Liana moved without hesitation, her eyes drowning in darkness, her steps eerily calm. Kael felt her presence a second too late. He turned—confused, relieved—only for his breath to catch in his throat.
"Liana?"
But she didn't respond.
The demon inside her did.
She struck fast.
The dagger plunged into his chest, the metal sinking deep with a sickening thud. Kael gasped sharply, shock freezing his entire body. Blood bloomed instantly beneath her hand.
"Li—ana…" he whispered, grabbing her wrist, not to pull away but to reach her.
Her fingers tightened and—
she drove the blade deeper, pushing the tip until Kael choked in pain.
His knees buckled, but he forced himself to stay on his feet.
"Liana… look at me," he breathed, voice trembling. "It's me. Fight it… please."
His words made her hand tremble.
Her eyes flickered—darkness to light, light to darkness.
Her breathing changed.
"Kael…" she whispered, for a heartbeat sounding like herself.
He held onto her hand weakly. "Come back to me…"
But before she could fully snap out of it, she heard a loud crack behind her—
the sound of the barrier breaking.
The second strongest wolf, Rylan, had already shattered the shield and was stepping inside, eyes wide at the sight of Kael bleeding in her arms.
Liana blinked rapidly—
the demon slipping, her mind clearing just enough to realize the horror.
Her grip loosened.
"Kael…" she whispered, voice breaking as she stared at the blood, at the blade inside him. "What… what did I do?"
Rylan didn't waste a second.
He rushed forward, grabbed Kael's collapsing body, and lifted him before she could reach out.
Liana's voice cracked as she stepped toward them.
"Kael—!"
That was the last thing Kael heard before Rylan disappeared with him, leaving her frozen in place, drenched i
n his blood, the demon still whispering in her mind.
For a long second, Liana just stood there, staring at the empty space where Kael had been.
Her breathing turned sharp.
Her fingers twitched.
Blood dripped down her hand… his blood.
"No… no, no—Kael…" she whispered, taking one step forward.
A violent pulse of darkness snapped through her chest, yanking her back like invisible chains.
Her eyes rolled black again, the demon clawing for control.
"Finish the rest."
The voice hissed inside her skull.
Liana clutched her head, screaming as she fought it.
Before she could lose control again, shadows burst through the trees—Kael's warriors rushing in after sensing the shattered barrier.
But none of them dared approach her.
She was trembling, teeth clenched, eyes flashing violently between her and the demon.
A command broke through the fear.
"Seize her—now!"
The Beta wolf, Toren, appeared with two elite guards. With Kael gone, Toren automatically held authority. The wolves hesitated only for a breath before moving.
Liana didn't resist.
She couldn't.
Because the moment they grabbed her arms, she sagged in their hold—broken, shaking, whispering over and over:
"I hurt him… I hurt him… Kael, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"
But the darkness didn't care for her guilt.
It twisted inside her, pushing her toward violence again.
Her body jerked, muscles tightening.
"Hold her tighter!" Toren barked.
They dragged her toward the underground holding cells—cold stone tunnels lit by harsh blue torches. Liana staggered, barely able to keep her eyes open as the demon fought for dominance.
The metal door of the deepest cell screeched open. Chains glowed faintly with old magic.
They shoved her inside.
"Lock it," Toren commanded.
The door slammed shut.
But the demon wasn't done.
A violent surge shot through her body.
Her spine arched, her breath hitched painfully as her eyes turned pitch-black again.
"Let me out. Let me finish him."
"No," Liana rasped, pressing her forehead to the cold wall. "No—no—I won't let you."
She needed something—anything—to numb it.
To stop herself from becoming a weapon again.
Her gaze fell to the iron chains scattered across the floor.
Slowly, she lifted her hand.
A faint spark of magic flickered at her fingertips.
The iron shot toward her arm like a snake, wrapping tightly and tearing into her skin.
Pain exploded through her.
Blood dripped down her wrist.
But the demon recoiled, snarling in frustration.
Good. Hurt yourself. It stops me from controlling you.
She tightened the chains more… and more… until sharp metal bit through her skin.
Her voice cracked as she whispered:
"This is better… than hurting Kael again."
She curled forward, shaking violently, tears mixing with blood as she forced herself to stay conscious. Every breath felt like a battle. Every heartbeat was a scream.
Outside the cell, Toren watched in silence.
He had never seen a prisoner torture themselves to stay sane.
"Kael better survive," he muttered, jaw clenched. "Because if he doesn't… she won't last the night."
Inside the cell, Liana whispered a final broken plea:
"Kael… please… stay alive… so I can tell you I didn
't mean it…"
Darkness swallowed her consciousness—
but the demon still snarled in the silence.