A wave of dark energy, so intense it made her head spin, erupted from Ada's body. The darkness materialized around her, dancing and swirling as if it were alive. The lion halted abruptly, surprised by the sudden manifestation of power. The darkness stretched toward him, hissed, and scratched his body like a furious claw.
Ada didn't understand what was happening, but she let her emotions take control.
She had been afraid for too long.
The cause of her suffering was there: the Orphanage, her home. Her rage turned toward the scientists who had treated her that way, and toward the lion, the final executioner of her personal nightmare.
If my identity is true, if it's true that I'm the daughter of a goddess, then I want my power to destroy them.
The darkness swirled around the Blendbreed, enveloped her body, and formed a humanoid armor with vaguely feline features.
A panther.
Then, the shadows obeyed her will and rushed toward the enemy like a raging river.
The beast recoiled and shifted its posture—not that of a predator ready to strike, but of a cautious and respectful creature.
Then, to the girl's great surprise, it spoke in a human voice.
"Finally!" it sighed.
Ada found its voice deep and resonant. There was even a note of satisfaction in its tone, as if it had been waiting for this moment for a long time. The Blendbreed stood still, in disbelief.
The lion could speak—it was a thinking beast. Her mind pulsed as she tried to make sense of everything that was happening. Just moments earlier, she had been about to be devoured, and now she could converse with him.
She began to doubt that the lion meant to kill her. In fact, over the past months, he'd had many chances to do so, yet she had survived every time. Perhaps his goal was something else.
"What… what do you mean?" she asked, surprised by her faint voice.
The fear of the moment had vanished, as had the great tension that had accompanied the hunt.
The lion sat on his hind legs, but his eyes never left Ada's.
"You have finally embraced your true nature, young girl," he said with a positive tone. "The power in your body has awakened."
A shiver ran down the girl's spine.
So it's true. I am the daughter of a goddess.
That awareness continued to unnerve her. She couldn't help but think about it and feel unworthy. She was too small to belong to some other place. She had always lived at the Orphanage, and her memories, though painful, were still tied to that place. Her only home was there. The thought that she could be connected to someone else—to a goddess—was an anomaly.
I don't know what to think about all this.
"You… you knew?" she finally asked.
Her voice trembled with suppressed emotion.
The lion tilted his head in an almost human gesture.
"I was here to push you to the limit, to force the awakening of your power… and to eat you if you failed," he explained. "I did the same with the others. But you failed the trial again and again."
The creature's words hit her like a punch to the gut. All those days of terror, of desperate fleeing, had just been a test. Rage swelled within her, igniting the darkness.
"A test?" she hissed, the shadows around her stirring in response to her fury. "You killed and ate children for a test?"
The lion showed no sign of remorse.
"It was necessary. Only the strongest can survive what awaits us. You have proven to be one of us and earned the right to live."
"One of us?"
The creature roared, startling her. She felt the tears burn behind her eyes, but forced them back. She would not cry— not now.
"Not yet. You are not ready, panther."
"And now?" she asked, genuinely worried. "What will happen to me?"
The lion rose, his imposing figure looming in the darkness.
"Good luck," he laughed at her. "Now that they know who you are… they won't stop testing you. You've awakened your power, but you don't yet know how to control or shape it properly."
Ada looked at the shadows dancing around her. She could feel their call mingled with a sense of danger. The temptation to lose herself within them was overwhelming. She wondered if the lion had fallen victim to them as well.
The creature stared at her for a long moment.
"You cannot deny what you are," he added, "you can only embrace the darkness so it doesn't consume you."
Ada felt the weight of those words. She looked at her hands, realizing the dark feline form she had assumed, then back at the lion.
He's right.
She could no longer pretend to be just a simple girl.
I am the daughter of a goddess, with dark power running through my veins. I am special.
The wolf-boy and the serpent-girl were like her and had been given the same chance. She wondered if they shared the same divine mother—if so, they would be half-siblings.
If her suspicions were correct, then she had never truly been alone. She had a family, but it had been taken from her by the Orphanage and the lion.
The scientists were watching the scene from the other side of the glass with greedy eyes. They were not pleased with the way the creature was behaving—they feared it might ruin their plans. One of them, a man with a hard, detached gaze, spoke into the microphone. His metallic voice echoed through the room, though Ada, trapped in the dark domain, could not pinpoint its source.
"Lion, you've said enough. Attack and wound the subject."
The beast didn't hesitate. With a deafening roar, it lunged at the girl. She screamed, terrified and paralyzed by pain, as the powerful claws tore through the darkness and sank into her body. She felt her flesh rip, her skin burn beneath the creature's relentless blows.
"Stop!" she cried, the sound choked by a knot in her throat.
Tears streamed down her face while the pain kept hammering her body. The world around her became a vortex of darkness and despair.She tried to cling to something—anything—that could save her, but found nothing.
Her power dissolved, too fragile to pose any threat to the creature. Blood ran down her sides, her vision grew blurry. She could no longer fight. A single, clear thought crossed her mind as she felt life slipping away.
I'm dead.
Then, she closed her eyes and sank into absolute nothingness.
She remained in total silence until a buzzing disturbed her, like a mosquito flying in front of her face.
It was annoying. She wanted it to go away, but didn't know how.
She opened her eyes abruptly as the blinding white light of the sterile room struck her. The cold seeped into her bones, making her shiver. She lifted her gaze and realized she was lying on a metal table. The wounds on her abdomen were gone, replaced by a series of scars running along her skin. She tried to sit up, but her body responded with a dull, crushing pain.
She had only one certainty: she was alive.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
After that event, the change was sudden and drastic. She had become the new center of attention for a team of researchers and scientists. Every day, she saw their eyes gleam beyond the glass of the white chamber with a mix of excitement and thirst for knowledge. The first weeks were filled with tests and examinations of every kind. She was subjected to brain scans, blood draws, physical trials, and analyses of her psychic traits.
The lion had warned her, but she hadn't believed his words were true.
She was, in every sense, a lab specimen—nothing like a young girl. Nevertheless, there was a new respect in how they treated her. She suspected it was due to the display of power she had shown.
The days passed impersonally, as if she was a spectator in someone else's life. As time went on, she stopped reacting and defending herself. She began to obey like the specimen she was, suppressing every emotion.
She was becoming a hollow shell, devoid of identity.
The only moments she knew she was alive were those spent running from the lion. The hunt continued every day, but it had ceased to be a game. The beast was a constant presence at her back, chasing and wounding her without the slightest restraint. Ada tried to escape, terrified by how he seemed to feel no compassion for her.
She couldn't even understand her own behavior. Awakening her powers should have given her a confidence that, combined with her immense rage, would have driven her to fight. But contrary to that logic, she was so afraid that she trembled every time the distance between them shrank.
After their brief discussion, she had thought he might be on her side somehow, that he was one of the scientists' victims just like her. She had hoped he would no longer be a threat, but a guardian or a mentor.
A perfect, unattainable utopia.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
The months kept passing.
Ada felt her power grow day by day. Over time, she learned to manipulate the darkness, to channel it in the right direction, and to create illusions capable of deceiving the scientists' eyes.
The tests continued, but they had lost their purpose. Usually, the real examination was carried out by a single operator after she had been sedated, so she had learned to create an illusion that allowed her to remain safe.
They tried to push her to the edge, to break her, but they achieved the opposite effect. Her abilities kept improving, granting her more power than she had expected. A strength she could one day turn against the lion that chased her every day.
I have to act fast, or it'll be too late.
The girl's heart pounded furiously as she ran through the dark hall. She could hear the lion's breath growing closer behind her—deep and threatening. Her mind was clear, but every time she tried to focus and summon her power, terror paralyzed her.
No, no! Why can't I use the magic?
Then, without warning, the beast was upon her. It grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. Ada screamed, the sound cracked by fear and pain, as the creature roared above her, its golden eyes staring down at her hungrily.
The Blendbreed felt powerless, crushed beneath the weight of the massive being.
They remained still for a long moment.
You can kill me…
And yet he didn't attack.
He simply held her down, as if forcing her to confront her own weakness. Finally, he stepped back, releasing her from his grip, almost as though it had all been a waste of time. He didn't even look back at her as he moved away, granting her space that felt more like mockery than mercy.
Ada pushed herself up with difficulty, still trembling, her hands sinking into the dark floor as she searched for something solid to hold on to. She looked at the creature before her, wondering why it had spared her.
The lion began to pace back and forth, its tail swaying slowly with each movement. "The world out there is changing, panther," he said. "Dark forces are awakening, ancient balances are breaking… and you're still here, even though you're at the center of it all."
The daughter of Rutia felt the weight of those words crash down on her like a stone. "Me? But why? Is it because of my mother?"
"Because you are unique, but not in the way you think." The creature stopped and looked her in the eyes. "For today, I won't go any further, but you should start thinking about what awaits you. The world outside is far different from your expectations, and if you don't escape this place, you'll never discover it. Keeping you alive until you've matured is too dangerous. You have one month—after that, the hunt will be over."
Ada felt her head spin. "Keeping me alive…"
"I'm not killing you by choice. My presence alone is enough to terrify you," he replied, licking his paws, "but at the end of this month, I'll have to devour you."
The scientists appeared to escort her back to her white room. She wanted to know more, but the lion merely stepped aside as they took her away.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
The month had flown by.
Ada didn't resist when the scientists led her into the dark hall. She had spent the last weeks in a state of fear, paralyzed by the constant terror tearing her apart from the inside, unable to find a way out. Every day, she wondered how the last would come: if she would find the strength to fight, or if she would surrender.
The lion had been right. She had closed in on herself, unable to react, and the day of her execution had finally arrived.
The scientists' voices echoed in the distance as they pushed her forward. No one spoke to her, no one gave instructions. They knew what was about to happen, and Ada understood it too. She walked with vacant eyes, lost in the void, like an automaton. Her hands trembled, but not from the cold. Her mind was a blank expanse, thoughtless, devoid of emotion. She was empty, just like the shell this place had turned her into.
At the center of the room, she saw the lion's golden eyes.
"Is today the day?" she asked, her voice a nearly imperceptible whisper.
"Yes," he answered, his voice deep. "Truly disappointing, poor panther."
"Do it quickly."
"You won't run?"
"It's too late for that."
A roar tore through the air, knocking her to the ground. Her mask of apathy wavered, and the lion did not wait.
With another feral cry, he lunged at her. His claws sank into Ada's abdomen, just as they had in the past. She felt the pain, but didn't make a sound. Her body was tired, her mind already far away. The warm blood ran down her stomach, but she no longer felt it.
She was ready to die.
The jaws approached her face. Hot breath poured out as the mouth opened wide, ready to finish her.
Then, the humanoid voice echoed in the dark. "Nadim is the name of your executioner. Thank you for everything, panther."
This is the end.
The oppressive silence that had engulfed the Lilies Park Orphanage was shattered by a deafening explosion. The walls trembled, dust and debris rained from the ceiling. For a moment, Ada thought the world was collapsing around her.
The scientists rushed into the hall, which was suddenly stripped of its darkness. Light blinded the Blendbreed, but she still managed to see the shattered glass on the floor. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the blinding brightness pouring through the windows, and what she saw left her breathless.
A hooded figure, wrapped in a long fluttering cloak, stood among the rubble of what had once been the outer wall of the structure. Flames danced around his hands, illuminating a determined face. Behind him, a group of armed warriors poured through the breach, their weapons reflecting the sunlight. Ada let her head fall to the ground.
What's happening now?
Chaos erupted in an instant. Alarm sirens began to howl, their piercing sound blending with the panicked screams of the staff and the battle cries of the invaders. The Blendbreed could hear the sound of doors being smashed open.
There were other patients there, just steps from her. They had been freed from their prison and moved in search of an escape amidst the general turmoil.
I thought the snake-girl and the wolf-boy were the last ones…
The hooded man moved in a storm of heat, his flames consuming everything in their path. At his side, a young blond warrior wielded two axes with a ferocity that made even the boldest scientists tremble.
Patients ran in all directions, some laughing hysterically, others crying with relief. Guards and researchers desperately tried to maintain order, but it was like trying to stop a tidal wave with bare hands.
The lion moved away from her—in the next second, he was gone.
Ada felt a mix of emotions rise within her. Joy for the freedom that now seemed within reach, rage for the years of captivity and suffering. And, surprisingly, a hint of hesitation.
That place, as terrible as it was, was all I ever knew. The outside world is a terrifying unknown.
Where will I live without the Orphanage?
She rolled in a pool of blood, trying to decide which direction to choose. That was when a scientist saw her and ran to sedate her—he couldn't afford to lose his prized jewel so easily. The Blendbreed widened her eyes and tried to crawl farther away, but the man had reached her.
He pulled out a syringe and a scalpel, then leaned over her. "No, no, no. You're not escaping, I won't let you go," he scolded, the knife already raised and ready to descend on her Achilles tendons.
She screamed—there was nothing else she could do. She hoped the darkness would respond to her will, but the truth was that she had no strength left.
She would die if no one helped her.
But the blond warrior was looking in her direction. Their eyes met, and Ada felt a shiver run down her spine. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, ready to shield her. Ada looked up and saw the reassuring back of the teenager, who couldn't have been older than twenty.
The scalpel moved, drawing a near-vertical cut and hitting the hero who had saved her. The scientist was then flung aside with the flat of an axe and did not get back up. Ada didn't even have time to wonder how he had reached her so fast or whether he was okay—he pulled her to her feet.
"You must be the Blendbreed we were looking for," he said, his voice gentle despite the chaos around them. "Come, we're getting you out of here."
Ada looked at him cautiously. A wound ran from his cheekbone down to nearly his chin, splitting his lips. A deep sense of guilt wrapped around her, but it didn't stop her from asking, "Who are you? Why were you looking for me?"
The boy curved his lips into a smile that seemed to light up his entire face, despite the blood staining it.
"Don't worry. We're the good guys."
He began wrapping her wounds and pressing against them. He didn't know how to fix things, the best he could do was keep her stable while waiting for a healer. "Now don't speak and stay still. You'll be okay."
The daughter of Rutia clung to the white armor with the last of her strength. "Answer me."
"We're like you—Blendbreeds. We, children of gods, are meant for something far greater than this," he gestured toward the ruined asylum. "We're here to free you, to bring you to where you truly belong."
Ada felt her heart pounding in her chest.
Freedom. It was what she had wanted for so long, and yet now that it was within reach, she was terrified.
"How did you find me? Why were you searching for me?" she asked, thinking of the lion and wondering if this was his doing.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, Nadim appeared on the rooftop of the asylum, gazing at the sky, his yellow eyes glowing in the light. He was curious to see if she would accept the Blendbreeds' offer—or retreat back into the shell she was so used to.
"So, who are you really?" Ada repeated.
The boy swallowed. "The monsters will be here soon. We have to move…" he looked back at her. "Your mother, the goddess Rutia, signaled your presence here and ordered us to retrieve you as soon as possible."
"How do you know it's me?"
"And at last, my progeny—the one who abandons life in the lion's grasp"— that's pretty specific, don't you think? Now, may I help you?"
With a deep breath, made difficult by her wounds, she let herself be lifted and carried by the Blendbreeds. She still wondered how she was even managing to hold a conversation in her condition.
Once they arrived, the young man set her down and whispered, "You're safe now."
A pair of youths began tending to the dire state the lion had left her in. The blond warrior was still there, his hand resting gently on her wrist to reassure her. Ada hesitated before taking the Blendbreed's hand. The moment their fingers touched, it felt like an electric spark shot between them. The shadows around her danced wildly, briefly blending with a red glow that seemed to emanate from him.
"It's going to be okay. Don't worry. The children of Mardi will heal you."
The Blendbreed nodded. Mardi must be another deity, just like her mother. The pair of youths glanced briefly at the blond's wound, then turned their full attention to her.
"We have to get her out of here," said one of the two. "We can stop the bleeding, but we can't heal her in this condition."
The other added, "This shade… it's not normal…"
That shade—her blood—something was off. She tried her best to focus, but all she could see was a black film on her hands.
What's wrong with my blood? It's black, like everyone else's. Even the wolf-boy and the snake-girl were the same. It must be something all children of the gods share…
The blond Blendbreed interrupted them. "It's not something to worry about now. Darryl's going to set this place on fire. We're leaving."
The two children of Mardi pulled a pair of rods from their satchel and unfolded them to create an emergency stretcher, onto which Ada was gently laid.
The armored boy smiled at her. "I've already told you, but I'll say it again: you're going to be fine."
"Name," the Blendbreed whispered weakly.
"I didn't catch that."
Ada cursed herself. Her eyes were heavy. She wanted to know the name of her rescuer. "Your name."
"Havel Granbish. What's yours?"
"Ada."
The Blendbreed nodded. "Good. We're getting you out of here."
Havel led them through the smoke-filled corridors of the asylum known as the Orphanage. Chaos reigned: alarms howled, freed patients ran in every direction. The staff desperately tried to restore an order long since lost.
It didn't take long for them to find the hooded leader and rejoin him. Darryl led the way, his hands wreathed in flames that lit the path ahead.
"This way!" he shouted, making a sharp turn to the left. Ada could feel the heat of his fire, so different from the cold embrace of her shadows. Suddenly, a group of armed guards burst out from a side hallway, blocking their way.
"Stop right there!" shouted one of them, raising his rifle.
But before they could act, Havel swung one of his axes, disarming him. They dashed through more hallways, dodging rubble and erupting flames. The girl felt adrenaline coursing through her veins—an excitement she'd never experienced before. She didn't know whether it was fear or joy, but it was the only thing keeping her alive.
She hadn't died that day. The lion hadn't won.
── ⋆⋅❂⋅⋆ ──
At last, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the exit. With a final burst of speed, the group emerged into the open.
Ada was overwhelmed by the sight before her. The sky was a deep blue, dotted with clouds as white as cotton. The grass beneath her feet was a vivid green, so unlike the drab gray of the asylum. She took a deep breath, feeling her lungs fill with fresh, clean air. It was sweet, crisp, laced with scents she didn't recognize—but they made her feel intoxicated.
She turned toward Havel, eyes brimming with tears. He looked at her with a gentle, understanding smile.
"Is it… is it real?" she whispered, almost afraid that it might all vanish in an instant.
Years of fear, loneliness, and despair seemed to melt away like snow under the sun. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, but for the first time in her life, they were tears of joy.
I am free…
She turned to look at the burning asylum. Black smoke rose toward the sky like a monument to her captivity, now over.
"Let's go," said the blond, his voice steady and reassuring.
As they walked away, Ada cast one last glance at the building that had been her prison and her home. Darryl's flames consumed its remains, erasing years of suffering and fear.
It was the end of a chapter and the beginning of something new.
She didn't know what awaited her out there, what dangers or wonders she would face, but she was free.
The screams and chaos faded, replaced by the sound of the wind and the crackling of flames. Ada looked back at the Orphanage and spotted the figure of the lion watching them from the roof.
The creature tilted its head in a gesture of greeting and respect.
We will meet again, panther, its movement seemed to say. One day we will meet again. Then the flames reached it, and it was engulfed in an orange inferno like the sunset.
Ada started to tremble again, but Havel's grip gave her just enough reason to understand that the Blendbreeds would keep her safe.
The scene faded, and the vivid colors dissolved into cooler tones.
Ada opened her eyes.
She was no longer the child from that distant day, but though a woman, she still felt the same fear for the past and the lion's figure.
She looked at her hands, where tiny fragments of darkness danced between her fingers like old friends. The power that once saved her was now an integral part of her, an extension of her will.
She recalled the moment everything changed. The awakening of magic, the escape from the asylum, the first breath of freedom. Years had passed, but the memory was still vivid, etched in her mind and soul.
That day had marked the beginning of her true journey.
An adventure full of challenges, dangers, but also deep friendships and wondrous discoveries had begun. She had learned to control her power, to use it both to protect herself and others.
There were the Equinox Flowers, with Darryl, Elaine, and the newcomer: Shirei. Then there was Havel, the one who had taken her away the moment she accepted her destiny, the friend who stood by her side and guided her into the Mortal World, the person who had given her a new light.
The Blendbreed who had given her freedom.
He was right in front of her, just like that day, but their roles had reversed: he was dripping with blood, she was unharmed.
The son of Sidal was protecting her from a fear she should have left in the past and, to do so, was willing to sacrifice his own life.
Havel… it's not true… what the others say isn't true…
The memory of the scene after the duel with Shirei came back to her.
You are a hero.
She stood up, the shadows gathering around her like a cloak. Nadim was there, displaying his feline form, but this time they wouldn't play — there would be no more hunting between predator and prey.
She was no longer a victim. She was no longer a prisoner.
I am Ada Bonaventura, daughter of Rutia, Equinox Flower.