Chapter 5 Torn between obessesion
The wind on the highest castle tower was cold, blowing Kael’s dark hair backward as he stood there, arms folded, eyes fixed on the huge school ground below. From up there, he could see everything, the training field, the waterfalls, the garden paths, the forest line where the shadows looked a little too dark today.
He didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Just watched.
Damon stood beside him, resting his elbows on the stone railing, kicking his legs lightly like he had no single worry in the world. He was smiling as usual, bright and carefree.
“You know,” Damon started, his voice playful, “we are supposed to be looking out for demons, but you’re acting like someone dragged you here.”
Kael didn’t respond. His cold eyes kept scanning the students walking around below.
Damon sighed loudly. “Brother, seriously. You’re so boring. We don’t even hang out like normal siblings.”
Still no reply.
Damon pouted cutely, leaning closer. “At least say something. You will not die if you talk, Kael.”
The cold prince just continued staring at the field, not even a flicker of emotion crossing his face. Damon rolled his eyes dramatically.
“I swear sometimes I wonder if you are really my brother,” Damon muttered. Then he laughed softly to himself. “We are complete opposite. I talk, you don’t talk. I smile, you don’t smile. I like fun, you like staring into nothing…”
Kael’s jaw tightened slightly, but he still didn’t answer. Damon smirked. That was already a reaction from him.
The sun was starting to set slowly, and a strange red shade began to fill the horizon. Damon looked up at it and sighed quietly.
“It’s the red moon tonight,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “What are you going to do if your wolf side starts acting out again?”
Kael’s face didn’t change. But his fingers twitched slightly.
“You know how you get,” Damon continued. “Last time… you almost burned the whole training field. And nobody slept. Everyone locked themselves inside because they know how dangerous you are that night.”
Kael finally blinked once.
“I will tame myself,” he muttered in a low deep voice.
Damon stared at him. “You always say that.”
Kael didn’t respond again, his cold gaze returning to the students below. His eyes shifted slightly toward the direction of the fairy dorm side… he didn’t even know why. His wolf growled quietly inside him but he ignored it.
Damon exhaled sharply and stretched. “Well, I hope so. Because Master Gael is already panicking since morning.”
Before Kael could say anything, a familiar figure appeared below, walking gracefully like she owned the whole place.
Juniper.
Damon’s eyes lit up immediately. “Oh! There she is.” He smiled proudly. “My favorite cold princess.”
Without thinking twice, Damon climbed onto the edge of the tall castle, waved at Kael like nothing was wrong, and jumped down.
Just like that.
Kael didn’t even look surprised. Damon always did things like that. From below, Damon landed lightly and already started walking toward Juniper with a big grin.
Kael remained alone on the tower, the wind blowing harder around him.
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Lyra walked quietly down the castle hallway, hugging her books to her chest. The red moon light spilled through the windows, casting long shadows that made her stomach twist. She didn’t notice the pair of glowing eyes following her from the balcony above. A demon was watching her, silent and still, waiting.
When she enter her room, a soft voice stopped her before she can relax on the bed “Lyra.”
She spun around and froze. Echo was there, leaning against the wall. Her face was serious, no trace of her usual teasing smile.
“You should stay in the room tonight,” Echo said softly. “It’s… dangerous.”
Lyra frowned. “Dangerous? Why? What’s going on?”
Echo’s eyes darkened. “It’s the red moon. Nights like this… they’re not normal. You need to stay inside. Don’t leave this room, not even for a moment.”
She nodded and lay on the bed, her mind running with different thoughts.
Lyra sat on her bed, still shaken from Echo’s warning. She took a deep breath and reached for the crystal ball that sat on her desk. The smooth surface shimmered under the red moonlight. She whispered softly, “Mother… can you hear me?”
Slowly, the mist inside the crystal swirled, forming into the familiar, warm face of her mother. The woman smiled, gentle and comforting, and Lyra felt a wave of calm wash over her.
“My dear Lyra,” her mother said softly. “I’ve missed you.”
Lyra’s eyes watered a little. “I… I miss you too, Mother. It’s just… everything is so scary here. I don’t know what to do.”
Her mother’s smile never faded. “You’re stronger than you think, my child. And remember… always report to him whenever something goes wrong. Never keep dangerous things to yourself. I will protect you.”
Lyra nodded, gripping the crystal. “I will. I promise.”
They talked quietly for a while. Her mother reminded her to be careful, to trust her instincts, and to always watch the shadows. Lyra asked questions about the red moon, about the creatures that moved in the dark, and her mother answered patiently, telling small stories about her own childhood and the lessons she had learned.
Slowly, the edges of the crystal mist began to blur, the light growing softer. Lyra’s eyelids grew heavy, the warmth of her mother’s face comforting her.
“Sleep now, Lyra,” her mother whispered. “You are safe… for now. Remember what I said.”
Lyra nodded one last time, though she was too tired to speak. She curled under her blankets, the crystal ball glowing softly on her desk. Her mother’s smile lingered in her mind, and for the first time that night, she felt a small spark of peace. Soon, she drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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The training hall was empty and silent, the only sound the echo of Master Gael’s footsteps on the cold stone floor. Kael sat in the center, expressionless, as if the world outside didn’t exist. The red moonlight spilled through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the walls.
Master Gael approached slowly, chains in hand. His face was tight with worry, and every movement was careful, measured. “Kael… I’m sorry it has to be like this,” he said softly. “But you’ve started acting strangely. I need to do this to protect everyone.The Student are already afraid in their room.”
Kael didn’t move. Didn’t respond. His eyes were cold and empty, staring straight ahead, unblinking.
Gael knelt and began wrapping the heavy chains around Kael’s arms, chest, and legs. Each link was thick and strong, designed to hold the most dangerous of creatures. “I’ll cast a spell to reinforce it,” Gael muttered, hands moving over the links as faint light shimmered along the metal. “This will hold you… at least for now. I’m only doing this for their safety.”
Kael’s expression remained unchanged, as if the chains didn’t exist. Even when Gael whispered the final words of the spell, causing the chains to glow with magical energy, Kael didn’t react.
“I’m sorry, Kael,” Gael said again, stepping back. “I truly am. I just… want to protect the others.”
He left quietly, the heavy doors closing behind him. The hall returned to silence, broken only by the faint hum of magic in the reinforced chains. Kael remained still, his calm unshaken, until the red moon rose higher, spilling bright crimson light across the stone floor.
Then his eyes changed. A slow, deep red glow began in his irises, creeping outward until they burned like molten fire. His voice, low and commanding, started echoing in the hall, almost as if it came from the walls themselves:
“Freedom… I need freedom…”
The chains rattled as Kael’s muscles tensed, moving with precise, controlled force. The reinforced magic strained against him, but he didn’t panic. He didn’t thrash. His calm, deadly aura filled the room, and for a moment, even the air felt heavier, almost suffocating.
Then, with a sharp, silent snap, the chains shattered. Pieces of iron fell to the floor, clattering against the stone like dry bones. Kael rose, his movements deliberate, his eyes still glowing red, bloodshot and unyielding. His step was calm but deadly, each footfall echoing softly in the empty hall.
He walked to the doors, the wind from the open night brushing against him, carrying the crimson glow of the red moon inside. Kael didn’t rush. He didn’t shout. He simply stepped into the night, a figure of controlled, terrifying power.
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Lyra suddenly sprang up from the bed, her heart thudding in her chest. She didn’t know why, didn’t understand the strange tug she felt inside her, but her body moved on its own. She looked around the room. Echo was still asleep in the corner, curled into herself, her soft breathing steady and calm. Lyra hesitated, about to lie back down, when a soft voice called her name.
It was gentle, familiar… almost like her mother’s.
“Lyra…”
She froze. For a moment, she thought she was imagining it, that maybe her mind was playing tricks on her after the red moon and the strange warnings. But the voice came again, softer this time, insistent.
“It’s your mum… I am outside. I came to see you.”
Lyra’s chest tightened. Her mind struggled to question it, to tell herself it couldn’t be real, but her feet moved on their own. She slipped quietly from the bed, careful not to wake Echo, and moved toward the door. The corridor outside was dark and silent, the kind of quiet that made her heart skip with both fear and anticipation.
The voice continued to call her name, guiding her forward. She wanted to stop, to run back to the safety of her room, but something invisible seemed to pull her forward, stronger with every step. It was almost as if the night itself wanted her to follow.
Before she realized it, the walls of the castle had faded behind her. She was standing in the forest, the ground soft and cold beneath her feet. Moonlight filtered through the trees, red and haunting, and in the distance, she saw a figure smiling at her. Her mother.
Lyra ran, her legs pumping, calling out as she neared but the figure seemed to fade with every step. Her voice caught in her throat. “Mum! Mum!” she cried, reaching out, but the figure was gone.
A sudden chill made her stop. She spun around.
Something was there. Something horrible.
A demon, grotesque and ugly, its face covered in dozens of unblinking eyes, tongues flicking like snakes from its wide, twisted mouth. Its presence pressed down on her chest, cold and suffocating.
“Can’t believe you fell for such a simple trick,” it hissed. “I perceive strong energy from you. I am… disappointed.”
Lyra stumbled back, fear rooting her to the spot. “What… what do you mean?” she stammered, trying to create distance.
The demon’s eyes darted over her, dark hunger glinting. “I want your soul,” it whispered, voice like dry leaves scraping over stone.
Panic overtook her. Lyra turned and ran, branches scratching her arms, roots tripping her, the forest twisting in shadows. The demon followed instantly, moving unnaturally fast, crossing the space between them with terrifying ease and standing at her front.
She skidded backward to avoid it as it move more closer to her, her heart hammering, when suddenly something tore out of the demon’s chest. Its body shuddered, smoke curling from the wound, and it crumpled to the ground. The thing turned to ash in seconds, leaving only silence and the lingering stench of decay.
Kael stood before her. His presence was terrifying, more than even the demon. Dark, tall, his eyes glowing a red so intense it made her chest ache. He held something in his hand a heart. The demon’s heart. He pressed it slowly until it disintegrated completely, the sound of magic echoing faintly in the trees.
Lyra’s breath caught. Her legs moved before her mind could think, but it was useless. Kael’s hand shot out, wrapping around her neck, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. Tears sprang to her eyes as she clawed at him, terrified. His grip was unbreakable, and the red glow of his eyes made it impossible to think, impossible to breathe.
Life seemed to drain from her, panic and fear weighing down her body, when suddenly his eyes changed. The red melted away, replaced by something darker, something calmer, though no less terrifying.
“Her… scent… I… want… her,” His wolf growled, a low, guttural sound that reverberated through the forest. His body shifted, muscles relaxing, the deadly tension easing from his limbs. The glow in his eyes softened, but there was still power, control, and danger in every movement.
Lyra coughed, struggling for air as he lowered her gently but firmly to the ground. Her legs shook, knees hitting the soft dirt, heart still racing. She pressed herself back, unsure if she should run or fall to her knees in relief. His gaze didn’t leave her, steady and intense, the red moonlight reflecting off him like fire.
The forest was quiet again, except for her ragged breathing and the distant rustle of leaves. Lyra’s mind spun, trying to make sense of what had just happened. A part of her wanted to flee, to hide forever, but another part… a part she didn’t understand, couldn’t name… felt an odd pull toward him, even now, even after the fear.
Kael crouched slightly, not letting go, but no longer threatening her. His wolf-like growl had faded, replaced by a calm, predatory stillness. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t angry either.
Lyra gulped, voice trembling. “W-what… what do you want from me?”
“Let go” he muttered not replying her question, she immediately stood up running after him because she was still afraid, her body was still shaking too.
After some minutes, he stood in front of her room if it he know it already.
He stare at her face coldly.
“You will forget everything you witnessed” he said and she nodded before entering the room. Kael walk back to his room trying not to accept what he was thinking.
“Did that lowly fairy just calm his wolf?”