The barrier shimmered like a curtain of moonlight between Elira and Lucien, cold and impassable. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest, echoing like a war drum in the vast chamber. She could feel him—Lucien—on the other side. His magic pulsed through their bond like a steady current, steadying her, whispering to her soul: You are not alone.
But the Council wouldn't let her lean on him.
"You are the Omega," said the female leader, stepping forward. "The last of your kind. Buried in your blood is the magic of life and death. Prove it."
Elira's mouth was dry. "I don't know how."
"Then die trying," another councilman hissed, and with a flick of his wrist, the chamber walls bled shadows.
Suddenly, the floor trembled.
A creature rose from the silver crack in the ground—a monstrous wolf, eyes glowing crimson, fur black as void. It snarled, foam flying from its massive jaw, and lunged straight at her.
"Elira!" Lucien's roar tore through the air—but he couldn't reach her.
Instinct took over. Elira's hands shot out as if to stop the beast, her palms glowing with a soft, pale light. The magic exploded from her body like a wave—raw, untrained, but devastating. The creature halted mid-air, suspended as if time itself had frozen.
Then the light vanished.
The beast dropped, slamming Elira to the ground.
Pain burst through her body. She choked on the scream, her vision swimming. The wolf pressed its massive paw against her chest, its snarls deafening. Her strength began to flicker like a dying flame.
You are not weak, the bond whispered in her mind. You are mine. You are power.
Something inside her snapped.
Her eyes flew open—not soft green, but silver fire.
The bond roared to life.
Her body arched, magic burning through her veins like molten lightning. She screamed—not from pain, but from the fury of awakening. Wind burst outward in a violent shockwave, throwing the creature across the chamber and shattering the magical barrier.
Lucien was there in an instant, catching her before she hit the stone floor. His arms encased her, and for a moment, everything was still.
"You summoned your power," he whispered, awe and pride thick in his voice. "You called it."
Elira looked up at him, breathless, her skin glowing faintly. "I didn't mean to…"
He leaned closer, his lips brushing her temple. "It doesn't matter. You did."
The Council watched in silence, their expressions unreadable.
Finally, the leader spoke. "She's more powerful than we anticipated. Uncontrolled, yes—but with potential. The Omega has awakened."
Lucien's grip on Elira tightened. "She is not yours to claim. She is bonded to me."
"True," the woman said. "But that bond could be your doom—or hers."
Elira's head spun. Her body ached, but the magic still lingered, wild and coiling beneath her skin like a sleeping storm. She had barely scratched the surface.
Lucien helped her to her feet. The Council didn't move. They didn't have to. Their message was clear.
Elira had power.
But it had a price.
"We will return," the leader said, vanishing into the shadows with the rest of the Council. "And when we do, the bond will be tested again—in blood."
---
As the chamber emptied, Lucien wrapped his cloak around Elira's shoulders and pulled her close.
"That was only the beginning," he whispered. "You don't know yet what you are… but I do. And I swear to you—I'll burn this world before I let them take you from me."
Elira leaned into him, her fingers clenching the fabric of his shirt.
Somewhere deep inside her… the magic stirred again.
And it liked the sound of that...