Shadow marked

"Is everyone safe?" Fiona panted, her heart pounding like a war drum. The crowd around her remained frozen, their wide eyes fixed on her radiant white fur—a sight unlike anything they had ever seen.

"Did you hear me?" she urged, her voice sharp with urgency.

A murmur rippled through them before someone finally spoke. "We're safe, but the little ones—they're trapped in the school!"

The words sent a jolt through her. No hesitation. No second thoughts.

Fiona lunged forward, her paws barely skimming the ground as she raced toward the burning school. Smoke curled into the night sky, and through the flickering flames, she caught sight of the cunning wolf—its Silver form weaving through the crumbling structure, closing in on the helpless children.

A surge of heat ignited in her veins, raw and untamed. Power surged through her limbs.

With a fierce snarl, she leaped, her body twisting mid-air. Her claws found their mark, slashing across the predator's eyes. The beast howled in agony as Fiona landed with lethal grace, her stance unwavering, her breath steady.

The hunt was over.

Now, she had to save them.

"You have a death wish", his voice laced with malice, a wicked smirk curling his lips.

Fiona stood her ground, her breath steady despite the storm raging inside her. "You've killed enough! Leave these children alone!" Pain seeped into her words, but beneath it burned unshakable fury. "Can't you see they need our protection?"

In that moment, her resolve hardened like steel. She was not just a queen. She was their shield, their guardian, and she would fight until her last breath.

Cassius' gaze flickered, curiosity dancing behind his cruelty. "Blue and red eyes… That's strange." He took a slow step closer, studying her. "Your blue eyes remind me of someone."

Before Fiona could respond, a sudden crash echoed through the room.

Phoenix's grip faltered, his wine glass slipping from his grasp. The rich crimson liquid spilled across the marble floor, staining it like fresh blood. His eyes, dark and unreadable, glowed ominously under the flickering light.

The past was catching up to them.

"She possesses part of me," Phoenix realized, unease tightening in his chest. If she was channeling even a fragment of his power, every move he made—every surge of darkness—would echo within her. The connection between them was undeniable, and that terrified him more than he'd admit.

"Whatever I possess is none of your business!" Fiona snapped, her voice laced with defiance. Without hesitation, she lunged, her movements swift and unrelenting.

Cassius chuckled darkly, unfazed by her attack. "Bring it on, pretty." His mocking tone only fueled her fury.

But Phoenix wasn't focused on the fight anymore. That voice—Cassius' voice—sent a ripple through his mind, a distant memory clawing its way to the surface.

His glowing eyes narrowed as he observed intently.

Something wasn't right.

A force wrapped around her mind, seizing control. Her crimson eyes flickered before shifting into a deep, piercing blue.

"I'll take it from here, Fiona. Rest now," Phoenix murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, yet laced with undeniable command.

Her body slackened as his power took hold, retreating into the recesses of her mind.

Phoenix turned his focus to Cassius, his stance unwavering. "Now, tell me—how did you manage to break out?" His tone carried the weight of dominance, daring no defiance.

Cassius hesitated, his expression shifting from amusement to confusion. "Wait… your voice—it's different. Male. How—?"

Before he could finish, a brutal force struck him from behind. Snarls ripped through the air as both wolves lunged at each other, their movements a blur of raw power and speed. Sparks ignited where claws met, illuminating the battlefield in flickering bursts.

At first, Phoenix held the advantage, his attacks relentless, precise. But Cassius was no ordinary foe. He adjusted quickly, countering with vicious force, matching Phoenix blow for blow.

The ground trembled beneath them as the battle raged on.Just as Phoenix prepared to unleash a devastating blow—one that would surely cripple Cassius—a voice rang out behind him.

"Sapphire!"

Vangelis.

Phoenix's instincts flared. He couldn't afford to be seen, not now. In an instant, he pulled back, shifting his focus, his form dissolving into the shadows.

At the same moment, Fiona, still regaining control over her body, tried to slip into the safety of the darkness. But Cassius was faster.

With a vicious snarl, he struck her across the face. The force sent her crashing to the ground, her vision going black.

"If I can't feast on the children, then you can't save them either," he sneered, his lips curling in malice.

A spark ignited at his fingertips—then another.

In the blink of an eye, flames roared to life, engulfing the school in a wall of searing heat. The fire spread rapidly, licking at the walls, turning the night into a burning inferno.

Without another word, Cassius vanished into shadows leaving destruction awake.

Vangelis worked frantically, hurling sand over the raging inferno, but the flames devoured everything in their path, spreading faster than he could contain. His jaw tightened, frustration clawing at his composure as the sky churned above him.

Dark clouds gathered with an ominous weight, rolling in thick and heavy. The air crackled with the promise of an impending storm, the atmosphere charged with raw, untamed power.

A soft groan escaped Fiona's lips as consciousness returned. Her head pounded, but the chaotic sounds around her—children's terrified screams, the roar of fire, and the fierce urgency in Vangelis's movements—sharpened her focus.

She pushed herself up, eyes darting between the blaze and her husband.

A chilling realization settled in her chest. She had no power over water, no way to combat the flames. But Vangelis did.

And that terrified her.

If he summoned the rain now, if he let his emotions spiral unchecked, it wouldn't be a simple downpour. It would be a storm—a merciless force of nature that could drown the very people they were trying to save.

The fire was an immediate danger. But the storm he could unleash? That could be far worse.