38 - I AM NOT ONE OF YOU

38 - I AM NOT ONE OF YOU
38 - I AM NOT ONE OF YOU
Meridian Water

The walk back to my room was long and heavy with silence. That last exchange of glances still hung between us, thickening the air with every step. When we finally arrived, he opened the door and stood at the entrance like a sentinel.

"Get in," he said, his voice mechanical, devoid of any emotion.

"Back to the prisoner quarters," I mocked.

"That’s what you are," he shot back, his eyes sparking with a fury that hadn’t been there before.

"How cute." I smirked. "Feels good, doesn’t it? I’d love to see all this power when I’m not vulnerable!" I crossed my arms as I stepped inside.

"If you were as good as you think, you wouldn’t be here," he replied, a cynical smile tugging at his lips. "Honestly, for someone with such a reputation, you were terrible."

"Easy to say when I wasn’t in a position to fight. I’d love a match—just you and me," I challenged, masking how much his words stung.

"I’d love to end this ridiculous charade. But unfortunately, I can’t," he said, his tone firm and arrogant. "Tomorrow, we go out again."

"Is this some kind of twisted torture method?" I arched a brow.

"Oh, absolutely. Since I can’t kill you, I’m hoping you’ll just die of boredom." He spat the words, and the sharpness in his narrowed gaze sent an unfamiliar rush of adrenaline through me.

Before I could reply, he slammed the door shut, leaving me alone with my ghosts. I ripped off the awful dress they had given me and stepped into the freezing water of the shower.

I wondered about Umbra, about the prince. I remembered the way his hands had felt on my body, the way he smiled, and how we had been the last few times we were together. I wondered if he missed me... if he was trying to find me...

That thought made me laugh.

I was just a renegade. Of course not.

Obviously, he wasn’t coming for me.

I had fulfilled my mission. I had saved the prince’s life.

Now, I was alone.

I would have to save myself.

I needed to learn the layout of this place and understand my captors. They wouldn’t harm me—I could use that to my advantage. I had only one real enemy here, and he was the one I needed to eliminate. And when I did, my freedom would be mine.

One Week Later

The clearing was empty when we arrived, the morning sun breaking through the treetops, painting patterns of light and shadow on the packed dirt below. My pulse was still elevated. I didn’t know if it was from the brisk walk or the constant, simmering rage that hadn’t left me since I woke up in this place.

One week.

One week of the same game. They were driving me insane, but I had decided to play it their way.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, boredom dripping from my voice. It was barely 6:00 AM, and he had already dragged me out of bed.

"We’re training," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Wow. A reward for good behavior? Do I finally get to hit you?" I mocked.

"Funny. But no. You’ve been freeloading here long enough. It’s time you start contributing. And I’ve been assigned to train you." He shrugged.

"Hmm." I nodded. "Honestly, this might be the most fun I’ve had here." I grinned. I had been dying for an excuse to hit him.

Renan stepped into the center of the clearing, slipping effortlessly into a defensive stance. I tried to ignore how the morning sun caught the sharp angles of his face and the way his muscles tensed with the movement.

"Let’s get started. We don’t have all day," he said, tossing me a wooden training weapon. It was heavier than I was used to—unbalanced and crude, unlike the sleek, silent weapons I preferred.

They wanted me to fail. But I would prove them wrong.

The first few minutes were nothing but a battle of words. Every strike came with a jab, and every block met with a snide remark. When I mistimed an attack, he made sure to rub it in with a smirk.

"That’s your best? No wonder the mages like you so much. They love broken toys."

"And you love showing off, don’t you?" I shot back, blocking a swing just in time. "Must be hard knowing that even after all this, you still can’t beat me."

Renan let out a low, instinctive growl before swinging harder. I barely blocked it in time, my arms trembling from the impact. He was pushing me, testing my limits.

"I am not one of you," I stated, stepping back to catch my breath. My eyes locked onto his, daring him to deny it. "And I never will be."

"We’ll see," was all he said before lunging again.

This time, we fought in silence, the only sounds being the clash of our weapons and our ragged breathing. The tension between us was thick, layered with something neither of us dared to name.

Then I caught movement from the corner of my eye—the Alpha, standing at the edge of the clearing, arms crossed, watching.

For a fraction of a second, I hesitated.

Renan took advantage of that moment, knocking my weapon away and sending me to the ground. He was on top of me in an instant; the wooden staff pressed against my throat. But he wasn’t looking at me—his gaze was locked onto the Alpha, just as mine was.

I shut my eyes, and something crashed into me.

A memory.

I was small—no more than ten. I was on the ground, another child pinning me down. I lost.

Then a voice echoed in my ears.

"Come on, Mel. You can turn this around!"

I snapped my eyes open.

The voice belonged to the man now staring at me with cold, calculating eyes—eyes that, despite everything, held a quiet tenderness.

Was that real?

"Get up," Renan said, stepping back. His voice was sharp, but something in his tone had shifted.

"You did well!" the Alpha called out.

I got to my feet quickly, brushing the dirt from my hands. Renan turned to face the leader, his stance rigid as ever.

"She was distracted," he stated without hesitation.

The Alpha said nothing, just met my gaze with a look that sent a shiver down my spine. There was something there—something I couldn’t fully grasp. Then, with a small, knowing smile, he turned and walked away.

The air around me felt lighter, but my mind was heavier than ever.

The rest of the training passed in silence. When it ended, Renan stepped forward and grabbed my weapon. Our fingers brushed for a second, and I saw something in his expression—exhaustion, regret, or maybe both.

We walked back to my prison— my room—in silence. My mind reeled with the weight of that memory. I hadn’t seen the man’s face in it, but I knew, knew, it had been him.

What if they weren’t lying? Or rather, what if they were only telling me half the truth?

I didn’t belong here. Maybe I had been born here, but I hadn’t been theirs for a long time. I wasn’t the girl they had lost, and whatever they were trying to do, they would fail miserably.

"Same time tomorrow," Renan said when we reached my door. He opened it, waited for me to step inside, and shut it behind me. Without another word.

I stared at the surrounding walls, and for the first time, my mind drifted back to my life in Umbra.

What the hell was happening to me?

How had I let myself get caught?

Had I been so wrapped up in my relationship with the prince that I let my guard down?

And where was he now? Had they already replaced me? Another protector to warm his bed?

I scoffed.

I needed to focus.

I had a mission to finish.