Chapter 166: Mirror Wars

Chapter 166: Mirror Wars
“Kill her.”

The words slithered from the Lost Wolf’s lips, echoing through the broken chamber like a curse.

Lyla’s twin grinned, blood-smeared dagger glinting under the moonlight seeping in through the cracks above. She twirled it lazily, her crimson eyes locked on Lyla’s. “He bleeds for you, Guardian. All it takes is one hesitation. One flicker of doubt.”

Lyla’s fists trembled, silver fire licking her veins. Behind her, Eli groaned, clutching his side, his blood soaking the floor in a spreading pool. She felt the pull, every instinct screaming to drop to his side, to hold him, to heal him.

But if she looked away for even a breath

The shadow would end them both.

“You’ll never be me,” Lyla growled, stepping forward, her claws lengthening, light sparking at her fingertips.

“Oh, I already am.” The shadow tilted her head, her smile sharp, cruel. “But better. Stronger. Wilder. The part of you that craves power… and him.”

Her gaze flicked to Eli, and Lyla’s chest constricted.

That was all it took. The shadow struck.

The twins collided, claw against claw, light against darkness. Sparks erupted with every blow, a violent storm of silver and black tearing the air apart. Stone shattered beneath their feet, roots whipped through the air, shadows clawed at the ceiling.

Lyla drove her twin back with a scream, slashing across her shoulder. But the shadow didn’t falter. She laughed, the sound disturbingly close to Lyla’s own, and retaliated with a vicious kick that sent Lyla crashing against the wall.

“You fight like you’re still trying to protect them,” the shadow hissed. “That’s your weakness. Love. Loyalty. Chains. Me? I cut mine off.”

Lyla spat blood, forcing herself up. Her silver eyes blazed. “That’s not strength. That’s emptiness.”

The shadow’s grin widened. “We’ll see.”

She lunged again, faster, sharper. Their movements blurred into one the same fighting style, the same ferocity, but with opposite intent. Every strike from the shadow was a kill shot. Every strike from Lyla was to push back, to defend, to survive.

And all the while, Eli’s ragged breaths echoed behind them. Too shallow. Too weak.

“Lyla…” he rasped, his voice barely audible.

Her heart cracked. She glanced back just for a second.

It was enough.

The shadow’s blade sliced across her arm, silver blood spraying. Lyla screamed, staggering.

The shadow licked the glowing blood from her dagger, eyes alight. “Mmm. Sweet. Strong. No wonder the forest loves you.”

“Stay away from him!” Lyla roared, surging forward with renewed fury. She slammed her twin against the wall, claws at her throat. Their faces were inches apart, identical but for the fire in their eyes.

“You’re nothing but my shadow,” Lyla snarled. “And shadows fade.”

The shadow only smirked. “Unless they consume the light.”

Her body dissolved into smoke, reappearing behind Eli. The dagger lifted, poised above his heart.

Lyla’s scream shook the chamber.

“No!”

She hurled herself forward, silver light exploding from her chest.

The dagger plunged

And the world went white.

The world vanished in blinding light.

Heat tore through Lyla’s body, her scream ripping from her throat as if it would break her in two. Silver fire roared outward, colliding with the shadow’s black smoke, filling every crack of the chamber with violent radiance.

For a heartbeat, nothing existed, no floor, no ceiling, no sound but her pulse thundering in her ears.

Then the shadows screamed.

When her vision cleared, Lyla saw the dagger stopped inches above Eli’s chest, locked in place by roots of glowing light that had erupted from the stone floor. The weapon quivered, fighting against the force pinning it.

Her twin hissed, her face twisted with fury, her form flickering like flame in the wind. “No… this isn’t possible. You shouldn’t be strong enough.”

Lyla staggered forward, her breath ragged, every nerve in her body burning. “I told you. You’re just my shadow. And shadows ” she slammed her hand into the twin’s chest, forcing more light through her veins “don’t win.”

The shadow screamed, her body fracturing, black smoke pouring from the cracks in her skin. But before she dissolved completely, she leaned close to Eli’s ear, whispering with a smile that was all venom.

“He still tasted mine.”

Then she burst apart, scattering into the air like ash.

The roots crumbled. The dagger fell, clattering uselessly to the stone.

Silence.

Lyla dropped to her knees beside Eli, grabbing his face with trembling hands. His skin was pale, his breath shallow. Silver blood oozed from his side where the shadow’s blade had struck.

“No, no, no…” Lyla pressed her palms to the wound, pouring light into him, desperate. “Stay with me. Don’t you dare leave me, Eli.”

His eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain but still holding that familiar fire. “You’re… glowing,” he whispered.

Lyla’s tears streaked down her face. “Shut up. Save your strength.”

“You always… look beautiful when you’re angry,” he rasped, coughing blood.

Her heart clenched. She pressed harder, pushing more power into him, even though every surge left her weaker. “Don’t do this. Not now. Not when I finally have you.”

His lips curved faintly. “You’ve always… had me.”

The glow beneath her palms flickered, unsteady. Lyla’s panic spiked. She could feel him slipping, his life bleeding away faster than she could heal.

Behind her, a slow clap echoed through the chamber.

The Lost Wolf stepped forward, shadows curling around his boots. His grin was sharp, triumphant. “Beautifully done, Guardian. You’ve proven you can shatter your own darkness. But at what cost?”

Lyla whipped her head up, her eyes blazing silver through tears. “Help him!” she roared.

The Lost Wolf tilted his head, amused. “Why would I? His death is the spark you need. Pain always births power.”

Lyla’s hands shook against Eli’s wound. “If he dies, I’ll burn this entire forest to ash. Starting with you.”

The Lost Wolf chuckled. “Then I suppose we’ll see how far love will take you… before it destroys you.”

Eli coughed again, his body trembling in her arms. His lips parted, and he forced out one last word

“Choose.”

The chamber shook. The Blood Moon’s crimson light bled through the cracks above, painting the ruins in fire.

And Lyla knew: whatever choice she made in the next heartbeat would decide everything.

“Choose.”

The word echoed like a curse. Eli’s voice cracked, blood wetting his lips. His silver eyes fluttered, desperate but clear, like he knew what she couldn’t admit.

Lyla’s whole body shook. She pressed harder against his wound, light spilling through her fingers, burning her veins raw. “Don’t you dare make me choose! Not you. Not now.”

The Blood Moon’s crimson light poured in stronger, washing over the chamber in a sick glow. The runes along the walls flared to life, jagged and violent. The air thickened with shadow and heat, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.

The Lost Wolf spread his arms, basking in it. “The Blood Moon decides tonight, Guardian. Not you. You think you’ve defeated your shadow? That was only the first trial. The true choice…” His grin widened. “…is whether you save your Beta, or save your pack.”

The chamber floor cracked, splitting into two glowing paths of light and shadow. One led toward Eli pale, shaking, his blood still spilling across the stone. The other led toward the far wall, where the runes carved themselves into an opening doorway, an ancient seal breaking wide.

From the black void beyond, a low, guttural growl shook the ground. Something waited there. Something old. Something hungry.

“No…” Lyla whispered, her throat raw. “Not now.”

The Lost Wolf’s eyes gleamed. “The Blood Moon has opened the gate. If you do not seal it, your world burns. But to do so requires every ounce of your light. Which means…” He gestured lazily toward Eli. “…he dies.”

Her stomach dropped. Her light flickered, caught between Eli’s broken body and the shadowed gate tearing open.

“Lyla…” Eli’s hand twitched, weakly gripping her wrist. His eyes locked on hers, steady despite the pain. “Don’t… save me.”

Her heart split wide open. “No. I won’t leave you. I can’t.”

“You can.” His lips trembled, but his voice was iron. “You’re High Alpha now. Guardian. If you choose me… everyone else pays.”

Tears blurred her vision. She shook her head violently, light sparking erratically around her. “Don’t ask me to trade you for them. Don’t make me ”

“Lyla.” His hand tightened. “If you love me… you’ll let me go.”

The shadows roared from the gate, monstrous claws pressing against the crack, forcing it wider. The pack’s howls echoed in the distance terrified, calling her name.

The Lost Wolf’s laughter filled the chamber. “So, Guardian… what will it be? Your mate, or your world?”

Lyla’s scream tore from her throat, echoing against the stone. She pressed her forehead to Eli’s, sobbing, her light pouring into him recklessly, desperately knowing it wasn’t enough.

And then her silver blood lit the chamber brighter than the moon.

The shadows recoiled. The gate convulsed. The Blood Moon pulsed overhead.

And Lyla shaking, broken, but unyielding stood between them all.

“I won’t choose,” she growled, her voice shaking with fury and power. “I save both. Or I burn everything down trying.”

The Lost Wolf’s smile faltered. For the first time fear flickered in his eyes.

And then the gate shattered open.

A monstrous hand of shadow burst through, claws stretching toward her, toward Eli, toward all of Silverwood.

The claw that ripped through the gate wasn’t flesh.
It was smoke and bone, endless shadow condensed into muscle, pulsing with veins of fire.

The chamber quaked. Dust rained from the ceiling.

Eli coughed, blood trailing down his chin. His grip on Lyla’s wrist weakened. “Lyla ”

She shoved her palm against his chest, pouring light into him harder, hotter. It burned through her, tearing her veins raw. She screamed, but didn’t stop. “Hold on! Don’t you dare leave me!”

The Lost Wolf stepped back, shadows curling around his shoulders like wings. He didn’t look so smug anymore. His grin had twisted into something sharper calculated. “Interesting. You defy the Blood Moon itself.”

His eyes narrowed. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

The monstrous hand wrenched the gate wider. A second claw punched through. Then a head horned, eyeless, jaws splitting into rows of jagged teeth. The sound it made was like stone grinding against bone.

The forest outside howled with terror. The pack screamed her name. The bond Lyla shared with them pulsed, panicked, desperate.

Her chest seized. I can’t hold this and heal Eli. I can’t

“Lyla.” Eli’s voice cracked, barely audible. But his silver eyes cut through the chaos. “Stop. Save them.”

Her heart broke. “No. Not without you.”

His bloodied hand cupped her face, trembling. “You’re stronger than me. Stronger than all of us. That’s why the forest chose you.”

Tears blurred her vision. She pressed her forehead to his. “Don’t you dare say goodbye.”

“I’m saying… live.”

The monster’s roar thundered. The gate cracked wider. Its body forced through inch by inch, blotting out the light of her magic.

The Lost Wolf laughed, but it was brittle now, edged with unease. “Guardian! Make your choice, or your precious Beta will die anyway, crushed beneath what comes.”

Lyla stood. Her hands burned white, blood dripping down her arms. She turned to face the beast clawing its way into Silverwood. Her heart pounded, fractured between the man she loved bleeding out behind her and the shadow-demon rising before her.

And then something inside her snapped no, not broke. Ignited.

Silver fire burst from her chest, spiraling around her in a cyclone. Her mark flared across her skin, brighter than the Blood Moon overhead.

The chamber shook violently. The monster roared, staggering back for the first time. The Lost Wolf shielded his eyes, snarling.

“I said I won’t choose!” Lyla’s voice was thunder, cracking stone. She threw her arms wide, power flooding the room. “I save Eli. I save my pack. And if the Blood Moon wants a war ”

Her eyes glowed pure silver.

“ Then it gets one.”

The monster lunged. The chamber collapsed.

And Lyla hurled herself straight into the shadows.

Author's Note: Thank you guys for the support you have shown my book, and the journey we went through, good news coming there will be a sequel coming up but will like you guys to engage and comment please, so i can't get motivated and update more.. thanks you for support again