I would not hold back.

"O dulcis excrucior animabus vestris viam inveniam in tenebris, et in vertice montis de longe, quo modo scire pace. Dulce est mori in complexibus haesit." I whispered.

A tear fell from my eyes.

'Oh sweet, tormented souls, find your way through the darkness and into a deep slumber where you will only know peace. Into death's sweet embrace.'

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

For the first time since this whole thing began, I would take the life of an innocent on purpose. I would be the wicked witch that brought the end to their suffering. A bright blue light shone from the distance before erupting from him and the other afflicted Lycans. It was a warm yet gentle light. One that agony followed into its sleep when it finally dimmed.

Around me, cries erupted. The surviving wolves had realized the comrades that they were holding down were no longer. I knew it was a success when Owen's eyes no longer showed life. What it left behind was a shell where the soul used to be. This would be one cadaver. I would not allow it to be used by the necromancer beyond the forest edge.

Closing Owen's eyes, I slowly stood up, feeling my body warmer. It was followed by more whispers erupting in my mind. I could only imagine the ringing sensation. The surrounding survivors were feeling from the sheer magical energy I expelled into the world. Growls came from everywhere, as I in their eyes had just killed their kin. Even though it was an act of mercy from me to them, to them it was not.

Most of them did not know what was happening or why their kin had gone rampant. The organization that was supposed to protect them kept them in the dark. However, none of them moved an inch. Even Ezra and Fenris both stood there, shocked that their friend. Who had just been laughing beside them was no longer was in this world.

'Destroy!'

'Kill!'

'Make them pay!'

The whispers tried to sway me. I wiped the single tear off my cheek and closed off all emotions. There was no time for doubts or pain. No, all I had to do was punish those who instigated this to happen. With Shade's help, I disguised my discomfort that was slowly rising within me. She yanked me onto her, jumping over towards the corpse that was speaking to me before.

Behind me, they finally released Ezra, allowing him to run towards his fallen friend. Fenris soon joined him. My wolf called out to me once again from behind me, but I ignored him. Turning to him would break me, and I could not afford that to happen. Especially since I did not want to see with what eyes he was looking at me after I killed his friend.

"Who are you?" The corpse asked instead of attacking me.

I slowly got off Shade. The voice behind it seemed amazed at what I had just done. After all, the pure power I possessed was one they had never seen before. In response to their question, I waved my hand, muttering the previous cleansing spell. It set the cadaver ablaze right where it stood. Watching it turn into ash, I slowly glanced towards the forest.

They would not getaway. I turned the forest into an inferno with a more powerful spell than the one I had used to burn the canvas.

"Ut incenderent cinere, impius animarum." I muttered.

'Burn to ashes, wicked souls.'

The flames, instead of the normal orange, were deep blue once again. In an instant, they raged siege in the forest. Most of the witches ran out towards the clearing. Others ran away from the blaze that spread immediately behind them. It all depended on what was closest. I intended to draw out whoever was closest, but if some burned to their deaths. I would shed no tears for them. Most of them fell to the ground in front of me. That was when I finally answered their question. Even if the one who asked was not there.

"I am your death," I smirked.

Voices told me to show no mercy to those who stood in front of me. I raised my hand forward, letting my fury go, but before I could unleash it.

Someone stepped from the burning forest and into the light.

"Wait, please!" They called out to me in a familiar voice.

Part of me did not want to believe the familiarity that the voice had for me. Shock washed over me. I did not want to think.

"Who are you?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

Yet it had to be known. And it would pain me to know. I should have just burned them where they stood, instead of letting them cause my heart to waver.

"Lilith, why are you here? You aren’t supposed to be here." The female stranger said.

Before taking off her hood to reveal Cora, who used to stalk me in the library and told me she cared for me.

"Cora? Why?" I stumbled to say.

It stunned me. Her expression was one of sorrow and anguish, gazing at me.

"You would not understand." Cora pushed my question aside.

I stood there unable to comprehend how a vampire would work for the witches who seemed intent on the downfall of everyone but themselves. Especially her, who was someone so bright and refused to leave me alone. Although it all stopped once the article was written.

A realization was slowly forming in my head. It had been a female who had delivered the file to the media.

‘Is she the one who leaked it? No... It can’t be...’

"Is this why you were after me?" My voice trembled a bit.

I had let my guard down. Her betrayal was one I had not seen coming.

"No, I did not know you were his charge until much later, believe me!" Cora tried to convince me.

We were interrupted by chains that erupted from under me. Before I knew it, it chained me up in the sky alongside Shade. Fenris sprinted towards me, only to be met by a wall of these chains. It separated us from him. Layla stopped him from pursuing me any further by clasping onto him, yanking him away from the binds that detained me.

I had done a beginner's mistake. It was foolish to let my guard down for someone who had played me. However, the chains alone did not worry me. The cracks to break the spell were visible enough to see. It would not hold me, but instead of breaking free, I opted to play along to see what would happen. Information was key. Although my body seemed to want to give in.

I did not know how much longer it would last.

"Stop! You said you would let me speak with her!" Cora snarled at whoever was standing just beyond the shadows.

"Not a chance. Do you even feel that magical power radiating out of her? Did you see what she did to all those Lycans? There is a change of plans. Let’s take her with us. I am sure lady Edna will be glad to have her." A man announced, sprouting from the shadows.

I could not help but feel tickled by his words. They were so full of themselves that they thought they could handle me. Their own beginners' mistake. They were young like me. Inexperience in the art of war.

"Take me?" I lost it, unable to stop myself from laughing loudly.

For a moment, they all watched me as if I were crazy. Maybe I was going insane. This... No, nothing made sense anymore. All they wanted was to destroy the Lycans and make themselves the top dogs in the world. I did not need to understand them any further. They had to be destroyed.

"What the hell is wrong with that?" The hooded man said defensively.

I choked on my laughter. A little crazy maybe was not bad. After all, this world was as fucked up as it could be. But it had lights. Lights that would keep me from being consumed by the darkness that surrounded me. But that did not mean I would be merciful towards the maggots that came my way.

"You would do me a favor by taking me to them! So, I could rip them apart from the inside!" I announced, infusing my magical energy into the chains that held me.

It caused them to melt as the incantation broke, overwhelmed by my strength. Even though nothing would bring me more joy than them taking me to my grandmother, leaving Fenris was not an option. Especially after showing how inept they were at protecting him. Energy radiated from me to the point it almost became overwhelming to anyone around me. My body's rest would have to wait until all of them disappeared.

"What the hell!?!?" The man question how his magic was being broken, not knowing a thing about me.

Seconds after the chains shattered around me, I floated towards the ground. Shade launched at the man, only to be saved by Cora, who dodged the cat by a few inches.

"No, Lily, listen to me!" Cora cried out to me.

Shade hissed at her in response.

"Only my friends can call me that, and you... You are nothing but dirt to me!" I snarled, knowing what came next would make me a monster.

But I did not care. They deserved nothing less than to vanish.

‘Destroy…’

‘Break them!’

‘Traitors!’

‘Annihilate them!’

It was much easier to go with the flow than against it. They were nothing after all.

"Enough talk. It is time to end this." I announced, raising a hand upward.

A pulse of energy erupted from me and into the surrounding environment. For a moment, in the eyes of everyone else, nothing happened. The hooded man laughed loudly, thinking I had failed. He was completely unaware of the danger that lurked out of sight. A vortex that was invisible to them was right in front of them. Just like the day of the fall, a shadow beast emerged from it.

The energy that pulsed out of me slowly spread to them. But before they could see what was happening, the invisible shadow beast grabbed onto Cora and slammed her against the ground. Knocking her out cold, upon impact. In that split second, everyone that had followed along in the man's laughter stopped. Instead, they watched closely as the chains blocking the Lycans from us shattered as well.

I had not caused that. No… that was my beloved wolf, getting a grip on himself. Layla was on the floor after being shoved away. He stood right by the wall behind me, but instead of running towards me. The energy that he felt coming from me stopped him right where he stood. Layla once again tried to pull him away from everything. It was not long before the energy reached them, revealing everything.

The sky above turned red while I smirked, pleased by everything that was happening. The shadow demon that I had summoned appeared like a lion mixed with a snake. It circled me, waiting for my command. For the first time since I gained this power, I would use it for my own wishes. I would become their judge and executioner. Another beast sprouted from the vortex.

Shade snickered behind me as I smirked, feeling more powerful than ever before. The inhibitor around my neck prevented me from summoning even more beasts. Though that was a purposeful decision. I doubted I could handle one more without losing myself within the whispers. They were already threatening to take over me.

"Today... I become the most nefarious witch that ever lived! The one that preys on her own kind. No, on anyone who threatens to hurt what I love. No mercy!" I demanded, letting go of all my fears and worries, leaving behind fury in its stead.

In a split second, the two beasts launched themselves into the witches that screamed upon being pounced on. The crunching of bones filled my ears while they swiftly soaked the ground in blood. Without hesitation, I walked over their dead bodies and toward Cora, who laid unconscious on the ground. The rest of her comrades were being torn to shreds by the two beasts I had unleashed.

It was a gruesome sight, yet all I could feel was a relief. Each one that fell was one less foe I would have to worry about. Even though I had always run away from violence, for the first time in my life I felt like I had found where I belonged. My heart was unwavering. No, its focus was on my enemies. Shade joined me instead of chasing after the intruders. She never left my side for long. Unable to hide the disdain I felt for Cora, I grabbed onto her hair and yanked her up to see her face.

For a moment, I pondered ending Cora's life as well. Though that thought was quickly stopped when a pulse of electricity ran through my body. Followed by a throbbing sensation that caused me to release her. It was almost enough to drop me if it was not for Shade, who caught me on my way down. It was just a warning that I could not keep this up for much longer.

My body was reaching its limit. I placed my hand on my face, only to notice my nose was bleeding. It was almost as if my body was being torn apart by the power that swelled within. It was not that alone, either. I was slowly losing control of the beasts, too. For a split second, one beast eyed down a Lycan who was running towards one of their own behind us. At least I was glad that the forces that had begun this chaos appeared scattered and defeated.

Without having to say anything, the two-shadow beast killed everyone in their path. Well, all but two of the assailants. Making Cora, a witch, and the warlock the only survivors of the attack. I wanted the warlock alive so I could see the life go out in his eyes. He seemed to be the leader of this group. The witch I wanted for a message aimed at their leader.

I smirked when I crouched down to the feisty warlock that was way over his head. He cussed at me, although his blue orbs only showed fear. He seemed young. Probably as old as I was. If not younger. Maybe a teen? Pity. He had blond hair and was quite the looker, but all I wanted was to tear his face apart. Although he had a tough front for such a little man.

Part of me wondered if this warlock was the same one who also attacked the other night. When I accidentally teleported Fenris and me into the soul cairn. I glanced over at Cora, who still seemed to be out cold. She had been the one who dragged us out to the meadow that day. Even made sure Fenris was fired up enough to follow her when she kissed me. We probably played right into her hands that day. They probably planned to kill him that night when the explosions overwhelmed him.

It would not surprise me if they killed the other Lycans to make it seem like Fenris was not their primary target. Same as what was happening in our present time. I was pathetic to have believed someone liked me for me. Although Melody proved me wrong in that. Though it was too early to tell. Maybe with her powers awakened, she would leave me behind, too.

Even though Cora was part of the enemy, I did not want to hurt her. Ignoring the unconscious vampire, I glanced over to the witch, who seemed to have soiled herself.

"I have a message for Stella. Will you give it to her?" I questioned, grabbing onto the girl's hair, forcing her to stare at me.

The shadow beast let go of the warlock, only for Shade to trap him. She wrapped her tail around his waist, hanging him towards the sky.

"How do you know her?!?!" the fearful witch replied with a question, much to my displeasure.

It was almost as she did not know what position she was in. Although her voice trembled, I released her hair and stood next to Shade. There was no getting away. Not while these beasts were around.

"If you do not answer, your friend here will be the one to suffer. Isn't that right, Shade?" I smirked, feeling only darkness within me.

The whispers urged me further. It was intoxicating.

"Say nothing!" The man in the hooded mask ordered his comrade.

I shrugged, leaving him to Shade as her grip on the Warlock tightened enough to snap his back. His scream echoed in the air, bringing me much delight. The girl below screeched upon hearing his spine break, though. I never knew I would enjoy someone's pain so much. Yet again they sought to bring pain to those I loved. Owen had vanished forever, thanks to them.

Their treatment would be no different.

"Tell Stella that her past is coming to hunt her down," I declared, glancing over to the warlock who panted for air.

I did not want him to expire just yet. A bit of more pain would be just what I needed. However, the moment that thought left my mind. A blood spike sprouted from the warlock, striking me by my neck. It caused Shade to turn towards me to shatter it. Her swift moment launched the warlock into the air and away from us.

In that split second, Cora grabbed the male and bolted towards the forest. The beast in front of me crushed the witch under its weight. The other chased after the pair. I reached for my neck only to notice the only damage was to my third inhibitor. The spike had ripped it off. At that moment, I lost control of everything.

Energies radiated from me at an uncontrollable rate. The purple aura that seemed to have been emanating from me was nowhere to be seen on my body. The whispers drowned my own thoughts. I could barely tell what was happening anymore. At that moment, all the beasts I tried to hold in were forcing their way out.

I stumbled back a few steps, out of breath, but before I knew it, the vortex I had created clashed with me. It surrounded me in a ball of magical energy that sent me floating into the sky. Again, I had become the gateway to the soul cairn. The extra magical power had sent me into overload.

My body throbbed uncontrollably, as the agony was overwhelming. It was nothing like the time I was a child. Then again, my body was already shredded during the fall of Silverant. Beast swiftly emerged while the same twister from the fall formed around me.

The initial responders of the Cerberus order had just arrived at the scene. In an effort to hold on, I curled up into a ball, trying to hold back everything that was spilling out. I could not tell my own thoughts from theirs, though. It was like screaming in an ocean, without being able to hear me. Even then, I was fully aware of everything that was happening. Their voices were full of anger and pain. It resonated with me too.

A giant scaly arm from a beast within the soul cairn materialized from behind me. Just like the fall, Shade curled herself around me protectively. I let out a scream of agony. It hurt; my body felt like it was burning alive. The more I tried to hold the demons back, the more they forced themselves out.

'Shut up, shut up!' I kept screaming in my head, struggling to keep my sanity intact.

The vortex that had formed prevented me from seeing if anyone was still alive down below. All I could do was hope that no one had been harmed. The beast that had emerged from me slowly dragged its head out. While other smaller ones materialized with no problems. The creature that tried to struggle to come out was something else, though. It was a monster that only lived in myths, even though there was a stone named after it. The same crystal was used to power the barriers that were supposed to protect the festivities.

A dragon's head had come through the vortex, breathing what seemed black flames into the red sky above. At that moment, something caught the corner of my eye. It climbed up the dragon's arm and into the center of the vortex where I was. I raised my head to see another arm emerged from the portal. It tried to intercept the intruder that had gotten too close for their liking. Its claws grazed their face triggering silver hair to spread into the air followed by blood droplets. The moment I saw the hair, I knew who it was. There was only one person who would be crazy enough to follow me into this inferno.

I reached for Fenris, who barely avoided the blow. He shifted into his humanoid form, falling onto the barrier that contained me. His eyes glowed pure crimson when he smashed the barrier with his fist. Reaching down to me for a slight moment, our fingers touched. The relief that washed over me was short-lived, though. Suddenly, he was yanked away by a smaller shadow beast in a form of a raven.

I yelled his name, unable to believe that he had been a few centimeters away from me. Before being carried off by one beast that was supposed to serve me. In an instant, fury consumed me.

"Don't you dare touch him!" I screeched once again, letting go of every part I was trying to hold back.

It only left wrath in its path. The moment I did, Shade morphed into a humanoid being. Her hand extended towards where Fenris was before clenching down on the bird. She freed Fenris from its grip before disappearing back into her feline form. They sent my wolf into a free fall. Down below, an elf cast an incantation. His swift response grew into a tree, allowing my beloved to have a safe landing.

The moment Fenris's feet hit the ground, he shifted back into his wolf form, bolting towards the vortex again. This time followed by some fellow Lycans. The rest of the shadow beast seemed to be frozen in time. Somehow what I had done stopped them from continuing. However, that did not last long. My body throbbed once again, snapping me out of the control I had. It was almost as if a twig had broken within me. Blood dripped from my ears, too. Unable to hold them much longer, they began slowly to move again.

The dragon let out a mighty roar, startling everyone around. Fenris came from underneath us in humanoid form. He had used his fellows to launch himself from underneath the vortex and towards me. Smashing the barrier from underneath, he grabbed onto Shade, who willingly pulled him up towards me. Tears fell down my cheeks when his hand reached up to my face, pulling me towards his embrace. Cracks formed everywhere that surrounded us.

Instead of yelling at me, Fenris tug me up into a tender kiss. Even though he did not know what he was doing, it was almost as if instinct guided him. A red glow emitted from him and into me, shattering everything around us on its command. All the shadow beasts disappeared when I kissed him back. Sliding his hand to the back of my head, he clasped me against him, enjoying my warmth.

The only reason Fenris separated from me was when we entered a free fall, once all the energy I had around me dissipated. He held me close to his chest as Shade caught us before we both hit the ground. Cheers erupted from the Lycans that surrounded us. Fenris kept his hold on me, not caring what anyone saw. His hand trembled in fear for what could have happened if he had not reached me in time.

While my wolf was in combat, he had not allowed himself to think of it. But now that I was in his arms, everything had become too real for him to bear. There seemed to be minimal injuries sustained from my rampage this time. Ryker's gamble that Fenris could reach me even in that state seemed to have worked. Shade shrunk to her usual size, cuddling herself on my belly. Ben ran towards us.

"I wanted to rip into you for not answering me earlier, but now I can’t find the words." Fenris's voice trembled.

He held onto me ever so tightly. Gripping onto his shirt, I struggled to glance up towards him. I wanted to show him I was fine. That I was there with him. That he saved me, just like I had saved him.

"You will have time to find those." I struggled to make any words come out of me.

I felt unwell. Everything was crashing. Fenris used his sleeves to wipe the blood that was still flowing out of my nose, only to notice something that perplexed him.

"Your eyes changed color. They're blue." Fenris pointed out.

My consciousness wavered. I hit my limit a long time ago. Probably should have rested when the curse broke. But I did not regret a thing. When my poor wolf noticed my ears were also dripping blood, it only alarmed him further.

"Fen..." I tried to call out to him, only to fall simply and promptly onto his chest before I could even finish his name.

It was getting hard to breathe, let alone speak. The moment he touched my face, it seemed my temperature had skyrocketed. He screamed to Ben, who rushed over to us. Somehow, my consciousness hanged on. Fenris tried to stand up with me, only to tumble down with me in his arms. All the energy he had before, all this mess, had been used to reach and stabilize me.

We were both a mess. When Ben tried to pick me up from Fenris's arms, he could not help but growl at his brother, who reassured him he was just trying to help. The last thing I remembered was Ben rushing with me into a cabin that the festival grounds had built. After that everything went dark.