Seven

“I won’t let them take me,” she said, her voice firmer than she ever thought possible.

Zane moved sharply, his body closing in on hers. His hand gripped her shoulder—not just comfort, but a claim burning through every fiber of her being.

“And they won’t.” His confidence was absolute.

The air thickened, tension mounting. Angela knew their time was running out.

It was Damian who moved first. His crimson eyes flared like fire.

“They’re here.”

The screams came before the bodies—distant, suffocating, animalistic. It was as if the earth itself recoiled from their approach.

Then a shadow rose from the darkness, twisting in impossible ways, dragged from the abyss. It slithered forward with the fluidity of a serpent, its eyes glowing with dead light, void of humanity.

Angela shuddered, the hatred radiating from the creature searing into her skin.

“Stay behind us,” Theo ordered, pulling her close.

But Angela didn’t move.

Her power surged, pressing to the surface. Her body vibrated with something primal, something older than herself.

She stepped forward.

The creature screamed—pure rage, a blast of wind scattering leaves like knives. But Angela stood her ground. She raised her hands, and blue light burst from her palms, her magic exploding outward in a wave of raw energy.

The impact was devastating.

The creature shrieked, then shattered, dissolving into ash and smoke.

But instead of triumph, cold seeped into the clearing.

Angela staggered, her strength drained by the force of what she had unleashed. She leaned against Theo, gasping for breath.

“I… I did that?” Her voice trembled.

Theo looked at her with reverence and worry.

“Yes,” he said softly, his green eyes gleaming with an intensity she had never seen. “But you must learn to control it. The energy you just released… it isn’t simple. And it isn’t safe.”

Angela’s gaze lingered on the empty space where the creature had been. The air still crackled, heavy with ancient power she barely understood.

“There were more of them,” Damian said, his voice tight. “They know the key has awakened. And now… they’ll come stronger.”

Zane stepped toward her, closer than ever, but not with desire—this time with protection. His hand cupped her face, firm yet gentle.

“They can’t touch you,” he said again, quieter now. “Not while we’re here.”

Angela’s eyes burned with unshed tears, her chest tight with the need to understand.

“What am I?” The question escaped her like a silent scream.

Zane’s smile was dark, his golden eyes deep with ancient knowledge.

“You are the key, Angela. The key to victory… or destruction.”

And deep down, she knew.

She was no longer a woman fleeing her past.

She was a storm waiting to break.

And nothing—and no one—could stop her.

The air pressed down heavy, as if the world itself was splintering. Angela still felt the crackle of her magic humming through her veins, electricity she couldn’t turn off.

She stood in the center of the clearing, breath uneven, trying to steady herself. The power she had released was overwhelming, terrifying, but undeniably hers.

Theo stayed at her side, his green eyes steady but shadowed with worry.

“Are you all right?” he asked softly, though there was more in his tone than simple concern.

Angela forced a fragile smile.

“I… I think so.” Her voice shook. Fear still throbbed in her veins, but something stronger was rising within her. Something untamable.

Damian, farther ahead, scanned the horizon. His crimson eyes fixed on the dark beyond, as if waiting for the shadows to move.

“More are coming,” he said, his voice low, like thunder beneath the earth.

Angela’s stomach clenched. “What are those things? How do we stop them?”

Damian’s bitter smile curved, his expression steeped in a sorrow she couldn’t comprehend.

“They were once human. Souls that traded everything for power, for immortality, for corruption. Now they are hunters. And not of flesh alone. They hunt souls. And you, Angela… you are the key to it all.”

Her heart lurched. The power inside her felt like something foreign, as though a piece of her had been ripped out and replaced by something ancient and unknown.

“What does that mean for me?” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Theo answered.

“It means you are what they seek. What keeps them alive. You are the true key. They felt your awakening. And now, nothing will stop them from chasing you until the end.”

The weight in Angela’s chest grew unbearable, as though the earth itself pressed against her. She closed her eyes, searching for that blue light again, the force that had answered her once before.

But instead of calm, she found a storm.

Not just power. Destruction.

Her gaze snapped to Zane, who now stood beside Damian, watching her with the unblinking intensity of a predator. His golden eyes burned, wild and relentless, his very presence vibrating with savage energy.

“You have to learn control, Angela,” he said, urgency sharpening his tone. “You can’t let this magic control you.”

Angela’s throat tightened.

“I… I don’t know how,” she admitted, frustration roughening her voice. “It’s too much. Too fast. I never asked for this. I never wanted this power.”

Zane took a step closer, grave and unyielding.

“I know you didn’t ask for it. But now it’s inside you. We can’t ignore it. The whole world is at stake. And only you can stop it from consuming everything.”

Theo placed a steady hand on her shoulder, his touch grounding, tender.

“We’ll train you. We’ll help you control it. All three of us are here. You’ll never be alone.”

But Theo’s words didn’t soothe her. Deep down, Angela knew she couldn’t rely on them forever.

Because what if one day… they weren’t there?

The fear swel

led, choking her.

She drew in a ragged breath, forcing herself to calm.

But before she could speak, everything shifted.