Chapter 42 Gone
When Kai snapped into reality, she slowly lifted her hands and nervously looked at them.
“I n-never intended this to happen,” she said as she sat down on the cold, wet ground.
Her hands were shaking. She turned them over again and again, as if the answer might suddenly appear on her skin. Hands that had once braided Selene’s hair. Hands that had held her sister’s wrist when she was scared. Hands that had just… pushed.
Her breath came out sharp and uneven.
“No… no, no, no,” Kai whispered, pressing her palms to her face. Her chest felt tight, like something heavy was sitting on it, crushing the air out of her lungs. Every breath hurt. Every thought hurt more.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
She had only wanted to scare Selene. She was swallowed whole by the pressure and jealousy. She just wants Selene to stop seeing through her. One shove. One moment of anger. One second where Kai let herself lose control and now there was silence.
Too much silence.
Kai’s eyes drifted to the edge of the cliff. Her stomach twisted violently. She could still see it in her mind—Selene’s wide eyes, the flash of shock, the sound of her voice breaking as she called Kai’s name. That sound echoed in her head, over and over, louder than her own thoughts.
“I didn’t mean it,” Kai said again, louder this time, like the world might hear her and fix everything. “I swear I didn’t.”
Her hands curled into fists, nails digging into her skin. Pain bloomed, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough. No pain could match the weight sitting in her chest.
Her sister was gone.
The word felt unreal. Gone. As if Selene had just walked ahead and would come back any second, smiling softly, forgiving her like she always did. Selene always forgave her. Always protected her. Always stood in front of her when things got ugly.
Kai let out a broken sound that barely sounded human.
“I didn’t want you to die,” she sobbed.
Her shoulders shook as tears fell freely now, blurring the ground beneath her. Her body rocked slightly, like she was trying to comfort herself, like a child left alone in the dark. The cold seeped into her clothes, but she barely noticed. Her skin felt numb. Her heart felt worse.
What had she done?
Fear crept in slowly, wrapping around her thoughts like a snake. People would find out. They would ask questions. They would look at her the way Selene had—like they knew the truth. Kai’s breathing grew faster, panic rising in her throat.
“I can’t… I can’t go back,” she whispered, eyes darting around. “I can’t tell anyone.”
But no matter where she looked, she couldn’t escape it. The guilt followed her, heavy and cruel. It pressed into her chest, her head, her soul. No matter how much she cried, it didn’t leave.
Selene’s face burned behind her eyes.
Her sister’s voice haunted her ears.
Kai wrapped her arms around herself, trembling. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into the empty air, again and again. “I’m so sorry.”
Footsteps broke through the silence.
Kai flinched hard, her body stiffening as if she had been caught doing something unforgivable—because she had. She slowly lifted her head, her vision blurred from tears. Christopher stood a few steps away, rain clinging to his hair, his chest rising fast. His eyes scanned the area first, sharp and restless.
“Kai,” he said, his voice tense. “Where’s Selene?”
The sound of Selene’s name shattered what little control Kai had left.
Her lips trembled. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her throat felt locked, tight, burning. She looked down at the ground, then away from him, anywhere but his face.
“Kai,” Christopher said again, louder now. Panic slipped into his tone. “Where is she?”
Kai’s hands flew to her face as her body began to shake violently. A sob tore out of her chest before she could stop it. She shook her head again and again, tears pouring freely, her knees threatening to give out.
Christopher stepped closer, rain soaking into his clothes. “What did you do?” he asked sharply.
The question struck her like a blade.
“Stop!” Kai screamed suddenly, lifting her head. Her eyes were red, wild, filled with pain and anger. “Stop asking me!”
Her voice cracked halfway through, breaking into a sob. She pushed herself to her feet, swaying. “I didn’t plan this! I didn’t— I didn’t want—”
The words tangled and died in her throat.
Christopher’s fear turned into rage in a heartbeat.
Before he could think, before he could stop himself, his hand moved.
The slap landed hard.
The sound echoed through the empty space.
Kai’s head snapped to the side as pain exploded across her cheek. She stumbled back, barely catching herself before falling. Her ears rang. Her skin burned. But she didn’t cry out.
She just froze.
Christopher stood there, breathing hard, his hand still raised as if he couldn’t believe what he’d done. His eyes were dark, full of something dangerous.
“You don’t get to yell,” he said, his voice shaking with fury. “Not when Selene is missing.”
Kai’s strength finally gave out. She collapsed to the ground again, her knees hitting the wet earth as she broke down completely.
“I didn’t mean to!” she cried, her voice raw. “I swear I didn’t mean to! I just— I just pushed her— I didn’t think—”
Christopher froze.
“What?” he asked slowly.
His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Kai hugged herself tightly, sobbing uncontrollably. “Her looks, her answers are bothering me,” she whispered between broken breaths. “She knew. She always knows. I just wanted her to stop how she reacts to things. I didn’t want her to—”
Her words fell apart.
Christopher’s gaze drifted past her.
To the cliff.
The smell hit him next.
Blood. Fear. And beneath it all—Selene.
“No,” he whispered.
The world seemed to tilt.
He stepped forward slowly, his eyes fixed on the edge. The ground near the cliff was disturbed. Wet soil. Broken grass. A faint mark where someone had slipped.
“No… no, no…” His voice cracked.
Something inside him snapped completely.
A roar tore from his chest, filled with pain so deep it twisted into rage. His body convulsed violently as bones cracked and reshaped. Muscles tore and grew. His clothes ripped apart as thick black fur spread over his skin. In seconds, the man was gone.
A massive wolf stood where Christopher had been.
His red eyes burned as he turned back to Kai one last time. She shrank under his gaze, fear finally crushing everything else.
“I will never forgive you if something happened to Selene,” he growled, his voice deep and deadly. “If she’s gone… I will make sure death is your only escape.”
Then he turned away.
The wolf lunged forward, racing toward the cliff, nose low to the ground as he followed Selene’s fading scent. He leaped down the rocky path without hesitation, claws digging into stone and mud, driven by terror and desperation.
Kai screamed his name—but he was already gone.
Silence swallowed her again.
She pressed her shaking hand to her burning cheek, his words echoing in her head over and over.
Death is your only escape.
Her stomach twisted violently. She crawled forward on her hands and knees, stopping just short of the cliff’s edge. She peered down, her heart pounding so hard she thought she might pass out.
Nothing.
Only darkness and rain.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered into the wind, her voice barely there. “I’m sorry, Selene.”