Azura's POV
The journal lay open on the table.
It was actually glowing. A faint, golden light seeped out from the edges of the pages, as if something alive was trapped inside and was finally breathing for the first time.
I stood there, frozen. My heart was racing so hard against my ribs that I could hear the rhythm in my ears. My breath came in short, quick gasps. I couldn't move. I was afraid that if I even blinked, the light would vanish and the book would snap shut again.
This was it. This was the one thing my parents had left me. The one thing that wouldn't open no matter how many times I begged it to. And now, it was glowing.
What's inside?
The question screamed in my head. It had to hold the answers to why they left me behind, why I was born this way.
Slowly, my hands trembling so much I could barely control them, I leaned closer. I let my fingers hover over the paper for a second before I finally touched the edge of the first page.
I turned it.
There was only one word on the page. Just one.
Key.
I blinked, staring at the ink. That was it? Just one word? My chest started to feel tight, like a hand was squeezing my lungs. I turned the page again.
Lock.
I felt a lump forming in my throat. I turned the page again.
Seal.
And again.
Break.
I kept flipping, my movements getting faster and more desperate.
Open. Carry. Hide. Truth. Endure.
Nine pages. Nine single words. And then... nothing.
The rest of the journal was blank. Empty. Just plain, yellowed paper that didn't have a single mark on it. I flipped the book back and forth, my eyes searching every corner, checking the back, checking the seams. I was looking for a hidden note, a map, a letter, anything.
But there was nothing.
I stared at the words again, reading them over and over until they started to blur.
Key. Lock. Seal. Break. Open. Carry. Hide. Truth. Endure.
They didn't make any sense. They didn't even form a sentence. They were just nine random words. My hands started shaking, but it wasn't from the cold or fear. It was pure, hot anger.
"This is it?" I whispered. My voice cracked, sounding small and pathetic in the big, silent room.
I'd waited for this. I had hoped for this. I had literally bled on this book just to get it to open. And all it gave me were nine useless words. No explanation. No letter from my parents telling me they loved me or why they had to go. No secret to why I am different.
Just words
I slammed the journal shut. The glow disappeared instantly, and the room felt darker than it had a second ago. I stood there, breathing hard, staring at the closed book like it was an enemy.
Then, I lost it. I grabbed the journal and threw it across the room with everything I had. It hit the corner of the chair with a dull thud and fell to the floor, looking like a piece of trash. The sound echoed in the silence, making my ears ring.
I pressed my hands over my face and let out a shaky, jagged breath. Seriously, who on earth locks a useless book with that kind of power? You'd think there was a pile of gold or some great secret inside, not just nine words that don't mean a thing.
Wait a minute. I felt a chill run down my back as a thought hit me. Were my parents sorcerer and sorceress? It was the only thing that made sense. I mean, books don't just drink blood and start glowing for no reason.
Yes, it made sense now. They must have been powerful, and the most terrible ones to ever live. They probably fumbled some ridiculous spell, broke a chant, and ruined my life before it even started.
Wow, my brain is just amazing. I'm standing here in the dark, figuring out that my parents were probably bad at their jobs while my whole world is falling apart. I really am a genius.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
I spun around, my heart jumping into my throat. Liona was standing in the doorway. She didn't knock. She didn't ask if she could come in. She just walked in like she owned the place.
I stared at her, trying to pull myself together. "How did you get in here?"
She shrugged, looking totally bored. "Snuck in. I know the pack house pretty well. The guards are easy to avoid if you know the shortcuts and which ones take naps on duty."
I blinked, surprised. "You snuck into the Alpha's house."
"Yeah." She said it so casually, like she was talking about the weather. She looked me up and down, her eyes narrowing as she saw my messy hair and the tears I hadn't wiped away.
"You look miserable."
"Thanks," I muttered, looking away.
She walked further into the room and leaned against my table. "You've been off since the prison thing. Figured I'd check on you."
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to look stronger than I felt. "I'm fine."
"You're not."
I didn't argue. I didn't have the energy left to fight her. She glanced at the journal lying on the floor, then back at me.
"What's that?"
"Nothing," I said quickly.
She raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. Instead, she straightened up and tilted her head toward the door. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
I frowned. "What?"
"You need air. And I need to not get caught sneaking around. So let's go."
I shook my head. "Last time we were together, we ended up in prison, Liona."
"And we got out, didn't we?"
"Liona..."
"Please?" She put her hands together like she was praying, her eyes wide and pleading. It was so ridiculous that I almost wanted to laugh.
I sighed, letting my shoulders drop. "Fine. Just this once."
Her face lit up with a huge grin. "Great. Let's go."
We slipped out of the pack house quietly. Liona moved like she'd done this a hundred times. She was quick and confident, knowing exactly which shadows to hide in. I followed behind her, my heart thumping every time we passed a guard, but nobody even looked our way.
The cool night air hit my face as we finally stepped outside. I took a deep breath, and for the first time in days, the air didn't feel so heavy. It felt lighter out here.
Liona led the way, weaving through narrow streets and dark alleys I didn't recognize. "Where are we going?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"You'll see," was all she said.
We stopped in front of a building that looked small and worn down. It was the kind of place you'd walk past a thousand times and never notice. But it wasn't abandoned. I could see light flickering through the cracks in the shutters, and I could hear voices murmuring inside.
Liona pushed the door open.
I froze.
Children. There were so many children. Not just a few like the ones I used to help in the slums. There were dozens of them. Maybe fifty. They filled the room, sitting on the floor playing with scraps of cloth, or curled up on thin, old blankets.
Some were laughing, some were talking quietly, but they all looked up the moment we walked in. My breath caught in my throat. I didn't understand.
Then I saw her. Amanda. The little girl with messy blonde hair and big, hopeful eyes. She looked at me, and her whole face lit up. "Azura!"
She ran toward me as fast as her little legs could carry her, wrapping her arms around my waist. I stood there, stiff and unsure, before I slowly reached down and hugged her back.
My chest tightened, but it wasn't the kind of pain Rhydor gave me. It was something else.
I looked up at Liona. She was watching me quietly. "What is this?" I asked.
Liona walked over and sat on the edge of a low table. "This is why I steal, Azura."
I stared at her, my mouth slightly open.
"My parents are rich, yeah," she said, looking down at her hands. "But even their money isn't enough. Not for this many kids. Not for food and medicine and everything else they need."
Her voice got soft. "I started helping a few of them. Then more kept coming. Orphans. Runaways. Kids the pack didn't want because they weren't 'strong' enough. I couldn't turn them away."
I swallowed hard. "So you steal to feed them."
She nodded. "Only when I have to. I hate doing it. But I can't let them starve."
I looked around the room again. Some of these kids I recognized from the outskirts of the village. They all had the same look, the same hollow, lonely eyes I used to see in my own reflection. Forgotten. Invisible.
I felt something shift inside me. For the first time in days, the weight in my chest didn't feel so crushing. It felt a little bit lighter.
Amanda tugged on my hand, looking up at me. "Will you stay?" she asked quietly.
I looked at her, then at Liona, then at the room full of children who had nowhere else to go. I gave a small nod. "Yeah. I'll stay."
Amanda smiled, and for the first time in the last few days, I actually smiled back.