Chapter 299

Chapter 299
Lira's POV

We burst into the interrogation room, interrupting the ongoing questioning.

"STOP!" Derek shouted, "He's a shapeshifter, not the real Robert!"

Nathan and Cole turned simultaneously, confusion and alertness flashing in their eyes.

"We found the real Robert under the office floor," I explained breathlessly. "He's been dead for days. His throat was slashed open."

The fake Robert's eyes suddenly turned pitch black, his mouth twisting into an unnatural smile. "What a shame," it said in a completely different voice. "I was hoping to play a little longer."

Cole unleashed a string of curses, kicking the wall hard enough to leave a dent in the metal. "DAMN IT! So this bastard won't tell us anything. Shapeshifters can't be killed—how the hell are we going to find Sophie?"

A suffocating sense of helplessness filled the room. My thoughts raced, desperately searching for any clues or connections we might have missed. Suddenly, an idea hit me like lightning.

"Linda probably took her to my father's farm," I blurted out. "It's secluded, isolated, and it's where my mother originally set the forgetting spell. If she wants to break the spell, that's where she'd start."

Nathan's eyes widened with realization. "Of course. It's so obvious—we should have thought of it sooner." He turned toward the door, "Prepare to leave immediately!"

---

I quickly dialed Stella's number, telling her our theory about the farm. Her voice was tight and urgent. "We've been feeling fluctuations in the spell. Get there immediately. We'll meet you at the farm with the coven."

"We've been researching protection spells," she continued. "We can place a barrier on your father's house that prevents uninvited supernatural beings from entering. But we must hurry!"

After hanging up, I looked up at the gradually brightening sky, whispering a prayer. "Please protect Sophie... help me figure out what to do."

Nathan returned, cleaned up but still tense in the shoulders. His eyes had softened though, the earlier cold hardness replaced by regret.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, taking my hand. "I shouldn't have treated you that way."

"I understand," I said, feeling the warmth of his palm against mine. "We're all worried."

He leaned down to kiss my forehead. "My only job is keeping you safe. I promise you that."

But at what cost? I thought, though I didn't say it aloud.

---

An hour later, we were in the SUV heading toward the farm. Derek was driving, Cole sat in the passenger seat, with Nathan and me in the back. The trees on both sides of the highway looked particularly ominous in the morning light.

Suddenly, a wall of silver fog appeared in the distance, stretching across the entire road, glimmering ominously in the sunlight. As we drove into it, the world became unnaturally quiet, as if all sound had been sucked away. The air grew thick and sticky, and the temperature in the car plummeted. Nathan immediately pulled me toward him.

"Damn..." Derek cursed under his breath.

Cole leaned forward. "What the fuck is that?"

"The spell has been broken. We're too late."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the vehicle suddenly lost control, the steering wheel jerking as if it had a will of its own. Our SUV screamed off the road, heading straight for the edge of the forest. The sound of shattering glass was deafening as my head slammed hard against the window, pain exploding in my skull like a bomb, warm liquid trickling down my temple.

Blood, I realized hazily. I'm bleeding. The world before me became blurry and unstable.

"Lira!" Nathan's voice seemed to come from far away. His hands cradled my face, his eyes filled with fear. "Look at me, sweetheart, look at me!"

I struggled to focus, looking into his eyes. "The bonds of the forgetting spell are gone. I can feel it," Nathan whispered, gently wiping away the blood from my forehead.

Despite the chaos, I felt a strange calmness descend. "I saw the Moon Goddess," I told him, recalling the revelation from my dream. "She showed me what I need to do."

"What?" his voice was almost a whisper.

"I need Sophie's help. She's a seer... she needs to show everyone what the future looks like without me and our child. But the spell is powerful—it could kill her."

Nathan's eyes locked with mine, his expression serious. "Are you willing to sacrifice your best friend to save the world?"

I wiped away the tears forming at the corners of my eyes, my voice shaky but determined. "The witch alliance has agreed to help cast the spell, reducing the toll on her. We have no choice, Nathan. The entire world is in danger."

I'm sorry, Sophie. I'm so sorry it has to be this way.

A bestial howl came from deep within the forest, followed by a second, then a third—like a chorus of responses. Derek and Cole hurried back from outside the car, their expressions tense.

"We need to go NOW! There are feral werewolves coming from all directions!" Cole warned, quickly starting the damaged engine, which roared unhealthily.

I called Stella back, learning that the roaming werewolves' memories had returned and they were heading to the farm. She promised to protect my father, but fear still gripped my heart.

Derek explained our lost time. "The spell has been broken for over two hours now. Magic works in mysterious ways—time flows differently inside and outside magical boundaries."

Suddenly, a wild figure burst from the bushes, leaping directly toward our car. It was a half-human, half-wolf creature, eyes flashing with feral gold, claws gleaming, saliva dripping from sharp fangs.

"Look out!" I screamed, instinctively gripping the seat.

Cole jerked the steering wheel, barely avoiding the attack, but we all knew this was just the beginning. With the spell broken, the forgotten world was awakening, more terrifying and dangerous than we had imagined.

God, please protect us.

Derek accelerated through the fog wall, speeding toward the farm, my heart pounding in my chest. Behind us, more and more howls followed in pursuit.