The car moved along the dark, winding road, and the silhouette of Sanathiel's mansion rose on the horizon like a black colossus, devouring the moonlight. The air smelled of damp earth and iron, and every crunch of the wheels on the gravel was a warning.
Lionel, with his air of absolute control, looked at Aisha with a mixture of possession and arrogance."You are mine, Aisha. And no one, not even Sanathiel, will change that," he whispered, caressing her face with a familiarity she despised.
As they drew closer, a tingling burned at the base of her neck, a heat that didn't come from her body but from something deeper. It was him. Sanathiel. She couldn't see him, but her soul recognized him with a certainty that hurt.
When the car stopped, the cold wind shook the branches of the trees, whispering warnings. Lionel yanked the rope that bound her, dragging her toward the mansion's entrance.
Suddenly, from the shadows, a masked figure emerged. His movements were feline, yet brutal like a beast's. His eyes were not human: two white orbs glowing in the gloom, cold and spectral.
"Release the woman," the creature commanded, his voice carrying an authority that allowed no reply.Lionel smirked with disdain, pausing only for an instant."Did Sanathiel send you? Or do you simply enjoy playing hero?" he taunted, his tone dripping with indifference as he resumed his march.
He deliberately brushed his shoulder against the beastlike figure, provoking a low growl. The masked creature's claws began to extend, fingers curving in a promise of violence.
Then, another shadow broke away from the forest. Archangel. His mere presence froze the air. His heavy hand rested on the masked creature's shoulder, and a single gesture was enough to disarm the tension."Not now. We'll settle this inside," his voice rang like tempered iron, a sentence impossible to defy.
The atmosphere grew tauter, as if the very air itself had been suspended in expectation. Lionel advanced with steady steps, pulling the rope that held Aisha bound. Blindfolded and disoriented, she felt danger pressing in all around her, but something deeper unsettled her. Sanathiel. His presence was a constant echo in her mind, a whisper growing stronger with each step.
Lionel barely glanced back, his expression one of calculated indifference. Yet before he could respond, Risas moved with beastlike speed and hoisted Aisha onto his shoulders in a single motion."You'll have to earn this prize, Lionel," Risas sneered, his voice thick with challenge.
Still confused and exhausted, Aisha tried to make sense of what was happening as she was carried into the forest.Archangel, watching the scene unfold, fixed his eyes on Lionel. His patience was clearly running thin."Follow us," he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Lionel calmly adjusted his coat, letting his face return to neutrality."I don't need to be told what to do," he replied coldly, moving after them.
The group pressed deeper into the woods. The trees seemed to part before them, like dark sentinels guarding the path. Shadows danced under the moonlight, casting unsettling shapes.
With every step, the landscape grew more oppressive. At the end of the path, Sanathiel's mansion loomed—imposing and grim, a somber beacon that absorbed both light and hope.
Risas set Aisha down roughly before the entrance, while Archangel stood beside him, watching Lionel with narrowed eyes."You'd better have a good reason for disturbing the calm of this place, Lionel. Distractions are not tolerated here," Archangel said, his tone heavy with warning.
Lionel, never losing his composure, stepped forward, his voice resonating with authority."I'm here for Sanathiel. And I bring him a gift he won't ignore."His gaze slid toward Aisha, who remained motionless, her body drained and her mind clouded with confusion. Yet deep within, she could feel it. Sanathiel was near, and that inexplicable connection only intensified with every second.
The mansion doors creaked open slowly, as if an invisible force welcomed them inside. The shadows of the entrance devoured everything around them, wrapping the intruders in a shroud of mystery and danger.The hunter had reached the wolf's den, and the fate of all present was about to change.
Inside, the air was cold and oppressive. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, silent witnesses to the horrors waiting within those walls.Aisha was delivered to the men of Arceo, another dark member of the Community of Thirteen."This is what you get," Arceo sneered, his twisted smile widening as he subjected her to electric shocks that drove her into unconsciousness.
When Aisha awoke, her vision was blurred. Every muscle ached, and a shiver ran down her spine as she realized she was being watched. Before her, a disfigured figure leaned close, sniffing her like an animal."You're interesting, girl. Very interesting," the creature murmured, tightening his grip on her neck until darkness consumed her once again.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Steven fought against the ropes that held him prisoner. Arceo's words echoed in his mind, stoking a rage that burned deep inside him."You're a beast disguised as a man," Arceo whispered, his smile sharp as a blade. "The monster always comes to claim what belongs to it."
Steven clenched his fists in defiance."I'm nothing like you," he snarled, his voice ragged with fury. "I never will be."The image of Itzel pierced his chest like a needle, fueling his resolve.
Then came the deafening roar of an explosion: glass shattered, dust and fire filling the air. From the haze, Rasen stumbled in, bloodied and battered, but his gaze sought only her."Aisha!" His broken voice cut through the chaos.
Before he could reach her, Archangel appeared, seizing him by the neck and hurling him to the ground like a toy."This human has nothing to do with Sanathiel," he declared with disdain, watching Rasen struggle to rise.
Despite his injuries, Rasen refused to yield. He knew Aisha needed him, and though he was powerless against such creatures, he was willing to lay down his life to protect her.
Aisha barely opened her eyes, her body a landscape of pain, but her mind clung to a single presence."I am here for you, and soon you will understand."The voice both comforted and terrified her, beating inside her as if it had always been there.
For an instant, fear vanished, leaving only certainty."Sanathiel…" she whispered, before surrendering once more to the darkness.
The awakening had begun. And within its shadows, fate no longer offered return.