Aurora“Nadine, I think we have a problem,” I murmured, my voice trembling slightly as I recounted the disturbing details of Jack's abrupt end to the video call.Bianca's fingers danced anxiously over her phone, dialing her father's number. Her face fell as the call went unanswered, the silence on the other end echoing our growing unease. Meanwhile, Nathan and Ethan were equally unsuccessful, their attempts to reach their families meeting the same void.“What should we do now?”Nadine, her brows knitted in deep concentration, finally spoke, “So, the Royal king broke his promise.” She reached for her phone with a determined grip. “I'll text Alex for more information. Let's try to stay calm. We'll find a way out of this once Alex is informed.”Clutching my phone like a lifeline, I dialed my grandmother, praying she would answer. &ldqu
XanderAs I sat in the café, I immersed myself in my thoughts and imagination repeatedly. Unlike others who might only think two or three steps ahead or merely 5 to 15 minutes into the future when making plans, I delved deeper. I meticulously planned from the beginning to the very end, revisiting and refining the strategy 5-10 times. My mind was adept at foreseeing potential errors and devising ways to preemptively address them, ensuring that every minute detail was accounted for.‘Because one single error, a human may die. Regret was the last thing I wanted in my life.’One of the shadow soldiers approached, breaking my concentration. "Sir, we have removed the iron door. Now, moving the box will be easier. We've also emptied its contents, and the box is currently concealing us as we're inside the warehouse.""Alright," I responded, standing up. I immediately called all shadow troops to attention. "I will go over the briefing thrice. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me. W
Jack grabbed his smartphone, intending to make a call, but his mind began to distort unexpectedly. Unintentionally, he had inhaled more sleeping gas than he realized. He gasped, fighting to hold his breath. Jack had been trained to hold his breath for up to 10 minutes, but the gas's effects were swift and disorienting. His vision blurred, thoughts became muddled, and he too started to lose consciousness.His smartphone slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor, and he followed suit. "The enemy is here..." he mumbled in an unclear voice.Exactly one minute after the gas deployment, the shadow soldiers inside the warehouse cautiously emerged. The sealed doors of the town hall had transformed it into a closed chamber, making the gas even more effective. They conducted a swift but thorough sweep, confirming that everyone inside was incapacitated.Two soldiers quickly moved to the warehouse to retrieve boxes and handcuff
After their second failed attempt to connect with Jack, Prince Nicholas and Kevin started to worry about the potential danger lurking in their plan."Should we abandon our plan?" Kevin queried, his voice tinged with uncertainty.Prince Nicholas, looking at the front, saw that it was just a few steps to enter the gate and retrieve all his possessions. However, there was a possible danger.Suddenly, the phone rang, cutting through the tense silence."It's Jack," Kevin announced, activating the speakerphone to allow Prince Nicholas to hear. "Jack, what's going on? Why didn't you answer earlier?"Panic laced Jack's voice as he responded, "Those Oakhaven’s people and the Shadow Troops ambushed us.""What?" Kevin's voice rose in disbelief."Twenty Shadow Troops tried to rescue the hostages using sleeping gas. But we managed to eliminate them, along with half the hostages," Jack explained, his tone heavy with stress. "Whatever you're doing, please hurry. I can't guarantee the safety of the r
Nadine lingered outside the study hall, her brow furrowed in disbelief. "Are they really this stupid? To cluster all their guards inside and then seal themselves in?" she muttered under her breath. Her tone dripped with a mix of amusement and scorn. Around her, a hundred shadow troops stood in formation, each one armed with a machine gun.Most of the Shadow Troops had already left Oakhaven for Paris. In just an hour, Nadine had managed to rally reinforcements from Paris while waiting for Prince Nicholas to arrive. They had even found time for a brief wine competition while awaiting his arrival. "Didn't that foolish Prince consider this before coming here?" she thought, her lips curling into a sly smile.“He is practically walking into a tiger's den.” She turned to her troops. "Ninety of you, go. Secure the staff and the royal guards. Handcuff them all." Her voice was firm, commanding respect."Yes, ma'am," they responded in unison, their movements synchronized and precise.A sudden cr
Fransica locked her eyes to mine. She slowly spoke in fear and teary eyes, "Prince, I will always be loyal to you.""Good," Lucas replied and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot echoed hauntingly across the training ground. A bullet suddenly shot out from Fransica's forehead, and blood splattered on my face.The bullet hit my body but was already weakened, the pain in my heart was greater. My people, Fransica's life was extinguished in an instant, her body collapsing before me, a bullet wound stark on the back of her head. The shock, the gore, the sheer brutality of it all left me reeling in horror and disbelief.She was the one who consistently greeted me with a smile and had been by my side since my early years, baking me cookies. Now, she is gone forever."Next," Lucas yelled. Two soldiers dragged Fransica's body away, and the other two Shadow Soldiers took a new hostage, a woman named Maria who had an exceptionally pale complexion.Lucas forced Maria to kneel and repeated
AuroraWith every ounce of strength I could muster, I clutched at the searing pain in my neck. Desperately, I grasped the serum, its vials scattered from their box. In a flurry of motion, I attempted to inject it into my thigh, but in my haste, I erred. The serum was inverted, instead of piercing my thigh, the needle pierced my thumb instead.This misstep slowed the serum's journey to my heart.My mind, deprived of oxygen, plunged into an abyss of emptiness. Yet, in this void, a fiery sensation began to stir. Starting from my throbbing thumb, it wound its way towards my sluggishly beating heart. Upon reaching its destination, it erupted like a dormant volcano awakening. My heart raced, pumping the serum throughout my whole body with renewed vigor.I felt a transformation overtaking me. My body swelled in size; muscles tensed and bones seemed to twist and reform. Consumed by a primal rage, I lashed out. Scarlet, caught off guard by my sudden ferocity, was thrown through the window. Ove
“Why must I choose wisely?” Prince Nicholas inquired, his tone laced with incredulity, as if the question itself was a strange, foreign concept. “He was my butler, paid to protect me. Of course, he must be willing to die for me.” His words, cold and dismissive, echoed through the field.The butler’s head drooped, a picture of utter defeat and resignation. He seemed like a wilting flower, his spirit crushed under the weight of his master's callousness.Beside me, Nadine's hand struck my shoulder with a friendly gesture. Her eyes bore into mine, searching, questioning. "Do you still think he is a good person?"I turned to face Prince Nicholas. “All beings, whether human or werewolf, possess equal rights. You cannot whimsically decide who lives and who dies based on your own selfish desires.”“I am the Prince, I am different!”As heard it, I realized the futility of my words. To Nicholas, others were merely pawns in his grand game, their lives and emotions inconsequential.Nadine’s grip