I ran.
It was so cold it hurt to breathe. My bridal gown was heavy and tried to hold me back. I ran with no shoes, and the dress kept getting in my way.
I was a runaway bride.
My heart beat fast, like a drum. I couldn't hear anything else. I didn't know what to do. I just wanted to run away.
I needed time to think. Time to know where to go. This place was new to me. Every turn could be bad.
I could feel someone chasing me.
They were near. Very near.
Then—
A hand seized my arm.
I barely had time to scream before I was yanked backward with crushing force. A chill ran down my spine, my breath catching as I twisted in my captor's grip, struggling uselessly against the iron hold.
"Where do you think you're going?"
The voice was smooth, rich, laced with danger and something possessive. A voice I knew too well.
Erevan.
His arms locked around my waist, pulling me against him. His grip was unyielding, his body radiating heat and dark energy.
The scent of something ancient, something wrong, clung to him like a curse. I could feel his magic slithering over my skin, attempting to take hold, to bend me to his will.
No. Not again.
I clenched my teeth, inhaling sharply.
Closing my eyes, I reached deep within, searching for the energy that now coursed through my veins—an inheritance not fully mine, but given to me through the bonds I had unwillingly forged.
A gift from Vlad and Dylan.
And to my surprise, it worked.
A pulse of raw power surged through me. With a desperate cry, I shoved against Erevan's chest with all my strength.
He stumbled back.
It wasn't much, just a few steps, but it was enough. Enough space to run. Enough space to escape.
For a fleeting second, disbelief flashed across his face. I shouldn't have been that strong. I shouldn't have been able to fight back.
But I didn't wait for him to recover. I turned and ran, my heart slamming against my ribs as the dark forest swallowed me whole.
But Erevan was fast.
Too fast.
His presence loomed behind me like a shadow, the sound of his pursuit closing in. The distance between us shrank, his breath hot against my back.
He was going to catch me.
Then—
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
Erevan let out a guttural growl of pain.
An arrow struck his shoulder. But instead of blood, white light burst from the wound, glowing like molten silver beneath his dark skin.
He froze.
I spun, chest heaving, searching for the source.
Who?
Where?
Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged.
Oregon.
His presence was unmistakable—tall, commanding, eyes sharp as a blade. A bow in his hands, a quiver full of glowing arrows slung across his back.
For a moment, he said nothing, his gaze sweeping over me, lingering on my torn, dirt-streaked wedding gown.
He exhaled, slow, controlled. Then relief flickered in his expression.
"Glad I came early," he muttered.
Then, without hesitation, he grabbed my hand.
"Come. Now."
We ran.
The sound of clashing steel and battle cries reached us before we saw them. When we burst into the clearing, the scene before me was chaos.
Dark elves and light elves clashed in violent combat, their magic flaring in wild bursts of silver and obsidian. Energy crackled in the air, the ground scorched with the remnants of spells.
Dark elves were merciless.
And then—
My breath caught.
Dylan.
Xander.
Vlad.
They were all here, fighting among the chaos, their movements swift, deadly.
Vlad's darkness slithered through the battlefield like living shadows, devouring his enemies.
Xander moved like a ghost, his silver blade flashing in the moonlight.
Dylan, in his wolf form, was a force of nature—his claws raking through enemies with brutal efficiency.
"Oregon!" I gasped, tugging at his hand.
"We have to stop them and go back now."
Oregon's voice boomed over the battlefield.
"STOP! RETREAT!!"
For a moment, everything stilled. Warriors hesitated, their weapons hovering mid-strike.
Even the air seemed to pause.
Then—
A roar shattered the silence.
A deep, guttural howl of pain and rage.
I turned.
Erevan.
Only—
He was changing.
His body twisted and swelled, doubling, tripling in size. Muscles stretched unnaturally, his once-lean frame becoming monstrous.
Smoke, black and thick, curled from his skin, wrapping around him like living chains. His eyes—once dark and piercing—glowed red.
His power was uncontained. A wild, uncontrollable force.
"What… what's happening to him?" I gasped.
Oregon's expression darkened. He readied another arrow, his stance shifting.
"Darkness has consumed him."
Erevan moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
His enormous hand swung through the air, aiming for me.
I ran. But he was faster.
Just as his fingers closed around me, Vlad appeared.
Like a shadow breaking from the darkness, Vlad struck, unleashing a wave of his own power to counter Erevan's attack.
The impact sent a shockwave through the air, rattling the ground beneath us. But Erevan was stronger. His sheer size alone dwarfed Vlad's power.
Xander lunged next, but Erevan unleashed a burst of dark energy, hurling Xander backward. He crashed into a tree, slumping against it with a pained groan.
Dylan, in his wolf form, leapt onto Erevan's back, snarling, his fangs sinking into Erevan's shoulder. But Erevan caught him mid-air, strangling him.
Dylan growled, kicking, clawing.
Oregon didn't hesitate.
He lifted his bow, aimed, and fired.
The arrow struck Erevan in the right eye.
Erevan screamed—a terrible, inhuman sound.
But he didn't let go of Dylan.
Another arrow. This time, to the left eye.
A second scream—piercing, enraged. His grip loosened.
Dylan fell.
Unmoving.
My breath hitched.
"No," I whispered, running to him.
Vlad was already there. Xander, despite his injuries, dragged himself to Dylan's side.
"Dylan, wake up," I pleaded, touching his face. He didn't move.
Oregon knelt beside us, pressing a hand to Dylan's chest. His expression was unreadable. Then, finally—
"He's alive," Oregon said.
Relief flooded through me so fast I nearly collapsed.
But we had no time.
Oregon stood, his face grim. "We need to leave before Erevan regains his sight."
Vlad lifted Dylan's unconscious body effortlessly. Xander, injured but determined, took a step forward.
Oregon turned to his soldiers.
"Fall back! Retreat to the sacred ground!"
The elves moved quickly, disappearing into the forest's protection.
As we ran, Oregon's voice rang with unwavering certainty.
"As soon as we reach our territory, I'll ask my mother to raise the magical barrier. It will buy us time. Time to find a way to stop him… or to bring him back."