Frost seeped into my marrow; I felt as though my blood was shattering inside my veins like pieces of glass.
I opened my eyelids in panic, chasing a phantom amid this pitch-black darkness that was suffocating my breath.
I tried to lurch forward, but I was a rock rooted in a land of nothingness.
And when my sight betrayed me and I looked down, the words froze in my throat; my legs were no longer mine, but had become two pieces of pale ice, emanating the chill of death.
I drew a sharp gasp that tore through my silence.
"Syran? Syran!"
I called out to my stupid she-wolf, but the echo of my voice bounced back to me empty.
Damn her!
At the peak of my despair, the name 'Minerva' jumped into my mind.
I called her, I begged for her presence, and as usual—complete ignorance. Right then, something inside me broke; fear no longer had a place, replaced instead by a burning rage.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, hurled every curse I knew at her, and felt my face burning with fury despite my frozen limbs.
Suddenly, a shaky laugh cut through the place, making the blackness of the void tremble.
Out of nowhere, a shimmering green light began weaving a body in front of me with a provocative slowness... piece by piece. And when the features were complete, my jaw dropped in astonishment.
It was 'Me'!
I smiled despite my annoyance, and said in a voice dripping with sarcasm:
"What now? Don't you have a shape of your own? I know I am drop-dead gorgeous, but cloning my exact appearance disgusts me!"
She raised an eyebrow coldly, and with the same tone of voice full of confidence, she chuckled, saying:
"My dear Cyra, I am merely a mirror to my host.. I have no form without you."
I closed my eyes and muttered with suppressed shame.
At that moment, I felt my stupidity envelop the place; how did it not occur to me? It seems the cold didn't just freeze my feet, it froze my brain too.
I stood there, half an ice statue and half a mass of burning nerves. I placed my hand on my hip in defiance, and pointed the index finger of my other hand at my frozen legs as if accusing them of committing a crime:
"Do you have a single logical reason for this nonsense?"
Minerva pursed her lips, her gaze carrying a hint of disdain as she inspected my legs for seconds that felt like years, then raised her eyes to me and released a sigh that demolished what remained of my patience.
She slapped her forehead with her palm and said in a tone implying she was dealing with a foolish child:
"Goodness, Cyra... didn't Syran tell you beforehand that a transformation would overtake you? Just like that wolf."
At that exact moment, I felt as if a bolt of lightning from memory struck my head.
I recalled Syran's words which I had previously ignored, and felt another chill invade my heart; not the chill of ice, but the chill of exposure.
"Damn it... I am going to be exposed now in front of everyone!"
I said it in a muffled voice, only for her to interrupt me with a provocative laugh she tried to hide behind a mask of mockery:
"As if you aren't already exposed.. in this state, you are surely going to be remade."
I looked at her with malice gnawing at my chest.
Had they given me the choice between the fires of hell and sitting with this 'green copy' of myself, I would have opened the gates of hell with these very hands and welcomed its flames with a smile, which would be easier for me than having her inhabit my mind and share my breaths.
I raised my gaze toward the surrounding blackness and said to myself:
"Lord.. give me patience with this affliction you've entangled me in."
"And now, get out of my sight, I want to sleep!"
Minerva uttered her words with an arrogance that drove me insane. My features hardened and the blood boiled in my veins. I was about to pelt her with a barrage of curses, but she snapped her fingers with provocative coldness.
In the blink of an eye, I felt a brute force pulling me from my depths, shattering the ice around my legs with a resounding snap, and I found myself springing up from my bed in my real world.
I drew a long gasp that filled my lungs with familiar air.
A temporary relief washed over me as I inspected my room and my dear bed, but that relief evaporated the moment I tried to move; my limbs cramped and the joints of my back screamed with sharp pain.
Damn it! I feel like a sixty-year-old woman whose bones have been eaten away by weevils.
I searched with my eyes for 'Night' and didn't find him; he is probably drowning in his papers at his office.
I staggered toward the bathroom, washing my face with cold water hoping it would chase away the remnants of Minerva's nightmare.
However, the moment I raised my head, dried my face, and looked at the reflection resting in the mirror.
Time froze.
My eyes widened in a shock that shattered my core, and I let out a scream that tore through the quiet of dawn, quickly muffling it with my hands as panic gnawed at my heart.
Who is this?! Where is Cyra? Where are the features I know?
My hair, my eyebrows, and my eyelashes... everything had turned into a pure, snowy white. And my green eyes, which I used to adore, had become yellow, glowing with a strange and terrifying light.
My skin was intensely reddish-white, adorned with strange golden tattoos winding around my body like snakes.
"You have truly been remade."
Minerva's words rang in my ear like a thunderbolt. I closed my eyes tightly, pressing my hands against the metal edge of the sink until they nearly warped between my fingers.
I sighed with bitter resignation; don't I have the right to live in peace? Death is chasing me, strange powers are tearing at me, and now... even my face is no longer mine. Damn this crap, I have become a complete stranger to myself.
Lord have mercy.. I muttered it as I stepped away from the mirror, my hand trembling as it touched my strange face.
I couldn't bear to look at that stranger any longer; I snatched Night's massive cloak, wrapped it tightly around me over his shirt which barely covered me, and walked out dragging my disappointment and my chill toward his office.I stopped abruptly before the door.
What would he say?
How would he see me?
I blew out a breath in exasperation that chased away all those weak thoughts.
'Let his opinion go to the bottom of hell!' I whispered to myself angrily.
What I need right now is a solution, not praise. I pushed the door open with my usual recklessness, causing it to slam against the wall, announcing my arrival.
He was drowning in his papers, his features taut with fatigue.
He raised his gaze toward me, and I caught a fleeting flash of joy due to my waking up, but it quickly withered away, replaced by total astonishment; I was wrapped in that cloak like a mysterious parcel.
"Cyra?"
He uttered my name with a cautious question.
I answered him with a coldness that astonished even myself:
"Night.. you need to help me with this."
Damn it! Did my feelings freeze along with my feet? Where is the usual flutter in my heart upon seeing him?
He said sternly, while the beats of his heart thudded in his chest like war drums whose echo I could hear in my ears:
"Take off the cloak.. and why are you wearing it in the first place?"
I sighed deeply, and said to myself: 'Don't rush, Night, for what you are about to see will redraw the map of your world.'
With a steady hand, I removed the cloak in one swift motion.
It fell behind me silently, and I stood before him in my new entity; with my white hair gleaming under the light, my glowing yellow eyes, and the golden tattoos carving their story onto my reddened skin.
I saw his pupils dilate bit by bit, astonishment paralyzing his features.
Time stopped between us, while I stared at him with total coldness, waiting for him to utter anything in the face of this alluring monster I had become.
"What? Do you intend to keep staring at me like an idiot?"
My words slipped from between my lips cold and sharp as blades.
Night blinked several times, as if my arrogant tone was the slap that brought him back to his senses from his shock.
"Cyra.. what on..."
"This is the radical transformation, Mr. Night."
I interrupted him impatiently, crossing my arms tightly over my chest to manage those tattoos pulsing with golden light beneath my skin.
He straightened in his seat, beginning to examine me with calm, steady gazes. His eyes moved at a provocative, slow pace over my white hair and pale eyelashes, causing tension to gnaw at my nerves.
"Don't stare at me like that!"
I shouted in annoyance, but he didn't care.
He stepped toward me with measured strides until he was right in front of me.
He was so close that I could feel his warmth defying my coldness. He looked at my glowing tattoos, so I said in a tone overcome by surrender:
"I want a solution to this.. I cannot go out and face anyone looking like this."
He raised his gaze to land directly in my eyes; he wasn't looking at the strange creature I had become, but I felt him plunging into my depths to grab the real 'Cyra' whom I thought was lost.
He smiled with quiet confidence and said:
"We'll see about that later.. Now, come here."
Before I could process it, he pulled me into his embrace with sudden force, holding me tightly as if I had been lost in the jungle for years and finally settled in his arms. He inhaled my scent with a suspicious depth, as if making sure of my identity.
I was startled, freezing for a second, but I quickly shook off any pride—it was no longer the time for acting.
I buried my head in his chest, inhaling his manly scent which was my only guide that I was still in my home, and with my companion whom neither my magic nor my curse terrifies.
I broke the hug that I wished from the bottom of my heart would last for all eternity.
He touched my face with his large hands with a tenderness that melted my frozen heart, while I stared at him with a strange calmness; I didn't feel the usual shyness, no blushing cheeks or confused glances.. Truly, I think my feelings froze with this new entity.
But he quickly noticed my clothes; only his shirt and the cloak discarded on the floor.
His facial features wrinkled with a clear mark of annoyance, and he said strictly:
"Don't go out like this."
I raised a single eyebrow with a cold look as if asking:
"And what does this have to do with my life right now?"
I pulled away from him sharply, pushing my scattered white hair back harshly, and headed toward the couch.
I sat on it with a feigned dignity, and he sat right in front of me, placing his hands on both sides of the couch with complete ease that truly angered me.
I sent him sharp glares, swords if they were real that would have killed him on the spot.
I was gripping my arms tightly in a final attempt to control my nerves, which were starting to fray under the weight of his deliberate provocation.
I quickly averted my gaze from him; if I had kept watching his coldness for another second, I might have committed murder.
Night rested his hands on his thighs, studying me with a provocative sideways smile.. Damn it, why is he looking at me like that? Is he enjoying my torture?
"I think this is your true form.. and the other was nothing but a wrapper."
He said it calmly, making me furrow my brows trying to decode his words. Then he added:
"So sweetheart.. you can disguise yourself again."
My mind stopped for a second, then the truth exploded in my skull; this means I can get my old look back! My smile widened to the point of hurting my cheeks, and I said with childish eagerness:
"How?"
His cunning smile, which I know all too well, widened, and he said with fake coldness:
"And what will I gain?"
Without thinking, and with stunning heedlessness, I blurted out:
"Anything! Just tell me!"
That's when his teeth flashed in a victorious smile, and he ordered me to close my eyes and imagine my old form.
I did so literally, and when I opened them after a moment, I found him staring at me like a madman with that smile of his.
I felt foolishness wash over me; he had tricked me by making a big deal out of something so simple!
I straightened my trembling body, searching desperately for a mirror, and found none.
I pulled a strand of my hair in front of my eyes, and the moment I caught sight of its original color returning to normal, a wave of relief shook my core.
"Much better," I whispered to myself.
But the relief didn't last, as Night stood up from his spot and stepped toward me with heavy strides that suggested danger.
"And now.. my demand."
The blood froze in my veins and I swallowed hard, looking at him; what would this cunning man ask for in exchange for his simple trick? My patience wearing thin of his upcoming madness.
Night stood before me, and that cunning smile still played at the corners of his mouth.
A heavy silence prevailed, broken only by the sound of my heartbeat which seemed as though it wanted to burst out of my chest.
He leaned toward me slowly, wrapping his strong arms around me without touching me, turning the desk behind me into a marble prison.
"So.. my demand is very simple, Cyra."
He said it in a low, mellow tone that made my frayed nerves tremble. I felt the warmth of his breath caress my cheek, increasing the flush of my face which I couldn't hide this time.
"Say what you have and end it."
I said it with feigned coldness, trying to push his chest away, but my hand surrendered and remained hanging on his shirt like a drowning person clinging to a straw.
He tilted his head further until his lips drew close to my ear, whispering in a voice dripping with sweet mockery:
"I want a down payment on this beauty we've recovered.. I want a kiss, and in the way befitting the fierce King's mate."
I froze in my place, blinking several times in astonishment..
"Whaaaat?!"
Is he serious? Does he dare exploit me like this? My eyes widened in shock, and I felt as though the earth was tilting beneath me.
"You.. you truly are an exploiting bastard!"
I cried out in a muffled voice, but he didn't back down, instead raising his eyebrows in silent defiance as if his body language was saying:
"A deal is a deal."
Right then, a piece of my shyness broke and was replaced by a volcano of defiance. I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with absolute boldness, in a movement I never imagined I'd have the courage for.
And the moment my lips touched his, I saw astonishment in his eyes; I had caught him off guard with my unusual boldness.
His silence didn't last long; he awakened to the touch of my damp lips, pulling me to him with violent and beloved passion, tightening his grip on my waist and returning the kiss with a warmth that made me forget the darkness and the ice, feeling nothing except his heartbeat which had become mine.
Time stretched as we drowned in that wild kiss that seemed to dazzle us all.
Our breath finally cut off, and we parted with frantic panting, completely numbed by its magical effect.
I couldn't process what happened until he sealed his lips against mine once more, this time on his own initiative.
I didn't mind at all; rather, I felt as though I was melting in his hands from his dangerous effect on me.
With lightning speed, he lifted me and set me on the desk, clearing more space for his passion, pulling me closer to him, with my legs wrapping around his waist in a natural and blazing motion.
The kiss transformed from a wild one into a violent one, his hand tightening on my waist to the point where I felt his nails digging into my skin.
He had lost control over his inner beast!
I broke the kiss with difficulty, panting. His eyes were glowing with a bloody red color and a black sheen or an evil glint of his hybrid.
"Night."
I uttered his name with a warning mixed with fear. He stared at me while panting heavily, sweating profusely from the struggle he was waging between his mind and his instinct.
I knew I had to do something to calm him before it was too late.
Without hesitation, I pulled him tightly to my chest, and secreted my soothing pheromones heavily.
I felt him relax in my arms gradually, surrendering to me, and his frenzy finally began to calm down, leaving behind tranquility.
His massive body settled between my arms, and that violent chill that was shaking his core faded away.
I felt his heavy breath gradually settling as it brushed my neck, turning the office tension into a stillness buzzing with emotion.
Night was completely surrendering to the effect of my pheromones, resting in the scent of my heart that embraced him.
He raised his head slowly, leaving his hiding place on my neck so my gaze could meet his. The red color had left his eyes, but the glint that remained in them was even more impactful; it was the glow of absolute adoration.
He stared at me for seconds, his forehead still touching mine, and his fingers caressed my waist with a tenderness that made my heart flutter anew.
He whispered in a raspy voice, carrying the remnants of his beast's frenzy:
"Damn you, Cyra.. you have ruined all my defenses."
I smiled despite my confusion, and he caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, saying in a tone overflowing with truth and passion:
"That kiss.. wasn't just a down payment. It was an official declaration of my madness for you. I never imagined that the spark of the bond within you would be this blazing."
He was silent for a moment, then added as he leaned in to kiss my forehead deeply:
"I liked it so much that I fear I won't get enough of it... your boldness was unexpected."
"'Don't blame me.. even I don't know where I got that boldness from!' I told myself sarcastically as I tried to regain my breath lost in his passion."
The atmosphere was still charged with his heat, but suddenly, a sharp anxiety stung me like a cold needle; I remembered Max and Zoe.
"Where is Max? And Zoe.. is she okay? Tell me!"
I threw my questions rapidly, not realizing their impact until I saw Night's features wrinkle with intense annoyance.
The transformation was immediate and terrifying; the glint of passion in his eyes extinguished, replaced by a harsh frost.
He pulled away from me sharply, sitting on his chair opposite me with his legs spread in a cruel, cold manner, as if the embrace that united us seconds ago was nothing but an illusion.
"Everything is going as it should."
He uttered it in a wooden tone devoid of any emotion.
I blinked, trying to absorb this shift; did he do something to him? I stared at him with a worried, accusing gaze, and he understood what was spinning inside my mind and answered in a strict tone:
"He is under punishment now.. and as soon as it's over, he'll come out. Don't worry about her, she's fine."
I felt a lump in my throat that faded slightly to leave room for a flawed relief.
"Under punishment?"..
I repeated it to myself in dismay. I know Night, and I know his punishment can surpass human endurance.
'I just hope you don't kill him in that punishment, Night,'
I addressed myself hopelessly as I watched his marble face, realizing that I had now returned from the companion's embrace to the merciless commander's throne.
I stepped down from the desk slowly, canceling the defiant sitting posture. I stood before him, looking at him with eyes carrying tenderness.
"Night.. I know very well that he hurt you a lot, but remember he was deceived too."
I said it in a calm tone, trying to strike his anger with logic and emotion.
"If I were in Max's place, I might have done the same... so don't be vindictive. No matter what happens, he will remain your brother and twin, remember this well."
I saw his facial features change, sharpening and wrinkling further, exhaling air with intense exasperation, avoiding looking at me with his angry gazes.
I didn't allow him to escape; I stepped toward him, behind the chair he was sitting on, and slowly stretched my hands to stroke his dark hair, bringing my face close to his neck and my lips to his ear.
I deliberately let my breath brush his hot skin.
I felt his body stiffen the moment I touched him, but I continued my words with a confident whisper:
"No matter how harshly you deal and pretend to be cold, I know very well that you won't abandon a member of your family, Night."
I kissed his neck lightly, a kiss carrying my entire emotional message, and made to leave, leaving him to battle himself.
And before I closed the door, I turned to him with a small, victorious smile and waved goodbye, while he remained staring at me with distracted features and astonishment clearly written on his face; I had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt and tenderness in his cruel heart.
I left Night's office with my head full of scattered thoughts, but my body moved with a strange mechanism. I drifted into my room, and began shedding the remnants of today's nightmare.
I pulled on my tight black pants that clung to my body like a second skin, donned the loose white hoodie, and followed them with my black leather jacket; I felt its weight over my shoulders giving me the steadfastness I needed right now.
I let my black hair fall freely over my back, relishing its natural texture that I had reclaimed.
I wore no makeup, for my features were taut enough with anxiety and determination. I looked at my reflection in the mirror; I looked strong, ready, and far removed from that icy girl.
I tied my black boots tightly, standing to gather my scattered wits. There was no time to rest—Night's scent still lingered on my clothes, but my mind was screaming the name 'Zoe'.
I left the room with rapid, confident steps, the heels of my boots striking the floor with a steady rhythm reflecting my racing heartbeat.
I headed toward my old room, every cell in my body hoping to find her there.
I pushed the door of the old room eagerly, but emptiness was all that greeted me.
I sighed in exasperation, pouring all my tension into it, slammed the door shut behind me hard enough to make the walls tremble, and then descended the stairs toward the dining hall with measured steps.