The black eyes staring back at her were unfamiliar; they looked like they belonged to someone else. Something else. Yet, she was the one looking through them. The mirror before her was enough proof of that.

She squeezed them shut, desperately trying to make them change back. The whispers came back. Since that terrible night in the forest, they had only gotten worse. They urged her to kill, to hunt, to eat. Her body yearned for the taste of flesh and blood. She had developed an addiction for it.

It sickened her whenever she thought about it.

She opened her eyes again. A sigh of relief left her lips upon noticing her golden irises were back. The bright color contrasted perfectly with her umber skin tone, which nearly matched the color of her black hair.

"Makaela."

The sound of her name being called pulled her away from her thoughts. She turned to see Thorian Thauvin standing in the doorway of her room.

She shuddered. Her room...

He told her his castle was her new home. He told her the members of his house were her people. The longer she stayed there, the more she started to believe him. It scared her.

The man stood in the doorway, his face covered by shadows. The sides of his head had been recently shaved and his silver hair was braided. His bony hands were clasped across his midsection. His mismatched eyes stared back at her. She resisted the urge to shudder.

"Are you alright." He sounded like he cared. The softness of his tone and the emotion on his face suggested that he did, but she could never be sure with him.

"I'm fine," she replied, her own voice dry and uncaring. It had been like that as of late. The sadness had vanished from it. All that remained was the guilt.

It ate away at her heart whenever she went to sleep. The betrayed faces of her friends pained her mind whenever she closed her eyes. She wished things didn't happen the way they did. But if she had the chance to do it all again, she wouldn't have changed a thing.

Her decision was necessary.

Had she not joined Thorian, their bodies would be rotting in a forgotten forest. She saved their lives. They wouldn't understand now, but they would. At least she hoped so. For now, she just wished for their forgiveness.

The deep, sinister voice in her head told her she didn't need their forgiveness. It told her that her friends were weak, and they deserved death. Gritting her teeth, she forced the thoughts into the darkest corners of her mind.

During her training session with Thorian and his Shades, the voice had grown in presence. They urged her to speak to it more; they wanted her to tap into her inner darkness and harness the power instead of letting it control her.

She often wondered if the voice was a separate entity entirely or it if it truly was an extension of herself. Lately, she was beginning to believe the latter option.

"Are you hearing it again?" Thorian's question brought her back to reality.

"It is me."

"Of course." Thorian slowly walked over to her. "Your inner demon will continue to try and control you. But with my continued help, I can help you master it completely."

Makaela didn't know how to respond. Did he want a 'thank you'? A 'how generous of you for teaching me how to assert dominance over the murderous demon within me'?

If that's what he wanted, he could keep holding his breath.

"Are you ready to begin today's training, Makaela?"

She folded her arms across her chest and turned away from him. Walking over the window on the other side of her large, yet fairly empty, living quarters, she gazed out the black-stained glass and up at the obsidian- sky. Trees made out of black crystals with red leaves protruded from the dark sand outside. Clouds of smoke lingered in the atmosphere. Screeches from monsters in the distance ripped through the silence every so often.

She found herself looking outside often. She yearned to be outside—not out there, but back in the real world. She hated it in Nordor, the realm of the dead.

"Makaela?" Thorian was suddenly standing beside her.

"What?" she snapped, keeping her eyes trained on the bleak scenery outside her window.

Thorian sighed. "I understand that you are still...angry with me. And you have every right to be. But I had hoped you would be a little bit more— "

"A little more what?" She turned to look at him, her harsh glare fixed upon his ghoulish face. "More submissive? Would you like me to just abide by every single order you give me?"

"That is not what I meant," Thorian replied, his voice low. His mouth twitched. He and Sebastian possessed the same ticks and idiosyncrasies.

Her face fell.

Sebastian...

She had only been apart from him for two weeks, but it already felt like years. She hadn't expected to miss him so much, considering they had been apart for a decade prior to him saving her and her family. Though, the situation in which they were reacquainted wasn't one she had been expecting.

Then again, she hadn't been expecting Thorian to barge into her home, kill one of her house members, and kidnap her uncle.

"I have no intentions to control you, Makaela," Thorian continued. "You came here on your own free will."

Makaela scoffed. "I'd hardly say it was free will."

"You are free to do whatever you want here," Thorian said, ignoring her comment. "But it would be in your best interests to participate in today's training. If you are to become my apprentice, you must be well-versed in the Obscurin Arts as well as your Nightling abilities."

"What makes you think I want to be your stupid apprentice anyway?"

"You seemed to be fairly interested when I first proposed the idea to you."

The voice inside her head agreed with him. She had been interested in his promises. He had told her he could help her fulfill her potential. While she didn't like him, she didn't like the prospect of becoming one of the most powerful magicians to ever grace the earth.

"Fine." Makaela huffed.

Thorian nodded. He turned and walked to the door. "Meet me at the training sanctuary. And please, make sure Amora is ready as well."

She clenched her jaw at the mention of Thorian's daughter. The girl, who was once her enemy, was now her ally. Though, it didn't seem like it. She often went out of her way to torment Makaela every chance she got. It was if her very presence in the castle fueled the girl's own hatred for her.

"Do I have to?" she whined.

"Yes," Thorian replied. "I would prefer it if you two could get along. Perhaps you both could become friends in the future."

She scoffed. Friends? It was a funny thought. A ridiculous one too. They would never be friends.

Before she could protest any more, Thorian left her alone in her room and closed the door behind him. She stomped over to her bed, buried her face into one of the black satin pillows, and released a scream from the pit of her stomach.

Heaving, she lifted her head and waited for the air to return to her lungs.

She then got up and walked into her closet, which was nearly the size of a bedroom itself. Clothes of different kinds—all somehow her size—filled the walk-in wardrobe. They were all black and purple, the colors of House Tenebris and the Order of the Black Lotus.

Ever since the battle in Hodvekt, Thorian and his people had retreated to their various strongholds across the two realms. Considering he was the current leader of the Eldenarian Council, it would only be a matter of time until the other councilmembers figured out what was going on.

It was part of the reason why Thorian was so keen to progress Makaela's abilities. He had been planning something. Something that would bring him the gauntlet of the sea from the House Aegeon. And, according to him, she would have a big part to play in that plan.

Makaela sighed as she pulled out a pair of leggings and a black sports bra from her closet. After changing from her nightclothes, she exited her room and walked down to the hall to Amora's. Scowling, she knocked on the door and took a step back.

She got no response.

"Amora, open up."

Nothing.

She knocked again. "Amora?!"

The door still refused to open. She tried the knob and it wouldn't budge. An exasperated groan left her lips. What was she doing in there?

Frowning, she placed her hands on her hips and waited for a minute before pressing her ear to the door. She put her index finger to her ear and started to whisper the charm that would enhance her hearing. Then she stopped.

She had a better idea.

Along with training to improve her control over her Nightling tendencies, which included suppressing her desire to murder any living thing in close proximity, she had also been studying the nature of the creatures.

From what she had read, Nightlings were an amalgamation of various creatures across different cultures. They possessed similar qualities to werewolves, ghouls, demons, and vampires. They had heightened senses, superhumans strength and agility, and could summon razor-sharp fangs and claws at will. They feasted on blood and flesh, but unlike their vampiric cousins, they didn't need it to survive.

It just tasted really good.

Makaela pressed her ear to the door and closed her eyes. She willed her ears to pick up on the noises beyond the heavy wood. For a moment, she could feel the dark energy in her veins. The sounds around her began to fade out until she could only hear two people moving in the room. She sniffed the air. One of them was Amora, for she had a very distinct aroma of cherries and roses, but she couldn't place the scent of the other one.

She could hear low moans coming from Amora and whoever her visitor was. Shaking her head, she placed her hand on the door and shoved it. The metal lock snapped. She pushed the door open.

One of the maids who attended to the castle was straddling Amora. They both were barely clothed. The maid's face went red upon noticing Makaela standing in the doorway. She hopped off of Amora and hurried out of the room.

"What do you want?"

"It's time for training."

Amora pursed her lips before snatching up a pair of running shorts from the ground. After sliding them up her pale legs, she stood up and glared at Makaela. "Why'd he send you to get me?"

Makaela shrugged. She then arched an eyebrow at her. "What was her name?"

"Who cares?" Amora chuckled. "They're nothing. The highlights of their lives will be having the pleasure of having my attention for a night."

"I'd hardly call it a pleasure," she retorted. Frankly, she found it disgusting. Not her sexuality, but how she had no regard for the people she chose to lay with. When she grew bored of them, she tossed them away like they were scraps on her plate.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you were them."

Makaela rolled her eyes, but she could feel a blush creeping along her cheeks. "Hurry up and get dressed." Without another word, she left the room and waited in the hallway, arms folded across her chest.

Minutes later, Amora joined her in the corridor wearing her training gear. They two of them began their journey to one of the dueling rooms in the castle. As they walked, Makaela could feel Amora's harsh stare boring into her back.

"I don't even know why you bother to practice," Amora said.

Makaela ignored her.

"You're weak," the girl continued. "I don't care how much potential my father sees in you. You'll always be weak. Just like your pathetic parents and your house members."

She dug her fingernails into her palms and kept quiet. Amora was simply trying to get a rise out of her. She taunted and insulted her every day. Eventually, she'd get used to it. For now, she couldn't let the girl know it was getting to her.

"I can't wait to pummel you today," Amora said with a malicious grin.

Makaela drew her lips into a thin, flat line.

We'll see about that.

A black spell zipped past Makaela and crashed into the dark marble behind her. She instinctively turned to see where the magic blast hit. The smoldering hole was just a few inches away from her head.

Eyes wide, she redirected her attention back to Amora. The other girl was standing on the other side of the training sanctuary, her purple mark glowing fiercely as she charged up another attack.

Makaela retaliated before Amora could. She swiped her hand through the air and yelled, "Luméris perceris."

Shards of light hurtled towards her adversary. She dove to the ground. Fury erupted on her reddening face as she got back to her feet.

Makaela smiled. Take that.

"I can do that too," Amora boasted. She twisted her fingers, creating invisible shapes in the air as she mumbled a dark spell into existence. Before Makaela could figure out what was about to happen, knives with obsidian blades appeared from thin air and raced towards her.

She turned instinctively, her arm raised. "Protégio!" The golden shield charm materialized just in time to block the knives from hitting her.

Well, most of them.

One of the blades managed to slip past the shield and nicked her arm before disintegrating into black dust upon impact with the wall behind her. Searing pain ripped through her forearm. She bit down on her lip to prevent from crying. Her hand flew to the gash. Blood seeping through her fingers.

She sucked in a breath and snapped her eyes to Amora.

"Oops?" The girl giggled and twirled a piece of her hair around her finger. "My bad."

A low growl rumbled within Makaela's chest. It rose into her throat and stayed there. Dark whispers filled her ears. She staggered backward and pressed her hands to the sides of her head.

It was taking over.

They ordered her to kill Amora and feed on her dead carcass. They ordered her to paint the black and white training room red with the girl's blood. She tried to quiet them down but that only seemed to make them grow louder.

"Fight it," Thorian would tell her during their private sessions. "Don't let it take over, Makaela."

She was currently losing the battle. The pain laying siege to her arm was preventing her from devoting all her focus to keeping her inner Nightling at bay. Within her mind, it felt as if she was playing a game of tug-of-war with herself. Both sides of her psyche were conflicting, both trying to dominate each other.

Her body stiffened. The transformation was beginning. She had lost. Her nails elongated and sharpened; her teeth followed suit. Black eyes replaced her normal golden ones and she felt her muscles tighten and ripple with energy.

"Makaela..." Amora's voice wavered as she took a cautious step backward. "Calm down."

Makaela wasn't in there anymore. She had been pushed out of the spotlight, replaced by the demon inside her.

She ignored the girl's words and leaped through the air, easily covering the distance between them. She tackled her to the tiled ground and pinned her there. Bearing her fangs, she prepared to rip out her jugular.

Before she could sink her teeth into the girl, she was yanked into the air by an invisible force. She tried moving but she was suspended in the middle of the room. Her wild eyes searched around from the culprit.

Below her, Amora scrambled to her feet. Fear was visible in her eyes and in the slight red aura surrounding her figure.

With his hand raised, Thorian emerged from wherever he had been watching them from. His mark glowed as he held Makaela prisoner in the air. 

The thought of devouring Amora's flesh and blood had taken over her mind. She was practically salivating while anticipating the taste of it on her tongue. Her inner Nightling was almost in pure control.

"That is enough, Makaela," Thorian said sternly. He glanced in Amora's direction and gestured toward the exit with his sharp chin. She bowed curtly before hurrying out of the room.

"Put me down!" Makaela yelled while fighting against the invisible threads wrapped around her.

"You are out of control," Thorian told her. He kept his hand raised. "I will release you once you gain that control back."

She gnashed her teeth in his direction. Deep within her mind, she wrestled with her demon for dominance over her own body. The muscles in her neck strained as she fought internally. Physical pain rippled throughout her body as she forced her fangs and claws away.

Her golden irises returned and dispelled the darkness from her eyes.

Panting, she hung her head as she floated in the air.

Thorian nodded. "Good, very good." He lowered his hand and gently placed her body back on the ground. She curled up in a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees and a fresh coat of sweat glistening across her onyx skin. "You need to learn how to stay in charge of it. Your emotions distract you, allowing the Nightling within to take advantage."

"I'm not a sociopath like you and your people," she replied through gritted teeth. "I can't just turn my emotions off."

"I'm not telling you to turn them off," he countered. "I'm telling you to monitor them. You shifted because you let your anger get the best of you."

Still breathing heavy, she brought herself to her feet.

She remembered the first time she had shifted. It had been after Shades killed Minerva Moreau, one of the last living members of House Lumai. Her house. She had been so angry. The Nightling took over and slaughtered those magicians like cattle.

It still gave her nightmares. She never wanted to do something like that again. Losing control terrified her.

Perhaps Thorian was right.

"You must learn to harness your emotions," he told her. "Turn them into something you have full control over and can manipulate the way you want." He started toward her. "Meditation helps. My followers and I do it every day. We calm our minds in order to be at peace with ourselves."

Peace with yourself?

She had no idea how any of them could find peace with what they had done to her and her people. But she kept her thoughts to herself. She simply nodded at him and kept her eyes low.

Thorian gently tilted her chin upwards so she was looking him in the face.  "You also need to practice your spell selection. You could have taken Amora down with a stunning spell, rather than the one you used."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, averting her gaze from his. "I'll do better next time."

"I know you will," Thorian said. "You have so much potential, Makaela. We just need to unlock it."

"Are we done with training for today?"

Thorian nodded. He held a bony hand out for her to take. "Come now, child. We have important matters to take care of."

She reluctantly took his hand and Thorian shadow-jumped them away, the room melting into a mass of black as the darkness swallowed them whole.