Chapter 3 >>>Chapter 3: The Dark Figure<<<

As Mia fought to escape the figure's smothering hold, her entire world was a blur. She felt a wild, suffocating panic rise inside her chest like a tide. She flailed like a savage animal, punched with her fists, and kicked out with her legs, but to no avail. Her assailant was too accurate and too powerful. Their arms clenched around her with brute efficiency, anticipating every move she made.

With every step a bewildering thud beneath her heels, the dim hallway flashed past her. The figure pulled her down, the concrete digging into her ankles as her feet slipped against the stairs. The scream that was building in her throat was choked off when a rough hand clamped over her mouth. Her jaw hardly moved when she attempted to bite the suffocating pressure.

Her eyes widened in horror as they came to the bottom. There lay Kael. With one arm bent beneath him and the other extended towards her, as though reaching out even in unconsciousness, his body was hunched awkwardly on the floor. His face was too still, and his eyes were closed. Too motionless.

She tried to yell, "No!" but her voice was muffled beneath the attacker's palm.

She thrashed harder, her fear feeding her. All other sounds were muffled by the wild pulse in her ears and the surge of adrenaline coursing through her body. Her movements became increasingly erratic and desperate. The figure, however, did not move. They dragged her towards the exit with icy composure, their movements deliberate..

She felt the cool night air slap her. It had a sharp, metallic smell, like oil and damp concrete. Her senses were momentarily sobered by the sudden cold. As her eyes adapted to the low streetlights, she blinked quickly. They were alone in a small alleyway that was resonating with quiet. She was surrounded by walls with graffiti scrawled on them like unheeded warnings.

The figure pushed her into a van before she could react. Her head cracked against something unforgiving, and she struck the metal floor hard, her side exploding with pain. She gasped, exhausted, and her vision became blurry.

With a finality that made her stomach turn, the doors slammed behind her. The engine came roaring to life.

Mia slowly sat up, her ribs hurting. Frantic questions were racing through her head: Who was this person? What were they seeking? Did Jade and Kael survive at all?

With her hand against the van's side for support, she attempted to stand up once more.

Abruptly, she was slammed back down by a heavy boot pressing against her chest.

A low, guttural voice, male but somehow distorted, as though laced with gravel and venom, growled, "Stay down."

Her throat tightened with breath. The weight of the boot pinning her made it difficult for her to breathe. With its face buried in the shadows under a hood, the figure leaned over her before slowly backing away, as if observing an animal in a cage.

Mia was motionless as her heart pounded in her ears like a battle drum. Fear and anger burned in her lungs. She cocked her head to look around. The interior of the van was cold, claustrophobic, and windowless. The ceiling, walls, and floor are all dull grey metal. She could see the figure looking at her in the rearview mirror, despite the partial partition separating the driver's seat.

There was no way out.

She was jerked across the floor as the van abruptly turned. She could hardly move as she tried to brace herself. Her side hurt, and her wrists were scraped.

The figure then completely spun around and met her gaze. Mia winced.

He pulled a syringe out of his coat pocket.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was hardly audible above a whisper as she stumbled.

In the dim dashboard light, the syringe glinted. The figure took hold of her arm with cold fingers and stabbed her with the needle without replying.

Mia let out a gasp. It surged into her vein, burning. Her vision started to swim, and her muscles tensed.

She attempted to speak, but her words were slurred. "Please, just stop."

The world tilted, colors swirling into darkness. The sounds of the van, including the tires, the engine, and the distant horn of a passing car, faded into distant echoes as her limbs became heavier. Her final thought was of Kael and the naive fear that she might never see him again.

Slowly, as though emerging from a choking sea, Mia woke up. Her body was numb and her mind was cloudy. A single bulb threw a yellow pool of light across the room, and the stone walls surrounding her glowed faintly.

The sheets were thin and scratchy under her as she lay on a narrow cot. Her head throbbed with a dull, pounding pain, and her limbs hurt, too. A wave of vertigo struck her as she attempted to sit up. She held on to the bed's metal frame until it steadied as the world whirled.

The room was cold, both physically and spiritually. walls of stone. concrete flooring. One chair and one table. It had the feel of a cell.

Someone watched from the shadows.

Mia's heart leaped into her throat. She made her eyes focus. The figure moved forward slowly, revealing their face to the light.

Lyra.

With a gasp, Mia reflexively scooted back on the bed. This woman was someone she knew. The odd visionary. The one who spoke in omens and riddles after visiting her pack's den.

"Who are you?" With a shaky but defiant voice, Mia demanded.

In the same low, raspy voice, Lyra said, "Welcome, Mia." "I have been anticipating your arrival."

Mia's thoughts were racing. Her ears throbbed with her pulse.

"Why? Why have I come here? What are you looking for from me?

Lyra took a step forward, her expression serene - too serene. However, there was a strange, manic fire in her eyes.

As though reciting from memory, she stated, "You have a role to play." "A role that will decide our world's destiny."

Mia's breath caught in her throat. What part? What the hell?

But all Lyra could do was smile, eerily confidently, rather than warmly.

She whispered, "You'll see," and extended her hand.

Lyra's grip tightened like steel around Mia's wrist as she jerked back.

"When the time comes, you'll see."

Mia felt a prick in her skin. She was trapped with this woman and her prophecy, despite her instincts telling her to flee.

Then Lyra said something that made her shiver:

The prophecy is unmistakable. The ancient ones' secrets can only be unlocked by you.

Ancient ones?

With her heart hammering in her chest, Mia gazed at her with wide eyes. She was perplexed. She didn't wish to comprehend.

But something changed in the back.

One of the memories. A dream. A blood whisper.

She only knew that the world she knew had changed irrevocably, but she had no idea what was ahead.

She was the focal point of it.