Chapter One Hundred & One 

...Dead

No... that couldn‘t..... 

I could feel my heart racing at hearing her words. 

Why would she have done that? Why do something before... 

Unless... unless she expected me to rush into war regardless of whether she used him as bait. Because she knew I wouldn‘t have any way of knowing he was alive and would assume that I would come for him blindly anyway

‘It‘s just another move made to hurt me. 

During our stay in the cabin, I‘d always avoided the topic of Aleric marking me. I hadn‘t wanted to tie him t o me knowing I might not be long for this world, and I didn‘t want to put him through feeling that pain upon my death. But I hadn‘t anticipated for the reverse to now become detrimental to me. If only I‘d actually done it, I would have known the minute it had happened and saved everyone from rushing in to save him 

So then, was he actually... dead

And the most guttural, animalistic growl then escaped my lips, forcing several people nearby to flinch and shy away from the pressure. 

This wasn‘t how it was meant to go. 

He wasn‘t meant to die from my own failure to save him in time. 

He wasn‘t meant to die before me. 

I could feel Thea‘s eyes watching me closely, feel the smirk on her face. 

...And suddenly I knew what I needed to do. 

My legs started sprinting towards her, pushing myself to move faster and faster. Several people were fighting between us but I didn‘t let that distract me, manoeuvring around them with ease without breaking stride even once. 

“Aria!” I heard someone yell. 

But I wasn‘t stopping. 

This was because of her. It was her fault. She needed to pay

I kept on running to the treeline, towards the figure waiting for me there. Nothing would be able to stop m 

...Not even the ten or so rogues I could now feel following me. 

They were trailing behind just close enough that they would probably catch up soon, having the advantage of four paws over me But just before I could make it to the trees, I sensed as one of them went to lunge at my legs, trying to pull me down. 

Not that this would be nearly enough against me though. Not when I could see their next move. 

Teffortlessly dodged their attack, countering with a dagger into their side, and their body slowly rolled to a stop two feet away

The others became frenzied at seeing me kill the rogue and began circling around me, snapping and 

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Chapter One Hundred & Une 

growling towards me as they waited to strike. They were now laking their time to size me up as their pack mentality kicked in. 

But I didn‘t have time for this. 

I looked up towards the trees, now close enough to meet Thea‘s eyes, and a mixture of frustration and desperation consumed me. I needed to get to her in time. To catch her before.… 

And then my heart sank as she did exactly what I feared, 

With a final smirk at my situation, she quickly turned around and began running into the woods, away from the battle. 

Fuck. 

“Get lost already!” I yelled at the rogues angrily. “I don‘t want to fight you.” 

Clearly, they took this the wrong way though as I watched them begin eagerly approaching closer. They stupidly ignored what I‘d just done to their comrade and took my words to mean that I was afraid of fighting so many of them at once. 

....Something they then acted upon, attacking me under that false belief. 

Without any further hesitation, they all began to charge me, trying to overpower me with sheer numbers. Unfortunately for them though, I saw every one of their attacks, 

‘Left... dodge... Swipe....‘ 

I moved around all the rogues fluently, swiftly taking them out one after another. 

‘Drop... side–kick... stab....‘ 

And before even five minutes had passed, soon I was all that remained. Standing in a circle of dead rogues around me, covered in their blood as I looked down with distaste. They‘d failed to land even a single scratch on me. 

All they‘d accomplished with their lives now lost was wasting my time. Time that could have been better spent going after Thea. What a meaningless death indeed. 

Aster one final look at the bodies around me, I then resumed running towards the woods, tracking Thea‘s disgustingly sweet scent through the trees. I could feel as the branches scratched against my skin as I ran through the foliage, not caring to take the extra seconds needed to slow down and avoid them. My mind was set on one thing, and one thing only. 

Thea 

“Suddenly, another clearing came into sight, opening up into a large empty plain. I could see how the trees surrounded the area in a circular way, giving it the appearance of being almost like an arena. And yet. something about this place felt familiar. Something that was impossible given I‘d never travelled anywhere near here before, 

the chance to think on it further as I finally caught sight of Thea, standing in the centre as

much confidence for a woman now isolated from

any sudden movement, but she remained completely still. Her demeanour was telling me to face her,

with a smile, sending

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the way my name sounded on her lips.

to the point instead. W e both knew there was only one question to be asked here, one that she would be expecting from

“Is he dead?” 

as I waited for the answer, my

slow. I could feel the heavy weight of my impatience crushing me, needing to hear the

appearing in complete contrast

tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes watching me closely.

was all she

as if the wind had been

provided. None of our lives mattered to her, I already knew this. But it felt like salt in the wound to

going to kill you,” I whispered under my breath, staring at the ground in

tears stung at my eyes but I barely acknowledged

just say?”

said I‘m going to kill

with a burning hatred in my eyes. All I saw was red, saw my own anger and the blood on her hands. The

took a few steps closer and pointed my

have taken everything from me. Everything. I don‘t care what it costs anymore. I‘m ending this. Now.”

at my words, finding it more amusing than anything, and it only acted in fuelling my fury inside.

pulsing through my veins.

without even taking another moment to think.., I charged at

in defence, looking to deflect my arm by hitting it to the side, but I read her like a book. Using my other hand, I then unsheathed a second dagger and

to leave merely a small scratch behind. It was barely

but somehow she moved faster than I expected. Before I could stop her, she caught me on my retreat and kicked the second dagger

create some distance. “This dagger seems familiar. Wasn‘t this the same weapon I killed

low growl escaped

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! DIUCU UI 

all, the last time we fought, you had to stab me in the shoulder

longer

mock me,

is. The real Thea. The one who speaks how

And, before too long had passed, soon only the sound of our daggers colliding filled the air as they matched perfectly. With every strike, it was as though she

my moves as I could hers.

...Oh. 

to see her smiling at me once more, confirming the answer I‘d just

in my

this meant the fight was basically impossible

had to do was wait it out until | reached my absolute limit, something dangerously close already after ordering

have thought that you could defeat me easily without cheap tricks. After all, you should possess a wealth of knowledge with endless experience... or is it that you’re becoming senile in your

smile instantly contorted into a scowl, messing up

the very last thing I saw

*Clinnnnk.* 

sound of the

just in time to defend against hers, barely with a second to spare, and it marked the point of our

game of speed. The one to win

was now completely reliant on my instincts as I moved, putting complete trust in my ability to sense her attacks. Despite already being so close to my limit, I needed to hold on for a little

screamed, jumping back to rest a moment. A drawback of her mortal body, I

battle progressed, her movements becoming progressively more

in my chance to

have been dead a thousand times

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riunoreu

that was stolen from

“Almost as if a mortal were of equal power to you. Really

again, her attack now focusing on her full strength rather than speed. It was something I‘d anticipated... and yet was helpless to defend against. I knew it wouldn‘t be possible to keep this

long meant something so incredibly important. Something worth

flying backwards until I hit the ground roughly. I‘d tried to cushion the

had hurt far worse than

to try and get up

Make

weaker than normal. Apparently, I wasn‘t the only one losing grasp on their ability. If anything, that alone would make all of this worth

was that?” she then suddenly

I said, ignoring

the

and she sent another kick to my chest, forcing me onto my back once more,

had been stolen so aggressively. My whole body had already been aching so much from just

started, a

I felt it. The rummaging in

End her. Get up and finish the

–Protect him.’ 

her

to hold me down. “...What are you hiding?”

nothing to hide,” | spat, squirming

to

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