Chapter 61 Nothing About This Felt Normal

Chapter 61 Nothing About This Felt Normal
Sera’s POV

I hated how calm Tobias sounded after saying such a terrifying statement.

Nobody replied immediately after that. The underground chambers suddenly felt smaller despite how massive they actually were. Water rushed beneath the stone bridges nearby while old lanterns flickered across carved walls that looked older than the packs themselves.

I folded my arms tightly. “Do you ever say anything comforting?”

Caden coughed beside me again and leaned harder against the stone wall.

I looked at him immediately. “You need to sit down before you collapse again.”

“You’re starting to sound bossy.”

A faint grin touched his face before pain wiped it away quickly.

Damien noticed too.

“Sit down, Caden.” Damien said flatly.

Caden blinked at him. “Wow, you're showing concern, I’m emotional.”

“I just don’t want to carry you again.”

“That’s fair.”

Tobias shook his head slowly like we were exhausting him already. “You’re all too loud for people hiding underground.”

“We’re coping, even though it's poorly.” I replied.

My mother stepped closer toward me afterward, touching my arm gently. “You should rest too, you've had too many power surges.”

“I’m not tired.”

That lie barely survived three seconds, Terry snorted immediately.

I glared at him. “Traitor.”

“You look exhausted, Sera.”

“I feel emotionally attacked by everybody lately.”

“That’s because your life became catastrophic in under a week,” Maera replied.

“Again with the comforting words.”

Tobias started walking deeper into the chambers after that. “Come, I’ll show you where you’ll stay.”

None of us really had a better option. The deeper we walked underground, the stranger everything became.

The walls weren’t rough anymore. Ancient symbols covered them now, carved so deeply into stone they almost looked burned there instead. Some glowed faintly whenever I passed too closely.

I noticed immediately.

“So that’s horrifying.”

Tobias glanced back once. “The chambers react to bloodlines.”

I stopped walking briefly. “Excuse me?”

“They recognize power.”

“Nope, I really hate that. I draw too much attention already, I don't need more.”

Caden moved beside me slowly. “You hate everything here.”

“There are haunted glowing walls underground, I think I’m reacting normally.”

Damien walked ahead slightly with Terry while Maera stayed near the back beside my mother.

Which somehow left me directly between both mates, an absolutely terrible arrangement.

Because now every tiny movement felt noticeable.

I genuinely wanted one peaceful hour where my life wasn’t emotionally complicated.

Apparently the universe hated me.

Tobias stopped beside another massive archway before pushing open heavy stone doors hidden within the walls.

The room beyond looked surprisingly normal compared to everything else underground.

There were beds, lanterns, and even book shelves, I stared at the corner of the room and saw blankets folded neatly.

I blinked. “This is actually… nice, I expected skeletons and suffering.”

“Your standards lowered quickly,” Terry muttered.

“Those are two corridors down,” Tobias replied.

I stared at him, he stared back without changing expression.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Caden started laughing hard enough to regret it immediately again.

My mother started unpacking supplies quietly while Damien checked the corners of the room automatically.

“You think somebody’s hiding under the bed?” I asked him.

“You’d be surprised.”

“That answer made everything worse.”

Maera finally turned toward Tobias. “The outer entrances?”

“All sealed tightly.”

I hated how nobody in this place finished a reassuring sentence properly.

Tobias noticed me staring around again. “You feel it already.”

I frowned. “Feel what?”

“The chambers.”

My stomach tightened slightly, because I did feel something.

Like the underground itself noticed me being here.

I rubbed my arms slowly. “This place feels alive.”

Nobody answered quickly enough.

“Oh no,” I said immediately. “That means I am right, doesn’t it?”

“The chambers were built using ancient blood rituals,” Tobias admitted.

I looked horrified. “You people genuinely cannot do anything normally.”

“It kept hybrids alive during the war.”

I groaned loudly and dropped onto the nearest bed dramatically.

“I miss my old life.”

Caden looked at me from across the room. “Your old life involved me being mean to you.”

“True.” I pointed at him. “You’re still on probation.”

Damien leaned against the wall afterward, quieter than everybody else again.

I noticed immediately. Actually, I noticed everything about him lately and that was becoming a problem.

Because Damien wasn’t loud about his emotions.

He hid them carefully, but now that bond existed between us, tiny things felt obvious.

The tension in his shoulders, the way he watched every exit automatically.

The way his eyes checked me first anytime something moved. It affected me more than I wanted.

And judging by the way he avoided holding my gaze too long, it affected him too.

Tobias moved toward one of the shelves before pulling out an old map carefully.

“The western tunnels collapsed years ago,” he said. “Nobody uses them anymore.”

Terry stepped closer. “And the northern routes?”

“Let’s just say it is unsafe.”

I rubbed my forehead tiredly. Tobias suddenly looked directly at me again.

“You should avoid using your power recklessly inside these chambers.”

“What happens if I do?”

“The walls react.”

I stared at him for a long second.

“No further questions actually, I hate every possible answer.”

Damien finally spoke again after staying quiet too long. “You were protecting yourself.”

I looked toward him, the sincerity in his voice hit harder than expected.

“You don’t seem scared of me,” I admitted softly.

His gaze stayed on mine this time.

“I’m not.”

My chest tightened instantly, I looked away first. Because dealing with emotional eye contact underground while my life collapsed felt unfair.

My mother finally finished arranging supplies before looking toward me again. “Try to sleep for a while.”

“I’m not tired,” I lied again.

Eventually exhaustion won anyway.

Caden fell asleep first because his body practically forced him into it. Terry and Tobias continued discussing entrances quietly while Damien volunteered for first watch immediately.

Of course he did, that man genuinely never relaxed.

I laid down eventually after my mother threatened me, apparently emotional manipulation still worked on me.

The lantern above the room burned softly while underground rivers echoed faintly somewhere deeper below.

I stared at the ceiling for a long time with too many thoughts.

Hunters were searching everywhere, some mysterious faction wanted me.

My powers were unstable and somehow my love life became the least normal part of everything.

I turned slightly and noticed Damien still awake near the doorway.

“You should sleep too, you’ve been awake almost all day.” I whispered.

His eyes lifted toward me immediately. “I will later and you've also been awake all day.”

“Yeah but apparently everybody treats me like I’m about to explode.”

A faint smile touched his face briefly. “You did throw somebody across a forest earlier.”

“In my defense, he deserved it.”

“He definitely did.”

That dragged a quieter laugh out of me then his expression softened slightly afterward.

“You scared us today.”

I swallowed carefully. “I scared myself too.”

Damien looked like he wanted to say more but he didn’t.

And somehow that restraint affected me more, eventually exhaustion dragged me under before my thoughts could keep spiraling.

Sleep came quickly after that but peace didn’t.

I woke suddenly later with my chest burning.

I sat upright immediately, breathing hard while darkness pressed around the room.

Everybody else still slept, at first I thought it was another nightmare.

Then I looked down and froze.

Faint glowing marks stretched slowly beneath the skin on my arms.