Escaping danger

{ Mia }

" A-Ace—"

" I know cupcake... When I give the signal you run as fast as you can okay ?"

" What about you ?"

" I'll be right behind you."

" Hey!!!!" Cole screamed offended. " What about me ?!"

Ace just chuckled. " Can't you run ?" He asked sarcastically.

Cole just crossed his arms and pouted.

" Ace... We have to go." I whispered my voice barely audible, just as more birds appeared and got closer.

Ace's face suddenly turned serious . " Get on my back Cole!"

Cole fumbled as he struggled to climb up Ace's back.

" Could you get lower please?" Cole begged slipping and almost hitting his head on a tree just before Ace quickly swooped in saving Cole and firmly placing him on his back.

" Whoa, you're huge!" Cole exclaimed, as Ace chuckled.

The creatures don't attack immediately.

They watch. Waiting.

Then, one of them steps forward.

Its body flickers, one second, it's a crow, the next, a tall, shadowed figure with glowing white eyes and elongated fingers. Its mouth stretches open, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

My breath catches. "They're… not crows."

Ace growls, stepping protectively in front of me with Cole on his back. "No. They're something worse."

Then, they moved.

Faster than I could react, the creatures swarmed around us cawing.

I dodged just in time as one lunged, its claws slicing through the air where I stood a second ago.

Ace slamed straight into another, sending it crashing against a tree, but it didn't stay down. It meltef into a shadow, reforming instantly.

"Nothing's hurting them!" Cole shouted from Ace's back.

I leaped into action, my wolf instincts kicking in.

Ash growled in my mind. " You're strong Mia, you can do this!!"

I dodged, my claws out, slashing through another creature's chest—

But my claws passed right through them.

My heart pounded loudly in my ears. "They're not solid!"

Another one lunged.

I barely duckef, rolling onto the ground, dirt kicking up around me.

Ash's voice suddenly roared in My head.

"MIA, USE YOUR LIGHT!"

"My what?!"

"Don't think, FEEL!"

Instinct took over. I planted my paws firmly on the ground, my eyes flashing.

Something surged inside me hot, bright and alive.

The golden glow around my fur intensified, burning like fire.

I roared and the nearest creatures recoiled, hissing in pain.

My heart hammered in my chest . ' I just did that !'

Ace's eyes widen. "Mia, whatever you just did, do it again!"

I focused, letting the strange energy flow through my veins. My fur erupted in golden light, and then, I lunged...

And this time, my claws didn't pass through.

They burned.

The creature shriekef as my claws slashes through it, its form crumbling into dust.

Cole whoopef. "That's my girl!"

Ace smirked. "Showoff."

The creatures hesitated. Then—they retreated.

One by one, they vanished into the darkness, their glowing eyes were the last thing to disappear.

Silence fell over the clearing.

My legs felt shaky. I exhaled, my golden glow slowly fading. "What… was that?"

Ace watched the treeline warily. "Something tells me we'll find out soon."

Cole groand. "Can we not?!"

I managed a weak chuckle. But deep down… she knew this is far from over.

~ back at camp ~

By the time we reached my camp, my legs felt like lead. My body was still buzzing from everything, the fight, the glow, the power, but the exhaustion was finally settling in.

I stepped into the clearing, my home for the past few weeks. Everything was just as I had left it: the small fire pit surrounded by stones, my makeshift cabin propped up with sturdy branches, and my supplies neatly stacked to the side. The scent of dried fish still lingered in the air, mixing with the damp earth.

Cole slid off Ace's back, groaning dramatically as he flopped onto the ground. "I swear, if I have to ride like that again, I'm just gonna let the shadow birds eat me."

Ace shifted back into his human form, rolling his shoulders. " You're welcome."

I ignored them, making my way to the wooden rack where I had left fish to dry. Pulling down a couple, I tossed them near the fire pit. "I'll cook. You two rest."

Cole propped himself up on his elbows, glancing around. "Damn, Mia. I gotta admit, this is kinda impressive. You really planned all this?"

I shrugged, kneeling to start the fire. "Had to. There's a fishing net by the river, traps for small animals, and enough supplies to last a while."

Cole snorted, picking up my toothbrush from a small pouch and holding it up like it was some rare artifact. "And you even have a toothbrush? I was expecting you to be all 'wild girl' by now."

I rolled my eyes, snatching it back. "Just because I live in the wild doesn't mean I want nasty teeth."

Ace chuckled, but there was something unreadable in his expression as he sat beside me. He watched as I struck the flint, sending tiny sparks into the dry wood.

"You did good, cupcake," he murmured. "But… you know you can't stay here forever, right?"

I paused, staring at the flickering embers. "I know, I miss my family..."

Silence settled between us, broken only by the crackling of the fire. The warmth spread over my skin, but it did nothing to ease the cold feeling in my chest.

"Mia…" Ash's voice was quiet but firm in my head. "This isn't over. Those things… they'll come back."

I swallowed hard, gripping my knees. I already knew that.

Because the crow's glowing eyes… they were still burned into my mind.

And something told me this was just the beginning.