Chapter 26 The Break
KAI’S POV
I wasn't settled with the fact that I couldn't go in with Zara. Something felt off about the whole situation.
Why did Dr. Voss want to check on her again?
"Hey.... Try to calm down." Mira said.
"I'm sure that she can handle herself."
I knew that part was correct but I still felt the need to have been there with her.
I looked around, trying to find Luna and Rex but they were no where to be found.
That was weird!
Earlier today, the same thing had happened.
So it definitely couldn't be a coincidence.
The moment the emergency alarms tore through the academy, my entire body snapped into instinct. Sparks danced across the ceiling. The hallway lights flickered like they were struggling to stay alive. Mira was already running ahead of me, her boots slapping the ground with so much energy.
“She is in the south wing.
"That is Dr Voss’s testing sector,” Mira said, breathless.
I did not wait for permission or directions.
My wolf pushed forward immediately, almost merging with my legs, urging me to move faster. Something was wrong with Zara. Terribly wrong. I could feel it in the air, like the world itself had suddenly been against her.
The scent hit me first. Burnt wires. Wolfsbane. Fear. Something stronger!
It triggered something within me. It made my eyes sting with tears.
And beneath it all, Voss. Her scent felt scattered, almost broken, like something had shaken her down to her core.
I slammed my palm against the glass panel beside the restricted door. The access light blinked red. Mira let out an irritated hiss.
“Move,” she said and pulled a tool from her jacket.
Sparks flew as she cracked the lock open. The metal doors shifted with a long groan.
We barged in.
The room was chaos.
A chair stood at the center with mechanical restraints hanging open and useless, like something had ripped straight through them. Holograms flickered across the walls. A chemical smell lingered like a ghost. Dr Voss was crouched by the far wall, shaking as though her body had been rattled by something she could not comprehend.
But Zara… Zara was on her knees beside the overturned chair, her back rising and falling with ragged breaths. Her hands trembled. Her hair covered half her face. Shadows clung to her like they were alive.
“Zara,” I called out gently.
She jerked at the sound of my voice. For a moment, something unfamiliar flashed in her eyes. Not fear. Not rage. Something deeper. Something ancient. My wolf stiffened inside me, silent and cautious.
Mira ran to her first, kneeling in front of her.
“Zara. Hey. Look at me. I am here.”
Zara’s fingers twitched. Her eyes moved slowly from Mira to me. I could see the fight happening inside her body, the struggle to remain present. Like she was dancing on the edge of a cliff.
“Kai,” she whispered.
That was all it took.
I moved closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched but did not pull away. Her skin burned with heat, like her wolves were pacing just beneath the surface, restless and wild.
“Let’s get you out of here,” I said quietly.
Mira nodded.
“She is in shock. Something happened with her wolves. I can feel it.”
Zara pushed herself up, shaky but determined. We stood on either side of her, guiding her toward the hallway. Dr Voss muttered something behind us but Mira’s glare silenced her instantly. No one cared about her nonsense right now.
As soon as we stepped into the open corridor, the academy lights steadied. The air felt lighter. Zara inhaled sharply, her chest rising like she had been underwater.
We reached a quiet lounge just before the main courtyard. Mira guided Zara to a couch and sat beside her, rubbing her back gently. I stayed a little farther, giving her space. My wolf growled low, sensing her fear and wanting to tear apart anyone responsible for it.
Zara ran a shaky hand across her face.
“She injected me with something. A lot of things. I could not… I could not see anything.”
Her voice cracked. Mira pulled her into a gentle hug.
“It is over. You are safe,” Mira whispered softly.
Zara nodded slowly, though I could see she did not fully believe it. She swallowed hard.
“She wanted to know about our relationship." She said looking at me.
My chest tightened.
“Why?”
“I do not know. She kept asking. She kept pushing. Something in me… broke. Or woke up.”
Zara’s voice dropped lower.
“My wolves took over. I did not stop them.”
The room went still.
I exchanged a glance with Mira. She looked pale.
“Zara,” Mira said gently.
"your wolves did not harm you, did they?”
“No. They were trying to protect me. They kept saying I needed control.
"They kept saying she would consume me if I resisted.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
Dr Voss had no idea what she had awakened.
Mira shook her head slowly.
"We need Luna and Rex. They know more about supernatural rewiring than anyone else here.”
Zara looked up sharply.
“Where are they?”
Mira and I shared another uneasy look. Mira spoke first.
“We have not seen them since the ritual began.”
Zara frowned.
"What do you mean?”
My jaw tightened.
“When the night ritual started, Luna and Rex said they needed to check something near the northern ridge.
"They left before the transformation cycle finished.”
“That was hours ago,” Mira added.
“And they have not returned,” I finished.
Zara sat up straight. Her eyes sharpened like the panic inside her had instantly reorganized into purpose.
“What do you mean they have not returned? They would never disappear without telling us something.”
I moved closer.
"We are worried too. Their scents faded near the cliffs. No tracks. No signals. Nothing.”
Zara stood abruptly. Her legs shook but she steadied herself.
“We need to find them. Now.”
Mira reached for her arm.
"Zara, you are drained. You need to breathe. Dr Voss put you through hell. You just shifted.”
“I am fine,” Zara insisted even though her voice trembled.
The lights suddenly flickered overhead.
A humming sound rolled across the ceiling. Like something shifting. Something waking.
We all froze.
My wolf’s fur bristled inside me.
Zara’s eyes widened.
"Did you hear that?”
Mira stood slowly.
"That was not part of the academy system.”
The sound came again. Louder. Closer.
Then the hallway lights went out completely.
A cold rush blew in from the far end of the corridor.
"Subject Night... Proceed with the next phase." A voice in form of a hologram.
Red lights kept blinking...