Chapter 5 The Night's Edge

Elias' words lingered in my thoughts, a terrifying warning that rang throughout my entire existence. The thought of the curse spreading and devouring not only me but everyone I cared about made my resolve tremble. I had no idea how to fight or control something that I hardly understood.

But I had to try.

I remained up that night, sitting in the dim light of my bedside lamp, attempting to fight back the shadows sneaking in at the corners of my thoughts. I could feel it-the pull, the whispering, the scraping on the surface of my thoughts. They weren't technically words, but more instincts or primordial urges. A voice that was not mine.

Come. Run. Claim what's yours.

It would be quite easy to give in. I felt it in every part of my body: the draw of the forest just beyond these walls. I wanted to let it take me, to unravel whatever part of me was trying so hard to stay grounded in reality.

But the recollection of my mother's golden eyes, hollow and gone, held me steady. I had scarcely slept by the time the early light filtered through the drapes. My eyes were covered by dark circles, and my body felt heavy, as if I were moving through molasses. But I had made up my mind: I couldn't do it alone.

Whatever Elias knew, no matter how much he concealed, he was my only chance of knowing what was happening to me. And maybe, just maybe, he could help me figure out how to save my mother. After school, I discovered him leaning against the wall outside, as if he knew I was looking for him.

"Are you ready?" he questioned, his gaze piercing.

I paused, my fingers curled into fists. "You stated you wanted to help me. So, Elias, help me grasp what's going on. "All of it." He seemed to contemplate this for a moment before nodding. "Alright. But there are some things you won't want to hear.

"Try me."

Without another word, he led me to his truck, and we drove out of town, the forest looming closer as we wound our way down the back roads. It wasn't long before he turned down a narrow path, barely visible through the overgrowth, and we stopped near a clearing deep in the woods. like we stepped outside, I felt a familiar hum of energy surrounding me, like if the trees themselves were watching us.

Elias indicated for me to follow, and we went through the trees in silence until we came to a tiny meadow. In the center, half obscured by foliage and vines, was an ancient stone circle, moss-covered and corroded from years of exposure.

"What is this place?" I inquired, my tone barely above a whisper.

He crouched beside the stones, stroking his fingertips across weird markings engraved onto their surface."This is one of the binding circles. Generations ago, the town's founders created these places to hold back the curse's power, to keep it contained in the bloodline. These stones... they keep it from spreading."

I stepped closer, the air around the stones thick with an energy I couldn't explain. The symbols looked familiar, like fragments of some half-remembered dream. "So... my family was bound to this place?"

Elias nodded, his expression grim. "The curse is connected to the land itself. That's why your family has always lived here, why they never left. It's as much a prison as it is a home."

I felt a pang in my chest. This forest, this town-it had never just been a choice. It had been a cage, built around us by people who wanted to keep the curse contained, who didn't care what it did to the people trapped within its bounds.

Elias looked up at me, his eyes filled with an intensity I hadn't seen before. "These stones have held the curse back for generations, but they're weakening, Mia. I can feel it. The curse is getting stronger."

A chill ran through me as I met his gaze. "Why now? What changed?"

He stood up, brushing the dirt from his hands. "I don't know. But I do know this-if the curse breaks free, it won't just affect you or your family. It will spread through the town, and anyone who has even a trace of your bloodline will feel its pull."

"So it's my fault," I whispered, the weight of it settling on my shoulders. "If I can't control this, then everyone around me-"

"No," he said firmly, cutting me off. "This isn't your fault. The curse is old, older than any of us. It's been waiting, biding its time. You just happen to be the one it's decided to test."

I turned away, feeling both frustrated and powerless. "So what am I supposed to do?" Elias said slowly,

"There might be a way to slow it down," as though the statement were unintelligible. "But it's dangerous."

I didn't want to find out, didn't want to be drawn further into this nightmare. But I had to know if it meant keeping the curse from spreading and controlling me.

"Tell me," I said, asserting myself in spite of the underlying nervousness. As though seeking clarification, he inhaled deeply and turned back to the stones. "The connection-to the land, people, and feelings-is what the curse thrives on.

If you want to weaken it, you'll need to sever those connections. You'll have to isolate yourself, completely, for as long as it takes."

The words struck me like a blow. "You mean... leave my family? My friends?"

Elias nodded, his expression pained. "It's the only way to keep them safe. The curse can't spread if it doesn't have anything to latch onto."

My stomach twisted. Leave everyone behind, just disappear? The thought felt impossible, like cutting out a part of myself. But the memory of my mother's eyes, cold and unrecognizing, burned in my mind. I didn't want to end up like her. I couldn't.

Before I could answer, the sound of branches snapping nearby broke through the silence. Both of us tensed, turning toward the noise. I felt that familiar prickle along my skin, the pull of something watching, waiting.

Elias stepped in front of me, his body tense. "Stay behind me," he murmured, his voice low.

The rustling grew closer, and I caught a glimpse of movement between the trees. My heart pounded as I recognized the familiar, haunting glow of golden eyes.

The wolf. My mother.

But something was differenMy mind raced, trying to make sense of what I was seeing, and I felt a wave of fear.

Elias's face went white with understanding as he met my eyes. "It's beginning," he muttered.t this time. She wasn't alone.

A second set of eyes appeared beside hers-golden and fierce, almost identical. "The curse... it's already spreading."

Panic surged through me as I backed away, my thoughts spinning. If another had already been claimed, it meant we were out of time. The curse was gaining strength, faster than anyone had anticipated.

I watched as the two wolves, almost mirror images of each other, stared back at me with a cold, predatory intelligence. One was my mother. But the other...

A chill ran through me as the truth dawned, and I barely whispered the words, the terror freezing in my throat.

"It's my father."

And as they moved, circling us with terrifying intent, I knew this was only the beginning of what the curse had in store.