Brooke

"You need to be safe," Aiden said, extending his arm toward mine, but I instinctively pulled my hands out of his reach.

"Aiden, are you killing Zodiacians?" I questioned, my voice filled with a mix of fear and frustration.

He gazed at me, his expression conflicted. "That's not the point right now, Red. You're in danger, and if you die, that's the end of both worlds."

"That's not the point?" My voice trembled with anger and disbelief. "You killed our queen, now you're killing Zodiacians and replacing them with Descendants? And you have the nerve to say that's not the point?"

"You're not listening!" Aiden's voice rose in frustration. "You are in danger. You think this is a joke? Declan will find you and kill you. He has zero remorse. He'll rip your joints apart, hurt you, and do unimaginable things to you, and there's nothing I can do because I'm powerless against him. Are you listening to me, Brooklyn?"

But I wasn't. My mind was grappling with the horrifying revelation. I could understand the strategy behind killing the queen, a powerful move to disarm us and strike, but murdering innocent citizens? That was a line I couldn't cross.

"Why? Are you killing us?" I questioned, my voice shaking.

"Us?" Aiden scoffed, his tone filled with bitterness.

"You're not a Zodiacian," he continued.

I met his gaze with intensity. "My mother is a Zodiacian, and my father is a Descendant. Isn't that right?"

He nodded slowly, acknowledging the truth.

"So what makes me not a Zodiacian?" I pressed, my words laced with a growing sense of resentment.

"They won't accept you if they learn who you are."

"Oh, and you will?" I challenged him.

Aiden's gaze held a complicated mixture of emotions. "I already have."

I couldn't contain my frustration. "You just disregarded my Zodiac side. You can't pick and choose which part of me you like. Either you like me as a whole, or you don't like me at all."

"You don't know the half of what you're saying," Aiden replied, his voice quivering with the weight of agonizing history. "Zodiacians chased us out of the city, told us we're not like them, called us useless. They imprisoned us, used us as slaves, and sacrificed us as a way to communicate with their gods. Then when they finally had enough of us, they erased us from their history, cut off all ties, and put us in a completely different place. We had to toil the unforgiving land, endure unimaginable struggles, and face relentless stress to make the descendants what it is now. So spare me the lecture, Brooklyn."

"Oh? I'm so sorry that happened to you," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm as I added, "I, a Fire Clan member, cannot possibly imagine how difficult that is for you, You're pathetic. You're killing innocent people, people with parents, people with families. You're killing them and using their bodies like it's nothing. Walking around, posing as them. How pathetic of you to try and pull the history card."

He shook his head, and a faint chuckle escaped his lips. His white eyes darkened into obsidian as he took a menacing step toward me. "Pathetic?" he sneered, his voice low and threatening. "Should I show you what pathetic is?"

The lights in the hallway started blinking erratically, but I wasn't about to back down. I met his gaze with defiance. "You know what, Aiden? You don't scare me anymore. I am Brooklyn, Royal of the Fire Clan, or Elodie, as your people call me-the girl who would bring peace to the Descendants. Don't you dare," I said, walking toward him and conjuring fire into my hands, "don't you ever dare threaten me."

"Leave," I commanded, my voice steady.

I raised my mental walls, cutting myself from communicating with him.

Inwardly, I was trembling. The fact that even from a distance, with just a mental connection to me, Aiden had the power to make the lights flicker left me in awe and fear. How powerful was he?

I walked to my room, my mind still buzzing with the unsettling encounter with Aiden. Confusion and fear swirled within me like a storm, but exhaustion eventually took over. I crawled into my bed, seeking solace in the familiar comfort of my room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another dream? I questioned as I looked around
The dream was vivid, like stepping into a different world. I stood in the midst of a lush, mystical forest, the moonlight casting an eerie glow on the ancient trees. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, filled with misty waterfalls and an eerie, haunting beauty. I moved forward, guided by the distant sound of screams and the echoes of strange voices. As I ventured deeper into this surreal landscape, my heart raced.

Is this the witch kingdom too?

The cacophony of screams grew louder as I approached a massive waterfall, and I realized that the source of the commotion was hidden behind the cascading water. With a mix of curiosity, I stepped closer to the waterfall and pushed my way through the curtains of water.

Inside the hidden cave, my breath caught in my throat. There, lying on the ground, was a woman with stark white hair. She was writhing in pain, her face contorted with effort. Beside her, a man was kneeling, his face etched with anxiety. He kept urging her on, his voice trembling "Push, push, push Amaree, push!"

Oh so that's Amaree-

My eyes widened as I recognized the woman. It was my mother, Ruiya-or at least, someone who looked exactly like her, a younger version of her. The shock washed over me as I watched her struggle through the agony of childbirth. The baby was coming.

As the baby emerged into the world, I couldn't help but gasp. It had red hair and the most mesmerizing deep blue eyes.

"Is that me?" I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible over the chaos. I looked to the man beside her

Is that supposed to be my father?

The man cradled the baby in his arms, tears glistening in his eyes. "Elodie," he said softly, "let's call her Elodie."

My breath hitched. "That's me," I thought, bewildered. I stared at the man, trying to make sense of it all.

That's my father. That's my father! I know him; I've met him before. The crazy old man who called me Amaree

Another figure entered the cave. He had long, flowing white hair, a rugged appearance, and a stern expression. My heart raced as I recognized his voice.

"You need to hurry up and get her out," he urged his voice devoid of any emotions. "The soldiers are looking for her, Ruiya, can you walk?" he asked.

"Amaree," the crazy old man corrected. "Her name is Amaree, not Ruiya."

My mom was Amaree? How? Why does she have white hair instead of her normal red?

"That's the name YOU gave her, she's Ruiya ," he replied urgently. "She needs to leave before she's caught."

I felt a sense of dread wash over me. The voice was unmistakable-it was the voice of the king.

"What the fuck is going on?" I muttered, my mind racing.

"What's her name?" the king asked looking at baby me in disdain "she has red hair? What about her white hair? She's like you?"

"Yes she's like me" my mom replied taking me from the crazy man's arm "she's called Elodie"

"That's a dumb name" the king scoffed and walked away.

"Madon" my mom said referring to the old man "I'm scared. He'll kill her"

"Not while I'm king"

King?

"You're not supposed to be here " An eerie voice whispered into my ears, and I couldn't help but shudder. I glanced around the cave, my eyes darting from shadow to shadow, but there was no one else in sight.

"Okay?" I responded hesitantly, unsure of who or what I was speaking to. The feeling of being watched sent shivers down my spine.

As I turned my attention back to the unfolding scene before me, I realized that the people I had been observing had disappeared. I was alone now, standing in the heart of the cave, surrounded by an unsettling silence.

Footsteps echoed in the distance, growing louder and more distinct with each passing second. My heart quickened its pace as I strained to identify the source of the approaching presence.

"Why are you here, child of the night?" a voice, old and unsettling voice suddenly called out. The words sent a chill through my veins, and I turned toward the direction of the voice, my eyes searching for the speaker

A grotesque figure loomed in the dim light, a nightmarish creation that made my blood run cold The creature was tall and slender, its body covered in coarse, mottled gray skin that seemed to writhe and pulse. It had multiple spindly limbs, like those of a spider, which terminated in wickedly sharp, dagger-like claws that scratched against the rocky ground.

But what struck terror into my heart were its eyes-or rather, eye sockets. In the middle of its forehead, there were eight dark, empty sockets arranged in two rows, like a monstrous spider. Each empty socket seemed to possess a malevolent intelligence of its own, staring into my very soul with a dreadful hunger.

The creature's mouth opened impossibly wide, revealing rows of needle-like teeth stained with an eerie luminescent glow. It emitted a chilling, otherworldly scream that echoed through the cave, sending an icy surge of fear coursing through me.

"Wake up!" it screeched, its voice a cacophonous symphony of horror. "She's taking the book!"

My heart raced, and I jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.

"Celeste?, why are you touching my book?"

Authors note
Thank you guys so much for 2k reads 😭.