She staggered, battered and bloodied. But she would not break.
Even if the world called her baby a curse. Even if gods and kings decreed it must die.
Her child was hers. And she would protect it.
Summoning her last reserves of energy, she reached deep inside, but the power that sparked to life in her veins was instantly snuffed out. A visible force, still and silent, had been standing just beyond the edge of the light.
"I'm done waiting. Time to die." The voice was a low rumble of thunder, cold and final.
King Steffens.
The head council elder, the most powerful wolf, and the man who had watched the entire display with inhuman patience. With a flash of speed, he closed the distance. His fangs, long and gleaming, slammed into her stomach.
She fights. She thrashes. She clings to the last breath of life she has left.
But fate is merciless.
Her death is the final key, the price paid to silence the prophecy and seal the gates of hell. The moment her heart takes its last beat, the dark master's fury erupts.
For seven days and nights, fire rains from the sky. The earth bleeds molten rage, devouring homes, forests, and lives. Cities crumble beneath the inferno of his wrath.
Until, at last, the Moon Goddess intervenes.
With a whisper of ancient power and a plea that echoes across the universe, she seals the scorched lands beneath a blanket of ice.
The world exhales in relief.
Time marches on.
A new era rises, reshaped by innovation. Magic is hidden, myths rewritten as fiction. Supernatural beings blend into the shadows, their existence a secret whispered only among those who still believe.
The Council enforces strict laws, rules meant to protect their kind from the eyes of an ever-advancing world.
For now, secrecy is survival.
Iceland – 2025
"Hurry, hurry! If we get caught, we're dead," Mia's frantic whisper slices through the tense silence, her voice raw with panic.
Ella barely spares her a glance, her body stretched to its breaking point. She hangs by one arm, legs dangling midair, expertly maneuvering between deadly electric laser beams. With her free hand, she guides a glass cutter around the reinforced case holding the Ice Stone.
The tiny gem rests on a small, dark cushion, its icy surface shimmering under the dim security light.
"I am hurrying," Ella mutters under her breath, her fingers trembling as she fumbles for a secure grip. The weight of her body screams against her straining muscles, but she cannot afford a single misstep.
Mia shifted anxiously in her crouched position on the ledge, watching with wide eyes. At nineteen, she carried herself like an old woman, timid and riddled with fear. Her fear was a sharp contrast to Ella's silent confidence, a maturity that had always seemed beyond her years.
Ella reached for the stone again, but a sudden slip of her fingers nearly sent the gem tumbling into the abyss below.
She exhaled sharply, steadying herself.
The mission had seemed simple when they first received it, a small envelope tucked into their home mailbox two days ago, containing instructions and a generous payout for retrieving an allegedly rare Ice Stone.
She had assumed it was the delusion of a rich eccentric, some collector obsessed with myths. But standing here now, in this desolate, snow-covered land miles away from civilization, Ella has a creeping feeling that they have been severely misinformed.
This mission had seemed simple when they first received it, a small envelope tucked into their mailbox two days ago, promising a fortune for an allegedly rare Ice Stone.
She had assumed it was the delusion of some rich eccentric, a collector obsessed with myths. But standing here, in this desolate, snow-covered land miles away from civilization, she had a creeping, cold dread that they had been sent into a lie.
The castle is unlike anything she's ever seen, an ancient structure, its walls thick with frost, its pathways booby-trapped with ice-tipped arrows, laser sensors, and alarms. It's almost as if the owner knew thieves would come for the stone and took every possible measure to ensure no one leaves alive.
The guards had been easy to bypass, half-asleep at their posts, except for two sluggish patrols that pass every ten seconds. The real challenge had been the traps. Yet, somehow, Ella had known exactly how to move, slipping through each one like she had trained for this moment her entire life. She can't explain how, but it's as if she can sense the danger before it happens.
Mia isn't built for this. Unlike Ella, her skills are purely theoretical, she's the planner, the one who handles the details. But at this moment, she's uselessly whispering warnings while Ella risks life and limb for a piece of rock.
"Ella!" Mia hisses again, nerves pushing her toward panic.
"Just hold on," Ella snaps. "Almost got it..."
Her fingers brush against the smooth surface of the stone, and the moment they make contact, a soft glow pulses beneath her touch. A strange sensation rushes up her arm, like the cool touch of frost sinking into her skin, but she ignores it.
"And... got it."
With a swift, fluid motion, she flips backward, landing gracefully on her feet.
Mia releases a heavy sigh of relief, rising from her crouch. "Finally! Now let's get out of here"
But before she can finish, disaster strikes.
A faint clink echoes through the chamber.
Mia's watch, loose around her wrist, slips free and tumbles directly into one of the laser beams.
The red sensors flicker.
The sound system roars to life.
The alarm erupts in a shrill, blaring cry that reverberates through the castle.
Mia's face pales. "We're dead."
Ella doesn't hesitate.
Grabbing Mia's wrist, she yanks her into motion. "Run."
They sprint, their footsteps barely audible over the deafening alarms. The castle's corridors are a maze of icy walls and sharp turns, but Ella retraces their steps with precise memory. They dodge incoming arrows, slide beneath closing gates, and leap over frozen barriers.
The secret passage behind the fireplace, there!
Ella shoves Mia inside first, following right behind as the heavy stone door seals shut behind them. They tear through the underground tunnels, climbing the icy ladders leading to the open sky.
Fresh air hits their faces like a slap.
They made it.
Mia bends over, gasping for breath. "That..was, life-threatening."
Ella doesn't respond, her eyes scanning the horizon. The smartwatch on her wrist blinks, a signal.
"The helicopter should be here any minute," she mutters.
Mia straightens, a flicker of hope in her exhausted expression. "Finally. The sooner, the better."
The castle guards will be after them in moments. But if they can just get on that chopper, they will be home free.
Or so they think.
Because somewhere deep in the icy halls of the castle, a pair of golden eyes flicker open.
And the hunt has just begun