Elara woke screaming.
Not from pain—at least, not yet—but from the weight of a presence pressing against the walls, against the stone floor, against her very chest. Something had entered the cell while she slept, silent as a knife sliding through the dark.
Her pulse slammed in her ears. She tried to move, to rise from the slab, but her body was still reeling from the vampire blood. Muscles refused to obey. Her hands trembled violently, sweat slicking her skin, and a low growl rose from deep inside her chest.
Something stirred in the shadows.
Kael was nowhere in sight.
A whisper of air brushed her neck, and instinct screamed. She spun—too slow.
A clawed hand latched onto her shoulder, spinning her around with brutal force. Pain flared across her collarbone as the seal beneath her skin flared violently. She gasped, chest heaving, nails scraping stone.
The attacker's face remained hidden beneath a hood, shadow swallowing the details, but the movement was wrong—too quick, too fluid, like a predator born to strike without hesitation.
"You shouldn't be here," a voice hissed, low and distorted.
Elara's hands found the attacker's arm, claws scraping against something tougher than flesh. Sparks of raw energy shot from her fingertips—the awakening inside her responding without thought. The stranger staggered back slightly, surprise flashing briefly before it melted into anger.
She stumbled but stayed on her feet.
Her heart thudded violently, senses overloaded. Every sound was too loud, every shadow too close, every breath of air carrying a metallic tang.
Then she saw them.
Two more figures, silent as death, flanking the first. The forest of vampires she had felt yesterday—trained assassins. Her bloodline was wanted, and they had come for her first, before Kael could intervene.
The first strike came without warning.
Elara's instincts flared—fury and fear tangled inside her, jagged and vicious. She dodged, twisting unnaturally fast, body moving with a precision that should have been impossible. The assailant hissed, lunging again. She blocked, nails raking the cloth of his sleeve, hearing it tear like paper.
Metallic taste filled her mouth. Adrenaline coursed with the vampire blood, heating her skin, sharpening her senses. She felt the world differently now: the pull of prey, the presence of predators, the scent of life and death intertwined.
The second attacker charged. Her vision tunneled, heat exploding in her chest as she reacted instinctively. She slammed her palm against the figure's shoulder, and a shock of raw energy surged through him, throwing him backward against the wall. A loud crack echoed.
Elara froze, chest heaving. She had never done that before.
The first attacker recovered quickly, eyes glowing faint red. The claws on his hands gleamed in the dim light, deadly and precise. "Impressive," he hissed. "But you won't survive long."
Her teeth clenched, jaw tight. She lunged, countering instinct with raw desperation, but the third attacker circled her now, silent, patient, watching for weakness.
A sudden crash behind her made all three attackers turn.
Kael stepped into the room, silver eyes blazing, aura twisting violently around him. The air bent toward him as if the cell itself obeyed his command.
"Step away," he growled, voice low and lethal.
The vampires froze, caught between attack and retreat. Then they moved as one—lightning fast, synchronized, and lethal.
Kael's hand lashed out, silver light exploding from his fingers. Two of them were thrown back violently, hitting the walls with bone-shattering force. The third—closest to Elara—moved to strike her again.
But she was ready.
Her hands glowed faint red, claws extending from her fingertips. The awakening surged violently, instinct and hunger merging. She struck first, scraping across his chest. Pain flared, and he staggered back, shock in his eyes.
Kael's eyes met hers, wide with something she couldn't name: respect? fear?
The third attacker hissed, recoiling. "Impossible…" he spat, retreating into the shadows.
Kael moved quickly, gripping her arm. "You cannot hold back," he said, voice taut with warning. "Not against them. Not ever."
Elara shook violently, heart hammering. "I—I didn't mean to—"
"Doesn't matter," Kael cut her off. "You will kill if you survive this."
The cell door banged open violently. The first two vampires stirred, groaning, blood dripping from shallow wounds, their movements sluggish but deliberate. The energy in the room surged, oppressive, dangerous.
Kael stepped between her and them, fists glowing faint silver. "You belong to no one. Not yet."
The vampires hissed and lunged, but Kael raised a single hand. A shockwave erupted, tossing both back across the room. Stone cracked, dust fell, and the floor trembled.
Elara's breath caught. Her stomach churned. She had never seen anything like him.
Kael's eyes locked onto hers again. "And you," he said slowly, "belong to no one—except yourself. For now."
Her gaze dropped to her hands, claws still extended. The awakening inside her rumbled like a beast, furious and untamed.
A metallic click echoed from the shadows.
Elara froze.
Kael's head snapped toward the sound. His jaw tightened. "They've breached the outer wards," he hissed.
A shadow moved faster than human eyes could track. Something struck the wall, stone splintering, and the cell shuddered.
Her pulse hit a frantic rhythm, hands twitching, claws scraping the floor.
Kael's voice was calm but sharp. "You're going to survive this. But only if you trust me, and only if you fight like the monster you are becoming."
The attackers regrouped, eyes glowing, fangs bared.
Elara's claws shimmered, bloodlust mixed with raw fear. Her body ached, her senses screamed, and yet, somewhere deep inside, she knew…
She was no longer the prey.
She was the target.
And she was learning how to kill.
Then the door behind them shattered completely.
Another presence entered. Massive. Silent. Dominant. Older than Kael.
And the moment Elara smelled him, her blood turned to ice.
He smiled.
And whispered a single word:
"Finally…"