Chapter 117 — First kill

The energy flowing through me was like nothing I had ever felt before. It rushed through my veins, sending power to my heart. When I looked down my hand, it completely healed, like I was never wounded. The pain in my back and my head was gone, and I felt fucking alive.

My eyes fell on the dagger on the ground. It was at a distance but I could see it clearly like it was in the palm of my hand. I walked to it, and in a split second, I had the dagger in my hand. Eyeing the dagger, it grew in my hand until it became a sword.

Perfect.

I walked towards Wilona until I stood in front of her. Though she was bigger than me, I felt like a giant as she cowered.

‘Fuck you!’ she growled and clawed my face, only because I let her. My blood stained the ground, but immediately, I felt my wounds close up.

When she saw she was no match for me, her panicked voice shrieked in my mind.

’Get away from me!’

Rage coursed through me, as I recalled everything she did.

“I won’t let you live for all you’ve done. You don’t deserve mercy.”

It felt like I was two in one like there was someone else in me. Somehow, I knew just what I was capable of, I knew the powers I possessed, like I had grown with it all my life.

“Shift and kneel before me.”

I had the power to control minds, to make them do whatever I instructed them to.

Wilona shifted back to her human form, and her screams of pain as she forcefully shifted felt like music to my ears. She fell hard on the ground, her knees hitting the hard ground. She tried to shift back, but it was pointless because I had her power in my hands.

“What did you do to me?” Her lips trembled as she spoke in a scared voice.

“I took your powers. You’re useless now. You can never shift again.”

Her eyes widened, and a single tear ran down her cheek.

I continued, “I could let you live and suffer, but I don’t think I have that patience.”

I reached out and grabbed her hair, tugging it down so her gaze was fixed on me. When my tears dropped on her face, I didn’t realize I was crying too.

“I trusted you with my life, and you took everything,” I ground my teeth, “Praya, Liam… Does the life of others mean nothing to you?

To my surprise, she burst out laughing, causing my skin to crawl, “Look at you feeling all mighty. You could never defeat me in combat,” an evil smile played on her face, “The power must feel so good, doesn’t it? It doesn’t belong to a weakling like you.”

Her words didn’t hit a muscle. I leaned in closer, till she could feel my breath on her face.

“You’re wrong. I deserve it because I earned it,” it was my turn to smile, to have the last laugh, “And yes, it fucking feels good.”

Without a second thought, I stabbed her in the throat, and she choked on her blood as her eyes widened.

“For Liam.”

I pulled out the sword as blood splurted onto me, and then I stabbed her in the heart.

“For Praya.”

Her widened eyes looked at me in disbelief before the light left her eyes. When I pulled the blade out of her, I let her go and she dropped to the ground, lifeless.

Dead.

I took a deep breath. The pain would come later.

Taking one last look at her, I moved to Liam. His eyes were open, as I crouched to his side. When I took his hand in mine, they felt warm to touch.

I froze.

He was supposed to be cold if he was dead. I quickly placed my ear on his bleeding chest and I heard the faint slow beating of his heart. Hope surged through me and I looked back at his face. He didn’t look alive, but I could still see the light in his eyes.

I could still save him.

I dropped my sword and placed both of my palms on his chest. I imagined healing him, imagining every ruptured vein, ripped flesh, broken bones, and destroyed organs coming back together. Warmth erupted from my hands and I felt them envelop his body. I didn’t stop until I could hear his heart pace faster. When I looked at his warm brown eyes, my heart sank.

“Your eyes, they’re glowing,” those were his first words and I threw myself on top of him as I embraced him.

“I thought you were gone,” my voice broke with sobs as I cried into his shoulder. He lifted himself off the ground and when we pulled back, he planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Thank you for saving my life. I owe you.”

I could only nod as he wiped the tears off my eyes. His eyes scanned the area, “Where’s Wilona?”

“She’s gone, I killed her.”

When his gaze met mine, there was a glint of sadness in his eyes.

“You did the right thing. Now, let’s go meet the others.”

With that, he shifted into his wolf form and gestured for me to climb on, but I refused.

“I can run fast, and I don’t want to slow you down.”

He stared at me as I grabbed my sword. He didn’t argue and nudged his head. Immediately he charged off, and I followed after him. When we got out of the sanctuary, everywhere was a war zone. Monsters and werewolves fighting each other.

Every time someone died, I could feel it like a burden weighing heavy on my heart.

As I ran, I caught sight of two monsters ready to kill a wolf, and immediately changed direction. With my sword, I beheaded them swiftly before they could even see it coming. When I saw the wolf limping, I bent to its leg and healed the wound before the poison would spread. It looked at me with gratitude before I ran off.

I made stops, killing as many monsters as I could, and saving as many lives as I could. I couldn’t save everyone because not everyone was within my reach.

Liam fought by my side, tearing off limbs, beheading, and ripping out hearts. I didn’t realize how vicious he was until now.

Suddenly, from a far distance, I caught sight of a black wolf fighting off monsters, with a rage and aggression I could recognize anywhere.

Devyn.

I left Liam and ran to stand beside him. He turned his head to look at me, his blue eyes piercing.

‘I knew you’d make it. What's with the sword?’ his voice sent warmth flowing through me, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“It's an accessory.”

One monster leaped to attack, and I pushed myself off the ground, slicing its head off.

“I’m here now, and I’m never leaving,” I said.

Two approached Devyn, and he took one in his mouth, beheading it swiftly, while I took the other. When we stood side by side, I told him.

“Wilona was a traitor and I killed her.”

There was silence, then when his voice echoed back in my mind, he said, ‘That's a lot to take in,’ there was a sad tone in his voice, ‘You’re strong because it would've been hard for me to kill her.’

I understood how he felt, after all, he grew up with Wilona.

Suddenly, I felt a presence that made all hairs on the back of my neck stand. A growl erupted from Devyn and I knew he felt the same thing. We both turned our heads in the same direction to see Damien in his human form, standing a few inches from us.

“So you ascended. I guess I have no use for you anymore. I have one option now,” a sword materialized in his hand, “To kill you.”

Devyn didn't think twice. He rushed to attack Damien. Before I could stop him, Damien moved with remarkable speed and slashed a deep wound across Devyn’s chest. Devyn didn’t stop or even falter, as his teeth gripped Damien’s hand and heaved him away. He landed effortlessly on his feet and snickered.

“I think I'm going too easy on you, little brother. It’s time I got my revenge.”

Everything happened in a flash. Devyn charged towards Damien and the next thing, he had his sword pierced into his chest. When Damien pulled out the sword, Devyn clawed his neck, nearly beheading him.

“So close.”

Damien’s neck healed in a second and he plunged the sword into Devyn’s throat, pulled it out, and stabbed his heart again. I watched everything happening in shock, and for some reason, I couldn't move.

When Damien kicked Devyn, he crashed to the ground. Suddenly, coming back from the shock, I screamed as I rushed to Devyn’s side.

“No!” I knelt on the ground as he shifted back into human form. When I saw his wounds, and blood spewing out of his mouth and his chest, everything around me spun.

He could barely speak, ”Leave me, Gina! Focus on killing Damien. I’ll be fine. It’s just a stab wound.”

But that wasn’t true. A stab wound from a silver blade to the heart and the head is enough to kill a wolf.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m not leaving you.”

I dropped my sword and placed my palms on his chest, but he pushed me away.

“This isn't the time to be fucking stubborn. Grab your sword and fight!” the rage in his voice and the look in his eyes made me jolt, but I refused to listen.

I tried to place my shaky palms on his chest but he still struggled, despite slowly losing his life.

I could feel Damien directly behind me now as he laughed.

“How pathetic do you have to be, that you have all this power, but yet, something as flimsy and stupid as love is your weakness.”

Tears streamed down my eyes as I tried to focus on healing Devyn. I glared at Damien and screamed, “Paralyze.”

He let out a laugh and backhanded me, sending me flying to the ground, “That mind control shift doesn’t work on me, sweetheart.”

Determined, I turned back my attention to Devyn who was already losing so much blood and falling weaker. Damien had his sword raised above him, ready to kill Devyn.

I rushed towards him, and knocked into him as I struggled to get the sword out of his grasp, “I won’t let you kill him, not when I live.”

“Then I'll kill you first.”

His hand grabbed my neck and he squeezed. Losing breath, I screamed out in rage and dug my fingers into both of his eyes. He let out a scream and I used that moment to rush to Devyn.

There was barely any time left as he struggled to stay alive. Placing my hands on his chest, I healed him. I could feel Damien behind me, but I didn't let my focus waver.

It was either saving Devyn’s life or killing Damien.

As he healed, relief flooded me as his eyes opened slowly, but he wasn't looking at me. In one swift motion, Devyn snatched my sword, leaned forward, and swiped it above my head.

I felt the blood splatter behind me and heard the loud thud as Damien’s head rolled to my line of vision. He still had a smirk on his face, clearly not expecting to be killed.

When Devyn was fully healed, the excruciating pain in my chest came.

Confused, Devyn’s gaze moved to my chest and I watched the horror in his eyes. My gaze slowly followed until it fell on the blade piercing my heart.

How? When?

My hands started to tremble and my breaths became rapid, as my vision became hazy.

When I gazed back at Devyn, tears streamed down my eyes.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” I managed to say before Devyn faded away from vision, and darkness enveloped me.