Atlas’ POV

*****

Old Bloodoak Academy Amphitheatre, 9:30 PM

This wasn’t supposed to be happening. His wards weren’t supposed to be malfunctioning so much. He made a lot of preparations before the others even got here.

He analysed the spot—isolated, remnants of years-old wards cast by powerful witches. Basically, the perfect place for him to stack his own wards.

The wards were meant to contain Celeste’s Vein outburst. Localise it within the amphitheater but with enough output to alert anyone truly monitoring her.

But now the wards weren’t fulfilling their desired purpose. They were doing the opposite.

"Argh." His teeth gnashed as his fingers tightened around golden strands linked to a stone he’d used to anchor the wards.

He hid behind a fractured pillar, his head peeping out just a bit to see the current situation. At the centre of the space, Celeste had her arms spread out and her head arched unnaturally.

Her mouth was wide open. As if she was beholding things she wasn’t meant to.

Atlas panicked, noticing the way the dark sigils on her arms stacked together until both arms were almost completely black.

’Someone twisted my wards and is now using them to accelerate her Vein energy output.’ he announced to the otters urgently. ’And whoever it is is close. Really close. So—’

’The bitch is on the rooftop of the old academic building!’ Luther yelled through the mind link. ’To your far left. Look out of the amphitheatre.’

Atlas snapped his neck in the direction Luther was talking about. He was so distracted with trying to take back control of his wards that he didn’t notice the source of the destabilisation.

And sure enough... There she was.

The figure of a woman, draped in a shadowy cloak with long hair blowing into the wind. At first, it wasn’t clear if that was a woman.

But the outline of her figure and the fact that their target was a ’she’ was a dead giveaway.

’Someone has to go after her.’ Azrael spoke next through the mind link. ’I’m trying to telepathically reach Celeste but her thoughts are consumed. Static. Like she’s in a trance.’

’That can turn into something disastrous real quick.’ Silas added. ’We don’t want the academy on her throat again.’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

’So who should be the one to go?’ Luther questioned. ’I can do it. She—’

’No.’ Atlas rested his back against the column, his fingers relaxing as he took in deep breaths. ’It’s just like Luna Queen Odessa suspected. Whoever this person is, she’s not using magic.’

He paused, noticing the way the hair on his arms stood on end. This felt far different from magic. Chaotic. Dark.

’She’s using and pushing the Vein,’ Atlas continued. ’And the closest thing we have to handle that is magic. Me.’

Even through the mind link he could feel Azrael’s scrutiny. He still had his reservations on the man... or whatever he truly was.

Vampire. Undead. Vein touched witch... he didn’t trust him fully with a mission like this.

’But you need to stabilise the wards again.’ Silas chimed. ’If it gets more out of control, Celeste could—’

’I’ll capture the culprit before that happens.’ Atlas rose to his feet slowly, golden light swirling around him. ’For now, get ready to hold back our mate if she becomes too unstable. Her trance-like state is keeping her from blowing up the place.’

Without another word, his head immediately swung to the academic building. Sure enough, even from this distance, he noticed how the shadowy figure’s head tilted.

A flick of his wrist blinked him out of there with a flash of golden light. He appeared on the rooftop the very next second, hands already alight with energy blasts.

"You!" He thundered, pinning a look on the figure’s back. She stood at the edge of the rooftop, unmoving and seemingly unbothered.

Atlas swatted a hand forward, sending a blast of golden energy at her. However, she merely dodged with a quick side step, her hair whipping around her as she did.

It was at that same moment that Atlas realised why she was so calm.

Etched onto the floor around him were runic circles. They glowed with a dark blue light but instantly turned pitch black when he released his energy blast.

BOOM!

His attack was a trigger, setting off the runes. They caused an explosion of black flames, consuming Atlas in a heartbeat—

—Or, at least that’s what appeared to have happened.

Atlas managed to teleport tens of meters above the explosion, arms spread. Gravity shifted around him, making him levitate as his eyes swept through the rooftop.

Nothing.

She was... gone?

"Such arrogance," a distorted voice echoed behind him just then.

In the nick of time, he twirled around, creating a force bubble around himself. A black tentacle slammed onto the bubble, sending shockwaves that could probably be felt around the academy.

Atlas gritted, keeping the force bubble stable while simultaneously splitting his attention to the wards. ’The fight is making her hold on the wards falter.’

Once the tentacle receded, he got the chance to see the face of his assailant.

Levitating alongside him tens of meters ahead was a woman with lush black hair. Almost familiar. The wind blew the hair around her face, making it hard to make out any recognisable features.

But... those eyes.

"Who are you?" His fingers sparked with golden lightning, ready to move at his command. "What do you want with Celeste?"

At that point, the hair strands left her face enough for him to see a mischievous smirk.

His pulse stuttered, eyes widening with disbelief.

Wait... isn’t that—?

Before he got the chance to fully accept the thought, black smoke swallowed the woman. He sneered, charging with lightning crackling around him.

Yet by the time he got to where she’d been only a second ago... she was gone. No teleportation light or fluctuations in space-time.

It was as if she were never here to begin with.

"That... that face..." he repeated out loud, his head shaking. "Her? Could it be?"

If he thought about it and with everything she’s done, it made sense. But at the same time, something didn’t feel right. It was too convenient.

"AHH!" A bone-rattling scream tore through the night, making his heart stop for a beat.

His eyes darted to the amphitheatre in time to witness Celeste clutching her head in pain. Azrael and Luther had come out of hiding to help her as she fell to her knees. Shadows crept around her like snakes, the dark sigils crawling to her face now.

"No." Atlas teleported, appearing beside her before anyone else. He immediately narrowed his eyes as a heavy wind carried around her like a mini tornado. "Celeste! Can you hear me?"

He tried stretching his hand toward her when the air rippled. A violet portal appeared behind Celeste, her mother rushing out the next second.

"Celeste!" She screamed, barely acknowledging anyone as she rushed for her daughter.

Dean Thorne walked out of the portal before it closed, his robes flapping wildly around him. He looked pale and his eyes distant. His gaze scoured the scene before fixing on Atlas.

"What happened here?"

Without waiting for an answer, Odessa dropped to her knees beside Celeste.

The sheer force of the Vein energy whipping around the girl made even Atlas instinctively step back. It felt like standing beside a storm trying to tear itself free from the earth.

But Odessa didn’t hesitate.

Her violet eyes blazed.

"Move," she commanded sharply.

Luther and Azrael immediately backed off a step as the Luna Queen stretched both hands toward Celeste. Thin strands of violet light spilt from her fingertips, weaving themselves into the air like threads guided by an invisible loom.

Runes began forming. Ancient ones.

But Odessa wasn’t casting them like a spell.

She was drawing them directly into existence.

One after another, the glowing runes floated into place around Celeste, forming a slow orbit. Each symbol pulsed softly, releasing waves of calming energy that clashed against the violent storm pouring out of her.

The shadows lashed harder for a moment.

Then—slowly—they began to weaken.

Odessa inched closer, ignoring the biting winds that tugged violently at her hair and clothes.

"Easy now," she murmured softly, placing one glowing hand against Celeste’s cheek. "Come back to me, sweetheart."

The runes flared brighter.

The tornado of chaotic energy around Celeste faltered, the violent gusts weakening as the sigils hovering around them hummed with stabilising power.

The darkness in Celeste’s eyes flickered.

For a few terrifying seconds, Atlas wasn’t sure if she was even aware of where she was anymore.

Then—

The black swallowed within her pupils faded away, replaced once more by the familiar colour of her eyes. Her breathing grew uneven, but the suffocating pressure of the Vein gradually eased.

The shadows dissolved. The wind died.

Celeste sagged forward weakly, and Odessa immediately wrapped her arms around her, pulling the girl into a tight embrace.

"I’ve got you," she whispered against her hair. "You’re safe."

Behind them, Luther finally released a breath that sounded like it had been trapped in his chest for minutes.

Atlas turned slightly, still staring toward the rooftop where the woman had stood.

His mind churned.

That face.

Those eyes...

Luther walked over beside him, jaw tight.

"So..." the Alpha muttered quietly. "Where the hell did she go?"

Atlas didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze lingered on the dark rooftop, replaying the moment over and over in his head.

Then he finally spoke.

"I saw her face."

That got everyone’s attention.

Azrael turned sharply. Silas straightened where he stood.

Even Dean Thorne took a cautious step closer.

Luther frowned. "And?"

Atlas exhaled slowly.

Even saying the name felt wrong. "...It was Lysandra."