"This is insane," Kael mumbled for the tenth time that day. He couldn't accomplish anything—no writing, no sleeping, and not even making a simple breakfast. Why? Because he kept experiencing the same strange and mysterious dream for the past week. In the dream, he always found himself in the middle of a forest, surrounded by some golden threads that appeared to be weaving themselves together on their own. That was odd enough, but what was even stranger was that he wasn't alone. There was a girl in the distance, and although she was far away, he could clearly see her eyes. He had no idea how that was possible, but he knew they were beautiful—forest green. Whenever he tried to move, he found himself unable to, and then he would suddenly wake up. It was bizarre, really bizarre. This had been happening for a week, disrupting his sleep and daily activities. Now, as he attempted to make himself a cup of coffee, he just stood there, lost in thought about that annoying dream. He rolled his eyes and left the kitchen, giving up on the coffee. He lived alone in his condo.
As a writer, he appreciated his solitude, peace, and quiet, which helped him think clearly without distractions. He settled onto his sofa and turned on his phone, which he usually kept off or on silent. Like he mentioned, he valued his peace, and his family and friends didn’t understand that. Not even his family knew where his condo was. Coming from the wealthy and famous 'Walker' family, known for its writers, he always felt the pressure and attention surrounding him. To get away from everything, he buys a condo far from his family and all the attention. As he mentioned, no one knows where he lives, except for his best friend, Aria. When his phone lit up with a message and he saw her name, he thought, "Speak of the devil." He clicked on it and read the message. "I'm outside, open the door." He stood up and went to let her in. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a very excited and cheerful Aria. He often wondered where she got all her energy. "Hello, sweetheart! How have you been? I missed you. Did you miss me?" she asked as she walked inside. He replied while closing the door. "No." She sat down and rolled her eyes, taking a look around the room. "How can you live here alone? It's so boring and quiet! You bought a condo almost out in the woods. You’re practically living in the forest!" "Well, I like it this way. I’m not like you, always needing people around." "That’s true; I am a model, after all," she said with a sweet smile. Kael has been friends with Aria since they were kids. She’s the only person he enjoys being around. He especially appreciates her company during his writer’s block. Aria comes from a wealthy family of businesspeople, and she is the heir who plans to take over the family business soon. She is also a model and claims she can handle both careers, and she truly does. Her family runs a home goods and furniture company, and she has been working closely with her parents to help manage it. She is also very attractive. Her straight black hair that falls to her waist, her bright blue eyes shine, and her smile is infectious. She makes a great model. Kael might have dated her if she weren’t so annoying. Aria interrupted his thoughts. "How about this: I'm sure you've been stuck in this condo without going out. Let's go out and have some fun, what do you think?" "No," he answered immediately. "Ugh, is 'no' the only word you know? Come on, it’ll be great. I can tell you’re dealing with a little writer's block since you’re not glued to your laptop typing. Please?" She gave him a hopeful look. Kael thought, 'Darn it, I really do have writer's block. She knows me too well.' But he didn't realize he said that out loud. "Of course I do! I am your one and only love, right?" Kael stood up and started walking towards his room. "Is that a yes?" She didn’t get a response, but she already knew the answer. "I love you." "Fuck you " Kael replied before disappearing from her view. Aria burst into laughter. Sunlight filtered into Kael’s room through the blinds. He woke up to his alarm ringing, showing it was 7 a.m. He rolled onto his back and rubbed his face, feeling tired and worn out. "Aria’s idea of fun is always wild," he thought, yet he still chose to go along with it. He remembered the night before. They had gone to a club, and Aria really let loose, drinking and dancing. At one point, Kael felt worried for her and realized she must really need a break since this behavior was unusual for her. She enjoys partying, but not to this level. He decided to limit his drinking so he could safely get them both home, which he was grateful for. Afterward, he stood up and headed to the bathroom in the mirror, he saw that he looked dishevelled, his black wavy hair covered his face. He brushed his teeth, took a shower, and then made himself a simple breakfast of toast and coffee. Once he finished eating, he went to the living room and turned on the TV, tuning into a news channel. The news anchor was discussing damage done to the forest near the city. The report included a video showing the destruction, with trees uprooted and a large hole in the ground. "Wow, what could have caused such damage?" Kael wondered, but he didn't have time to think about it because he had a novel to focus on which is soon due for publishing. He then turned off the TV and went to his room to continue his work. And for now, putting aside the dream that keeps coming back to him.Latest Chapter
Chapter Forty
Though the house and everyone felt safe and happy,there was still danger lurking. Nighttime the shield cracked suddenly.No warning. Just a sound like glass breaking across the sky. The ward over the house shattered. Cold air poured in. And Malakai stepped through the gap like he’d been waiting on the other side.Malakai. Tall, Scarred and Eyes black with no white. Power rolling off him in waves that made the walls hum.“Well,” he said. Voice old and amused. “look what we have here.”Everyone was on their feet in seconds. Eryn was in front of Sophia before he thought. Aria’s portal hand flared blue, between Malakai and all of them. Kael slowed time in a bubble around Lyra. Lyra’s triple wall slammed up, all three layers at once.Terrakaiya floated forward. Eyes gold and serious. “You’re not supposed to be here.”Malakai smiled. “Plans change, little Guardian. I have waited long enoigh I wanted to see who the threads have chosen myself.”Malakai didn’t attack right away. He tested. A
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The night was quiet. Too quiet. Like the air was holding its breath.Eryn didn’t move. He just stood there, watching Aria watch him. The blanket between them felt thinner than it had a minute ago. The space felt smaller.Aria’s fingers twitched against the fabric. She didn’t pull her hand away. She didn’t close the distance either. Not yet.“You’re doing that thing again,” she said softly.“What thing?”“That thing where you look at me like you’re trying to decide if it’s safe to want this.”Eryn exhaled. He had no answer for that. Because she was right. He was always calculating. Always measuring risk. Even now.“I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted. The words came out rough, honest. “I know how to survive. I know how to fight. I don’t know how to… stay.”Aria shifted. She didn’t touch him. She didn’t need to. Her voice was steady. “Then don’t think about staying. Think about now. Just this moment.”He looked at her. Really looked. Not as a threat. Not as a variable. As her. The
Chapter Thirty-Eight
No alarms. No portals. No wards. For the first time since everything, the house was just… quiet. The shield hummed steady. Sophia and Andrew slept in real beds with real blankets. No chains. No gold eyes watching.Eryn sat on the porch steps at dawn. Sleeve rolled up. The closed loop was quiet now. No pulling. Just a faint pulse.The door opened behind him. Soft footsteps. Not trying to hide. Just not trying to be loud.Aria sat down beside him. She brought a blanket instead. She draped it over both their shoulders.“You didn’t sleep,” she said. Not a question.“Did you?” Eryn asked.“No,” Aria admitted. She leaned her shoulder against his. Didn’t move away. “Kept listening for footsteps. Old habit.”Eryn pulled the blanket tighter around them. “Me too. But different footsteps now.. Just… her. Breathing.”Aria nodded. They sat like that for ten minutes. No talking. “You’re good at quiet,” Aria said finally. Voice low.“You’re good at staying,” Eryn replied. He turned his head. Her f
Chapter Thirty-seven
Level three.The air was colder here. Wet concrete. The smell of rust and old rain. The only light came from Eryn’s closed loop, glowing faint gold and pulsing with Sophia’s heartbeat.Three doors. Iron. No handles on the outside. Just one keyhole in each, shaped like a keyhole with a line through it. Liona’s mark.Eryn pressed his palm to the first door. The keyhole on his arm flared. Gold met gold. The door clicked open. No sound. No alarm. Sophia’s magic recognized him.Inside: a small room. Cot. Bucket. And Sophia.Real Sophia. Not Liona’s gold eyes. Brown. Tired. Thin. But her. She was sitting on the cot, knees pulled up, when the door opened. She looked up, squinted at the light, then froze.“Eryn?” Her voice was hoarse. “Is that… is that really you?”Eryn didn’t answer with words. He stepped inside and dropped to his knees in front of her. No hesitation. “It’s me,” he said. Voice rough. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t know. I’m sorry it took this long.”Sophia stared at him
Chapter Thirty-six
An old building ,3:14am. No lights. Just concrete, rust, and air that tasted like old metal and forgotten things. Eryn pressed his palm to the closed loop. Sophia’s heartbeat came through faint but steady.“Below us,” he whispered. “Three levels. Same as the other building.”Aria opened her portal. Not four feet this time. Two feet. Narrower, but deeper. Straight down into black. No wobble. No sound. “One minute hold,” she said. Voice steady. “Then we extend.”Eryn layered illusion over it. Made the broken tile floor look solid. “Anchoring,” he said. He used the tracker pull as weight. The keyhole pulsed. Sophia, somewhere below, pulsed back.Kael and Lyra moved ahead. Wards covered the stairwell down. Old magic. Liona’s work. Gold lines etched into the concrete, humming low enough to make teeth ache.Lyra knelt, fingers hovering over the first line. “Light touch,” she murmured. “If I break it wrong, they’ll know.”Kael crouched behind her. Not touching. Just close. His time magic
Chapter Thirty-five
The house was quiet after Liona and Lyrien walked through the wall. Too quiet. Like the air was waiting to see if they’d scream.No one screamed. Eryn sat on the floor, back against the couch. Staring at his arm. The closed loop pulsed once every few seconds. Not pulling. Just… waiting. Like a door with someone knocking from the other side.“Sophia’s voice,” he said quietly. “That was her. At the end. She’s still in there. Somewhere.”Aria sat beside him offering whatever comfort she can.“You didn’t know,” she said again. Softer. “Liona wore her for a long time. Of course you believed it.”“I should’ve noticed,” Eryn muttered. “The eyes. The way she asked about Andrew. The way she never ate when we studied.”“You noticed when it mattered,” Aria said. She turned his wrist gently, looked at the keyhole in the loop. “The tracker’s listening to her now. Not just Liona. Sophia’s fighting from inside. That’s why it changed.”Across the room, Kael was pacing. “They took the faces. They di
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