Chapter 4

THE AWAKENING I WASN'T MEANT TO SURVIVE

Elara's POV

I shook my head as I stared at him, even as my hands trembled. "So what.. we both had a... weird reaction.. it doesn't mean anything l"

"It did," he said softly.

And the way he said it made me shiver.

His gaze pinned me like I was a secret he'd been waiting for his whole life.

"Who are you really, Elara?"

"I'm no one."

"You're not 'no one.'" His jaw tightened. "That's another problem."

Then the woods hushed and the grass seemed to hold its breath.

Kael's body went rigid, and sharp as a blade. His eyes flicked toward the trees.

"Go back," he ordered.

"What?"

"Now!."

I heard it before I could argue.. it was low and guttural, a growl that wasn't human, wasn't animal. It vibrated through the ground like something buried was clawing its way up.

My pulse stuttered.

Before I could move, Kael was gone.

And I immediately made my way back to class..

The next morning came quickly and the memories of the previous day was still clogged in my head.

The warning.. The Kiss.. The growl..

I didn't want to go to the History of Supernaturals. Honestly, I would've rather chewed glass. But it was mandatory for all first-year students, and Lila had already threatened to drag me along if I bailed.

"Oh come on", she said, linking arms with me as we walked through the ivy-covered halls.

"It's Professor Thorne. People say he used to hunt rogue shifters, like literally track and trap them."

"That's comforting," I muttered. "Let's put the ex-hunter in charge of the kids and hope for the best.. I'm sure that was what they were thinking when they hired him"

"He's ancient and weird. That makes him perfect for teaching supernatural history so stop sulking," she said cheerfully.

"Also, rumor is he's half-fae which explains the whole 'tall-dark-and-unsettling' aesthetic he wears like a second skin."

She wasn't wrong. The second we stepped into the classroom, the air felt heavier, the lights were dim. The windows were open, but the breeze didn't feel like wind.. it felt weird.

Professor Thorne stood at the front, His eyes flicked over the class, landing on me for a fraction too long.

I looked away first. Like I always do.

"Settle," he said, voice like gravel and smoke. "Today, we begin with bloodlines."

"Who here can name the Four Founding Houses?" he asked.

Hands shot up. I stared at my notebook.

"Bloodfang," someone said. "Moonveil. Ashpaw. And.. uh.. Stormend?"

"Close, Stormend didn't join the list until some hundred years ago" Thorne replied, pacing.

"The actual fourth bloodline was called Nightborne, but they were erased from the record. Ask your parents about them. You'll get nothing but silence."

Lila nudged me under the desk. "Creepy. Yet.. I Love it."

I didn't love it. My pulse had started to spike the moment he said "bloodlines," and now it was racing. I kept my eyes down, but I could feel him watching me again.

"Some believe Nightborne blood still exists," he went on. "But hidden."

His voice was calm. Too calm.

"Not that it matters. Without claiming, the power rots, devours, breaks the mind."

The room was silent. My palms were damp.

"Unless," he added, "they are found before it's too late."

I didn't hear much else after that. My ears kept ringing. The kind of ringing you get before a blackout.

When class ended, I bolted. Lila called after me, but I pretended I didn't hear.

I made it to the courtyard before someone caught up with me

And it wasn't Lila.

it wasn't Kael either.

instead it was Professor Thorne.

"How did it feel?" he said quietly.

I froze. "How did what feel?"

He didn't answer. Just studied me like I was a puzzle missing its last piece.

"There are rules here Elara.. there are rules everywhere ," he said finally. "But some bloodlines don't care about rules, they wake up when they're ready."

Then he walked away.

And just like that, everything I thought I was... cracked a little.

I made it back to the dorm, barely holding it together. My hands were still cold. My thoughts? Worse.

Lila looked up from her meal.

"where have you been? I couldn't find you".

"I'm fine." .

I paced for a while, then sat down, and I stood again. Then I finally threw on a hoodie and bolted. If I stayed inside one more second, I'd scream.

The woods behind the west building were quiet.. too quiet, but I liked that. No eyes. No questions. Just trees and fog and the kind of silence you could hide in.

Then I felt it. Not heard.. felt. Like a shift in the air, sharp and sudden, pulling all the heat out of the world.

I turned.

Leaning against a tree like he'd been there forever. His hands are in his pockets.

"Are you following me now?" I asked, trying not to sound breathless.

"You're not supposed to be out here." Kael slowly replied.

"Oh no, Are the trees gonna report me or are you about to pull your shirt and look scary?"

He didn't smile. "There are things in these woods that don't play by the academy rules."

"And you do?"

A beat passed. Then he said, "I saw you today. In Thorne's class."

I was tense. "Everyone saw me it's a general class."

"No Elara!.. I felt you."

That stopped me.

He stepped closer. "Don't play dumb, Elara. You felt it too.. I know you did."

I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His voice dropped. "Yes, you do. Something inside you moved. The same thing happened to me."

I backed up a step. "So what, this time we both had a weird headache?"

Kael didn't move. "It wasn't painful."

And he was right. It wasn't. It had been... something waking up?.

He stared at me like he could see through my skin. Like I was some kind of puzzle he already knew the answer to but wasn't ready to say.

Then something changed.

Kael stiffened. His eyes flicked toward the trees.

"Go back," he said.

"What is it this time?"

"Now."

Before I could blink, Kael was gone.

One second, he was a boy. The next.. he was a massive black wolf, eyes burning silver, standing right where he'd been. He didn't hesitate. Just charged into the dark, teeth bared.

And I just... stood there.

Frozen.

Because this wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a warning, Yesterday might have been a warning but definitely not today...

And whatever was on the other side?

It was coming.

My throat felt tight. My heart slammed hard against my ribs.

By morning, I was dressed before sunrise, sitting on the edge of my mattress like a soldier waiting for orders.

That's when the knock came.

Soft. Precise.

I opened the door to find Professor Thorne.

He wasn't supposed to be in our dorms. No teacher was.

"Elara," he said quietly. "Walk with me."

I followed, boots crunching against gravel, heart pounding.

We reached the greenhouse behind the science wing.. hidden, empty. Thorne turned, eyes sharp behind his glasses.

"Something big is coming.. And There are things you need to know," he said. "About your family. About why Kael sensed you."

I swallowed hard. "What.. What do you mean.. what are you saying?"

He stepped closer.

"I'm saying... you were never supposed to survive the Awakening."