"A little friendly advice before I kill you?" Odon sneered as he stepped down from his throne. "Never distract a Coyote."
Then came the sound—bones snapping, low animal groans twisting into howls of agony. One by one, the men surrounding him began to shift. Their bodies contorted, cracked, and stretched into something inhuman. The silence shattered into a storm of snarls and snapping jaws as an army of beasts emerged right before our eyes.
Mrs. Leonardo didn't flinch. She darted to the wide drawers beneath her vanity and yanked one open. "Pick a weapon, Zinnia. And please… stay safe." She grabbed a heavy sword and bolted toward the door.
I reached for her, shaking. "I'm not ready."
"No one is," she said, gripping my shoulder. "No one ever will be. But we don't have the luxury of waiting. Millions of lives are counting on you. You fight now. You survive." And she was gone.
Her words echoed in my skull as I turned toward the open drawers. Sharp, gleaming swords stared back at me. My fingers hovered above them. I closed my eyes, tilted my head to the ceiling, and whispered, "God, please… give me courage." A tear slid down my cheek.
Then a glow.
A soft, bluish light warmed my face. I opened my eyes and looked down. Two swords were there—curved scimitars I hadn't seen before, their hilts etched with gold. My hand moved on instinct, gripping both.
The moment my skin touched the metal, sparks ignited. A surge of light burst from the tips, racing along the blades, wrapping the hilts, and shooting through my arms. It filled my chest like lightning striking from within.
Runes carved themselves into the surface of the blade—shimmering symbols, and at the base, the figure of a bird rising above waves.
The fear in my chest began to burn away. I felt stronger. Steadier.
Without a second thought, I ran into the hallway—and straight into war.
The sight stopped me cold.
A handful of students—barely older than me—stood against towering beasts. Wolf-headed monsters with hulking shoulders, claws glinting, eyes red with rage. It wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.
I wanted to turn back. I couldn't breathe. But then I felt it.
Hot breath brushed the back of my neck. The stench of blood hit me.
I spun.
A massive jaw was inches from my face. The beast growled, its teeth bared, eyes filled with hate. It lunged.
And then… stopped.
The blade in my hand had pierced its ribs. I hadn't even realized I'd struck.
The monster let out one final, shuddering growl. It staggered. Fell.
I dropped to my knees beside it. My breath caught in my throat. "I'm sorry," I whispered.
Its eyes dimmed. It died.
My ears rang. My hands trembled. Everything blurred as the world closed in on me—until someone pulled me back.
"Zinnia!"
Ryan's voice sliced through the chaos. He shook me hard.
"Zinnia! He was here to kill you!" His grip tightened as he pulled me to my feet and dragged me toward Cris's room.
Inside, I saw Shawn and Cris waiting—and behind them, Don.
And for a second, just one, the storm outside stopped spinning.
When the haze lifted, I realized Ryan had come to rescue me.
"Thank goodness you're alright!" Cris pulled me into a hug. "This is it, Zinnia! And rain shall fall, it will not cease,
'Til every head is brought to peace." She reminded me of her poem! Shaking, terrified—but somehow, her words gave me an idea.
I took a step toward the door, but Don caught my wrist, his touch warm, grounding. "Where are you going?"
I turned to him with a fragile smile. "There's been too much blood. I know how to stop this. No more war. No more loss. Millions could be saved."
His eyes searched mine, panic blooming. "Promise me you won't get hurt."
I hesitated, swallowing hard. "Can I tell you something before I go?" My voice shook, heavy with everything I hadn't said.
"There's one thing I've always loved about nature—it gave me you. And for that… I'll be grateful for the rest of my life."
I reached for his hands, holding them tight, as if letting go would shatter me. "I love you, Don." The words cracked out of me, soft but sharp, carried on the breath of a storm.
Tears welled in my eyes. He didn't see the fear behind them—only the confession. Only the part I wanted him to keep.
He smiled gently, unaware of the storm inside me. One hand slid up to my cheek, the other curled between my fingers, fitting like they always had. Like we'd been made to hold each other.
Then he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, and our lips met.
Our first kiss.
The one I'd imagined a thousand ways, a thousand nights. And now, it was real—so tender, so full of everything we'd buried.
I didn't want it to end. I wanted time to freeze. But my lips trembled as I pulled back, still feeling his breath against my skin. His fingers slipped from mine, soft as a goodbye, and tucked another strand behind my ear with aching care.
I opened my eyes. A tear slid free.
My heart was thundering in my chest, so loud it drowned out the screams and steel beyond the walls. This moment was everything I'd ever wanted… and it was breaking me.
He was the man I loved. The man who loved me. But the world didn't care. It was still burning.
And we didn't get to pause.
"I promise I'll make this right," I whispered.
Then I turned away before I'd shatter in his arms.
He kept smiling at me, unaware of what I was about to do. He didn't know I might be breaking his heart. It was breaking mine too, but I smiled anyway. If these were my last moments, at least I had told him how I felt.
I left the room gripping both swords, prepared for whatever waited ahead. When I reached the center of the hallway above the stairs, I froze. The bloodshed below made my stomach turn.
"This has to stop," I thought.
I raised my voice as loud as I could. "I'm ready to go with you! Leave them alone!"
I dropped my sword right where I stood. The moment my words echoed through the air, silence followed—heavy, still, complete.
I could feel it all at once. Anger. Hatred. Hunger. But the deepest pain was heartbreak and disappointment. I had let down everyone fighting for me. Shame crushed my chest, but I couldn't bear to see more lives lost.
Alpha Odon lowered his sword, then gave a slight nod. Two of his massive guards stepped toward me. When one reached out and touched my shoulder, I flinched and snapped, "I'm coming by my own will! You don't need to grab me!"
Odon didn't speak. I lowered my head and began to descend the stairs, avoiding every eye watching me. I couldn't face them, not after this. Especially Mrs. Leonardo, who watched me, stunned.
The moment I stepped past the school's boundary, two strong arms seized me. A thick black sack was yanked over my head, cutting off my breath and vision. I felt the rope tighten around my wrists. Before I could resist, more hands grabbed me—one at my shoulder, one at my legs—and threw me somewhere hard. My world went black.