I didn't know when fear stopped.
Or when it turned into something else.
At first, everything was noise—voices, tension, the weight of too many eyes watching me like I was something fragile… or dangerous.
Then the fight began.
And suddenly—
Everything became clear.
Not quiet.
Not calm.
Just… focused.
I could feel it.
Not around me.
Inside me.
Jeremy's voice cut through everything.
Free your mind.
At first, I didn't understand.
My mind was already anything but free—it was chaos. Questions, fear, and disbelief all crashing into each other.
But then I stopped trying to understand it.
And just… felt.
The moment I did—
Something shifted.
It wasn't like learning something new.
It was like remembering something I had always known.
Fire.
It didn't burn me.
It listened.
A warmth spread across my skin, flickering, alive—but controlled. Like it knew its place.
Water followed.
Cool. Fluid. Protective.
It wrapped around me without touching me, like an invisible shield responding to every movement before I even made it.
Earth.
Heavy.
Steady.
Grounding.
The moment my foot pressed into the soil, I felt… anchored. Like nothing could move me unless I allowed it.
Air.
Light.
Fast.
It moved with me—no, it moved me. Every step felt quicker, sharper, easier.
And then—
Darkness.
For a second, I hesitated.
Because this one felt different.
Deeper.
Older.
But when I reached for it—
it didn't resist.
It welcomed me.
The shadows curled toward me, not threatening… but obedient.
And that's when I realized—
this wasn't power I was borrowing.
This was power that was mine.
All of it.
At once.
I opened my eyes.
And the world looked different.
Sharper.
Slower.
Cassian stood in front of me, watching.
Not attacking.
Watching.
Like he was waiting to see what I would do next.
Good.
Because now—
I wanted to try.
I moved.
Not perfectly.
Not gracefully.
But instinctively.
He came at me fast—faster than before—but this time, I saw it. Felt it.
I shifted.
Air carried me just enough.
Water softened the impact when he struck.
Fire flared when I pushed back.
And darkness—
darkness followed every movement like it had been waiting for this moment.
Our hits collided.
Hard.
For a split second—
everything shook.
The ground.
The air.
Me.
But I didn't fall.
I didn't step back.
And neither did he.
Cassian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…you learn fast," he said.
I didn't answer.
Because I wasn't learning anymore.
I was adapting.
Every second.
Every movement.
Every breath.
This wasn't a fight I was losing.
And that—
that scared me more than anything.
Because if this felt natural…
Then what exactly was I becoming?
Behind me, I could feel Jeremy.
Steady.
Grounded.
There.
Not leading.
Not controlling.
Just… there.
And for some reason—
that made everything easier.
Cassian moved again.
Faster.
Stronger.
Serious now.
Good.
Because so was I.
The shadows around me deepened.
The air tightened.
The ground beneath us trembled slightly.
And for the first time—
I didn't feel like I was trying to survive.
I felt like I was finally stepping into something that had been waiting for me all along.
Something bigger.
Something older.
Something dangerous.
Something…
mine.
I called into the abyss of the darkness, a power so vividly familiar yet maddening to control.
It was like a wild beast without its master.
Memories come flooding back.
And one such memory caught my attention; specifically, this sentence did.
"Vexsis, daggers of the Dark Angel Azazel, I summon thee—rise from the abyss of shadows, heed my will, and return to my grasp in a storm of darkness and steel."
I held out my arms as I said these words, following the memory's actions.
The minute I say the last word, in a flash of bright light, two daggers appear.
The moment I saw Vexsis, I froze in place
I had never seen anything so beautiful and terrifying at the same time. The twin daggers looked as if darkness itself had been forged into steel.
Their obsidian-black blades seemed to swallow every ray of light around them. Crimson veins pulsed beneath the surface like molten fire trapped within the metal.
Ancient runes shimmered along the edges with an eerie scarlet glow. Shadows curled around the blades as though they were alive and obeyed their every command.
Even from a distance, I could feel an overwhelming, ancient power radiating from them. My heart raced, and for a moment, I forgot they were weapons.
They looked like priceless relics crafted by gods rather than tools of war. Yet beneath their beauty lurked something terrifying and deadly.
The longer I stared, the more I felt as though I was standing before a force far older and darker than I could comprehend.
In that moment, I understood why the name Vexsis was spoken with both awe and fear.
Suddenly a man appeared before me, his wings sleek and black. A total of ten wings were on him he was like a mystical creature right out of the novels I read.
His presence made me doubt my existence. His aura made me take two steps back, which was very much involuntary, and what surprised me even more was that I was kneeling with my head bowed down to him. He said in a deep voice that echoed in the abbey of a forest, "Rise, my child."
That is when I look around to find nobody. The forest existed, but the people, my parents, Mia, Jeremy, and even Elrode and Casian, were missing.
Azazel, in that deep spine-crawling voice, spoke, "My dear Nyxia, you were the white she-wolf, the daughter of me and Lilitth, the strongest luna turned alpha of the new moon tribe created by the son of Samayaza, our leader and liberator. A tribe that even the white moon trash could not defeat.
"If it weren't for Elrod and his Italian pack who cowardly poisoned the entire New Moon tribe." All the members cursed the Italian pack for deaths beyond their imagination as they took their last puff of breath.
Nyxia but you, you were special, as you were my daughter; your soul drifted the cosmos in search of a body that could contain your power. And what's better than the body of your successor Vivian, who was growing in the womb of the hidden luna of the new moon tribe, your great-great-granddaughter Helena.
Nyxia, who is Nyxia? I think you mistake me for another person, sir; I am Vivian, daughter of Helena and Scotus Jerald.
Azazel speaks in a tone of certainty and warmth. "Hi, Vivian. I am your... ha, great-great-great-grandfather Azazel, or as others call me, the sin bearer.
"And I was talking to your soul, not to you, but to my daughter, whose soul is present in your body and is your life force." Azazel said.
"And your mind is asking so many questions that my head is starting to ache." He said in an unamused tone.
Azazel then continued, "Vivian, first take two deep breaths and thn listen to me."
"Listen carefully, Vivan, for this story began long before your birth, long before Nyxia, and long before the New Moon Tribe."
"In the First Age, when the veil between Heaven and Earth was thin, Samyaza, leader of the Grigori, descended from the Celestial Realm with his followers. They came seeking to guide humanity and preserve the world from a darkness they believed was approaching. But Heaven saw their actions as defiance and branded them traitors."
"As the years passed, the Grigori walked among mortals. They learned their ways, shared their knowledge, and witnessed both the beauty and cruelty of the world. Yet among all they encountered, none fascinated them more than the wolf clans that roamed beneath the moon."
"The she-wolves of those ancient tribes were fierce, loyal, and unyielding. They feared neither beasts nor gods. Many of the Grigori found themselves drawn to them, and what began as admiration soon became love. Bonds were formed between celestial beings and the daughters of the wolf clans."
"From those unions, a new bloodline was born."
"Their children inherited the strength of the wolves and the power of the heavens. They were faster, stronger, and longer-lived than ordinary mortals. Unlike other wolves who drew their strength from the full moon, these descendants thrived beneath the moonless sky, finding power within darkness itself. Thus, the New Moon Tribe was born."
"Samyaza became their first great leader, teaching them the wisdom of the stars and the secrets of the night. Under his guidance, the tribe flourished in the hidden corners of the world, far from the eyes of Heaven."
"Generations passed. Kingdoms rose and crumbled into dust. Yet the blood of Samyaza endured, flowing through every Alpha who ruled the New Moon Tribe."
"Then came Luna Lilith, the greatest Alpha of her age. Through her, the ancient bloodline remained pure and strong. It was during her reign that fate brought us together."
"From our union came Nyxia."
"She carried the blood of Samyaza through her mother and my darkness through her father. She was born beneath a moonless sky, and even the shadows bent toward her cradle. Knowing the destiny that awaited her, I forged Vexsis—twin daggers born from obsidian darkness and tempered in the fires of Hell."
"Nyxia became a legend. Warriors feared her. Kings respected her. Even the night answered her call."
"And when she fell, the world believed her story had ended."
Azazel's gaze settled upon Vivan, his crimson eyes glowing like embers in the darkness.
"But legends do not die so easily."
"Nyxia's soul endured. Through death and the passage of ages, it found its way back into this world. It lives within you now, Vivan. Yet you are not Nyxia—not yet. Her memories remain buried deep within your soul, locked away by time itself."
He stepped closer, his presence suffocating and ancient.
"The enemies who hunted her in the past still linger in the shadows. If they learn who you are before your awakening is complete, they will stop at nothing to destroy you."
"That is why you must remain hidden."
"Wait. Grow stronger. Let the memories return naturally. Do not force them, for a shattered mind serves no one."
For the first time, a faint smile crossed Azazel's face.
"Fortunately, you will not face this burden alone."
"Carlix has returned as well."
Vivan's eyes widened.
"Carlix?"
"Yes," Azazel replied. "Your mate. The one who stood beside Nyxia through every battle. The one who swore to follow her beyond death itself."
"Just as you were reborn, so was he."
"In this life, he walks the world as Jeremy, son of the Valkans. Though he does not yet remember everything, his soul remembers yours. That bond was forged long before either of your current lives began."
The shadows around Azazel stirred.
"Stay with him. Trust him. Hide among the New Moon blood that still survives. When Nyxia's memories awaken and Carlix remembers who he truly is, the time for hiding will end."
His voice dropped to a whisper that echoed through the darkness.
"And when that day comes, Vivan... Heaven, Hell, and every enemy that feared Nyxia will learn a terrible truth."
"The Luna Alhpa has returned."
Giving me a reassuring smirk, he vanishes, and I am back to the real world.
Expecting to wake up in Whitewood Forest surrounded by werewolves, I slowly opened my eyes.
Instead—
I was lying on a bed.
A very small bed.
Wooden walls surrounded me, illuminated by soft moonlight spilling through a nearby window. The scent of pine, smoke, and damp earth lingered in the air.
For a moment, I simply stared at the ceiling.
Then everything came rushing back.
The fight.
Cassian.
The awakening.
Azazel.
I shot upright.
A dull ache immediately throbbed behind my eyes.
"Easy."
The familiar voice made me freeze.
I turned toward the doorway.
A man stepped out from the adjoining room.
Jeremy.
Relief immediately flooded through me.
He looked different than usual. His dark hair was messy, still damp from a quick wash. Small cuts and scratches covered his chest, shoulders, and arms—the remnants of the fight already healing.
A pair of faded blue jeans hung low on his hips, but that was all he wore.
The moonlight streaming through the window highlighted every scar and muscle earned through years of training.
For a second, my brain completely forgot what it was supposed to be doing.
Jeremy noticed me staring.
One eyebrow lifted.
"Enjoying the view?"
My face immediately heated.
"No!"
His grin widened.
"Liar."
I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him.
He caught it effortlessly.
"Definitely awake," he said with a laugh.
The sound eased something tight inside my chest.
For the first time since Whitewood, I felt safe.
Jeremy tossed the pillow back onto the bed and pulled a chair closer.
"You scared everyone, Viv."
My smile faded slightly.
"How long was I out?"
"About six hours."
My eyes widened.
"Six?"
He nodded.
"No one could wake you."
My stomach sank.
Six hours.
Six hours trapped in visions, memories, and conversations that felt more real than reality itself.
Jeremy studied my expression carefully.
"You saw something."
Not a question.
A statement.
I looked away toward the window.
Outside, dark clouds drifted across the moon.
The memory of Azazel's crimson eyes flashed through my mind.
Carlix.
Nyxia.
The Luna Alpha.
I swallowed.
"Yeah."
Jeremy leaned forward.
"What did you see?"
For a moment, I considered telling him everything.
Then I remembered Azazel's warning.
Not yet.
So I looked back at Jeremy and forced a small smile.
"It's... a long story."
And for some reason, that answer seemed to worry him more than any explanation could have