Chapter 80 The Awakening

Chapter 80 The Awakening
Korvus

The estate should have collapsed decades ago.

Most of it already had.

Cracked stone walls disappeared beneath dead ivy while snow gathered heavily across abandoned pathways surrounding the property. Beyond the frozen forest, the land stretched silent and empty for miles, untouched by villages or travelers foolish enough to wander near the cursed territory.

Nobody comes here anymore. The stories alone kept most people away. Inside the estate, candlelight flickered softly against dark wooden walls lined with ancient books and faded symbols carved directly into the stone beneath them. The air smelled faintly of herbs, smoke, and old magic buried permanently within the house itself.

I stood near the center table while black liquid swirled slowly inside a shallow silver bowl before me. Then the image appeared.

Lara.

A faint smile touched my face without permission. She stood near the fire inside Moonlight territory wearing one of Elijah’s sweaters while snow drifted quietly beyond the windows behind her. Even through the magical connection, I could feel it clearly now.

Her power was changing.

Awakening.

Most Seers required years before their abilities evolved beyond passive visions. Lara, however, was already beginning to react instinctively to the spiritual pathways around her.

Faster than expected. With a mother like hers, I’m not even surprised.

The image shifted slightly when Elijah entered the room.

Immediately, Lara relaxed. I watched silently as he moved toward her naturally, touching her waist briefly before speaking quietly against her ear. The familiarity between them was obvious.

Unfortunate. Emotional attachment complicated fear and fear was important.

Without warning, Lara suddenly froze. My silver eyes narrowed slightly. Slowly, her gaze lifted toward the bowl like she was staring straight at me.

“She feels the connection already,” I murmured softly.

The image flickered once before vanishing completely into darkness. Silence settled briefly across the room. I heard footsteps echoing somewhere behind me but I did not turn immediately. I already knew who it was.

Two men emerged slowly from the shadows near the doorway dressed in long black coats marked faintly with silver stitching near the collars. One was broad and heavily scarred across the jaw while the other appeared older, thinner, with pale eyes that rarely blinked fully.

Members of the V Circle.

The few remaining dark magicians who still followed me after.

“The girl noticed you?” the older one asked quietly.

I walked away from the table slowly before stopping near the fireplace.

“She’s stronger than anticipated.”

Neither man looked pleased by that answer.

The scarred one crossed his arms tightly. “Strong enough to detect your presence?”

I remained silent for a moment.

“She already noticed.”

The atmosphere shifted immediately. Cold tension filled the room while the fire crackled softly between us.

“That should not be possible yet,” the older magician muttered.

“Ordinary Seers would fail,” I replied. “She won’t.”

The scarred man frowned deeply. “And the wolf?”

For the first time, irritation flickered faintly across my expression.

“Elijah is becoming inconvenient.”

Not because he understood what was happening. He didn’t but because Lara trusted him.

The older magician stepped closer carefully. “The moon bloodline was always going to interfere.”

My silver eyes darkened slightly at the reminder.

White wolves.

Moon-blessed blood.

Ancient protectors chosen directly through divine selection.

Annoying creatures.

Still… Elijah was not the true obstacle.

Fear was.

If Lara stopped fearing the dreams, the visions would begin changing differently. Emotional attachment anchors minds to reality. I needed her to be uncertain. Isolated. Curious enough to keep looking deeper into the spiritual pathways opening around her.

Outside, snow continued falling heavily across the dead territory while distant thunder rolled faintly through the mountains beyond the forest.

I stared into the fire thoughtfully. Then slowly, almost absently, I murmured, “She was always going to wake eventually.”

The scarred magician exchanged another uneasy glance with the older one.

“You sound almost fascinated by her.”

For the first time that night, I smiled properly.

“She sees things no Seer has touched in centuries,” I said quietly. “Even now, she reaches toward places her soul should not recognize.”

The black liquid inside the bowl rippled again suddenly.

I turned sharply. For a brief second, Lara’s reflection appeared once more.

This time she looked directly at me. Fear was clearly visible across her face. The image vanished again.

My smile deepened faintly.

“Yes,” I murmured softly.

“The girl is finally waking.”



Lara

My heart was still pounding violently as I stood in front of the mirror this time. It didn’t make sense.

Nothing about it did.

Elijah’s arm was around me, steady and familiar, grounding me in a way that should have made everything feel normal again but my focus refused to stay on him.

It stayed on the mirror.

On my reflection. On the strange heaviness sitting behind my eyes like something was pressing inward from the other side of reality.

“I’m fine,” I murmured, more to myself than to him.

Elijah didn’t question it. He just stayed close, his presence warm at my side as if he could physically hold me together.

We had just gotten back from Ma Prudy’s place and I could barely comprehend what had been discussed there. Only for me to return home and this… I lifted the cup in my hands again, staring into the surface of the tea as it trembled slightly from my grip. I focused on that instead. On anything else.

Not the mirror.

Not the feeling.

Not the split-second I could swear I had seen someone standing before me in the reflection.

Korvus.

My fingers tightened slightly around the cup.

No.

That was ridiculous. It was probably Paranoia. Whatever this was lately, it was messing with my head. I exhaled slowly and shook the thought off, forcing my gaze away from the mirror entirely.

But even as I turned slightly into Elijah’s side, a colder thought lingered at the edge of my mind. I couldn’t be completely sure.

But for a moment… just a moment…

I could have sworn Korvus had been smiling at me through the glass.

Menacingly.