Chapter 38 Chapter 38
Zander’s POV
Darkness didn’t just fall.
It swallowed.
One second, the clearing was filled with chaos–wolves, blood, power, Sable’s scream ripping through the air.
And the next, everything was gone.
It was not silent or empty.
Instead it was just... erased.
I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe though I didn't even need to.
Because this was not natural.
And I’ve lived long enough to know the difference.
"Well," I murmured into the void, my voice the only thing that seemed to exist, "that’s new".
No answered, even if they had a reply to it.
But I could feel it somehow.
The shift.
The space we were in–
It wasn’t the forest anymore in fact, it wasn’t anywhere.
And that meant one thing–she didn’t just lose control.
She triggered something.
I turned slowly, my senses stretching outward.
Vampires don’t rely on instinct like wolves do.
We rely on awareness, control, precision and right now–all three were being tested.
A flicker of movement caught my attention.
Leonidas.
He was still in his wolf form, barely visible in the darkness, his silver eyes glowing faintly as he paced, restless, searching for something or someone.
"Sable," he growled low.
There was no response.
Caius stood nearby, perfectly still. His eyes were scanning the nothingness around us like he was trying to dissect it piece by piece.
"Where are we?" Kael’s voice cut in.
He sounded annoyed, which meant he was worried.
"Not somewhere I recognize," I replied.
"That’s comforting," he muttered.
The Alpha from earlier stood a few feet away, his expression no longer calm.
Good.
At least something finally shook him.
"This wasn’t supposed to happen," he said.
I smiled slightly.
"Ah. So even you didn’t plan this."
His jaw tightened.
"She wasn’t supposed to awaken this fast."
Leonidas shifted back into human form, his chest rising heavily as he stepped forward.
"Where is she?"
The Alpha didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know.
And that—
That was a problem.
Caius moved forward–fast.
He grabbed the Alpha by the collar, slamming him back into nothingness that somehow felt solid enough to take the impact.
"What did you do?" he demanded.
"I told you," the Alpha snapped. "I didn’t do this!"
"Then fix it."
"I can’t fix what I don’t understand!"
Total silence at his words.
Heavy and dangerous.
I stepped closer, watching them both carefully.
"He’s telling the truth," I said.
Caius’s grip didn’t loosen.
But his gaze flicked to me.
"You’re sure?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"He’s many things, but a liar isn’t one of them at least not right now."
Caius exhaled slowly, then released him.
The Alpha straightened up, adjusting his shirt like he had not just been manhandled.
"How very civilized," he muttered.
Kael rolled his eyes.
"Focus."
The ground or whatever it is we were standing on—
Shifted subtly.
But enough to make us feel it.
Leonidas went still instantly.
"You feel that?"
"Yes," I said.
Caius nodded once.
"She’s here."
The words barely left his mouth before–
The darkness cracked.
Though not physically or visibly, but I felt it.
It was like a fracture running through reality itself.
And then, a silver light that was blinding appeared.
It erupted from somewhere ahead of us, cutting through the void like a blade.
Leonidas didn’t hesitate.
He ran towards it and we all followed, because there was no question about it.
That light–
Was her.
The closer we got, the stronger it became.
Until finally, we broke through, and everything changed.
The void shattered replaced by something else entirely.
A vast, endless space filled with swirling silver and black energy, colliding and twisting together like two forces fighting for dominance.
And in the center of it all was Sable floating.
Her body was suspended in the air, her head tilted back, and her eyes glowing completely silver.
Not just silver.
There was also darkness in it too.
Moving slowly like it was alive.
"...well," I said quietly. "That’s not concerning at all."
Leonidas stepped forward.
"Sable!"
There was no response from her, because she wasn’t here.
Not fully.
Caius’s voice came next.
He lowered his voice but it more controlled.
"She’s inside it."
Kael frowned.
"Inside what?" Kael asked.
Before anyone could answer–
A loud voice echoed which was not hers nor ours.
Something else.
"You should not be here."
We all froze.
Because that voice, it wasn’t unfamiliar. We all were very familiar with it.
It was the same one from the temple.
The dragon.
The First Guardian.
The energy around Sable shifted.
And then—
It appeared showing it's full size massively.
Ancient.
Its silver eyes glowing brighter than anything else in that space.
"You’ve entered the threshold," it said.
I crossed my arms slightly.
"And that means?"
The dragon’s gaze swept over all of us.
Judging.
Measuring.
"Between what she is... and what she will become."
My interest sharpened.
Now this was fascinating.
Leonidas didn’t care.
He stepped forward again.
"Get her out of there."
The dragon didn’t move.
"She must choose", it said.
Caius’s jaw tightened.
"Choose what?"
The dragon’s gaze returned to Sable.
"The balance."
The silver and dark energy around her flared violently.
Colliding, fighting together, unstably wanting to take control.
Kael frowned.
"She’s going to tear herself apart."
"Yes", the dragon agreed calmly.
Leonidas snapped.
"Then do something!"
"I am", it replied.
I tilted my head slightly.
"By watching her self–destruct?"
"By allowing her to decide."
My smile faded slightly.
So that’s the game.
Sable’s body trembled.
The energy surged out again stronger, wilder.
And this time–
She screamed out.
The sound ripped through the entire space, raw and filled with pain that even I felt.
Leonidas moved again.
This time—faster, more desperate than ever.
"I’m not waiting", he growled.
He stepped forward but the moment he crossed the invisible line, the energy hit him–hard.
He dropped to one knee instantly, a grunt forced from his chest as the pressure slammed into him.
"Leonidas!" Kael snapped.
Caius didn’t move.
Because he understood.
That space, wasn’t meant for either of us.
"She has to do this herself", he said quietly.
Leonidas tried to stand but failed as the pressure forced him down again.
His fists clenched, his eyes locked onto her.
"Sable... fight it."
Her body jerked forward.
The energy inside of her flickered for a split second as her eyes shifted.
Focused on him.
And then, the darkness surged. Stronger than before.
The silver light dimmed slightly.
It was not gone but losing slowly.
My eyes narrowed.
"Well... that’s not ideal."
The dragon’s voice echoed again.
"She is leaning."
"Toward what?" Kael asked.
The dragon didn’t hesitate.
"Power."
Caius’s expression darkened.
"No."
But we all saw it, felt it.
The shift. The pull.
The power without control and the strength without restraint which was the real danger.
Sable’s voice finally broke through.
Very soft and shaking.
"I.... can’t...."
Leonidas pushed forward again despite the pressure.
"Yes, you can".
"It’s too much!"
The energy exploded outward again. Knocking all of us back several steps.
Even me.
Now that—
That was impressive.
The darkness wrapped tighter around her, almost consuming the silver entirely.
The dragon stepped forward slightly.
"If she chooses wrong–"
"What happens?" I asked.
Its gaze didn’t leave her.
"Everything ends."
Heavy silence fell.
Because for once—
No one doubted it.
Sable’s body went still completely.
The energy froze, making everything balanced for one single moment.
Then, she opened her eyes.
Fully.
Silver and black swirling together.
And when she spoke—
It wasn’t just her voice anymore.
"I choose–"
Everything shattered.
And the world went white.