Unleashing the Storm

The silence in the forest was deafening, broken only by the distant rustle of leaves in the wind. Anne stood at the edge of the clearing, her chest heaving with each breath, her heart still pounding from the explosion of fire that had almost consumed her.

The flames had receded, but the heat remained, still smoldering within her, hot and dangerous. She could feel the burn of it, the pull of the dragon inside her that thrummed with power, eager to lash out. Her fingers tingled, her skin prickling with energy as the shadows around her seemed to shift and sway in response to her agitation.

Lucian stood a few feet away, watching her with a mixture of awe and fear. His expression was tense, his brows furrowed with worry as he took slow steps toward her, clearly uncertain of what to do.

"Anne...," he said, his voice quiet but urgent. "You have to fight it. Don't let him control you."

His words broke through the storm raging inside her, but they weren't enough to calm the fire. She couldn't shake the feeling that Valtheris was still watching her, lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment to strike. She could still hear his voice, a cold whisper in her mind, taunting her, pulling her deeper into the darkness.

"You're stronger than this," Lucian added, his voice carrying the weight of his belief in her. "I know you are."

But Anne wasn't so sure anymore.

She turned away from him, her eyes locking onto the distant horizon. The darkness in her blood was no longer something she could ignore, something she could fight off with sheer willpower. It was a part of her now, woven into the very fabric of her being. And it wasn't going anywhere.

"I can feel him," she whispered, more to herself than to Lucian. "Valtheris. He's out there, waiting. Watching. And no matter how hard I try, I can't outrun him."

Lucian's gaze softened as he stepped closer, reaching for her hand. "You don't have to outrun him, Anne. You don't have to face this alone."

She could feel his warmth, his presence grounding her. But even as his touch soothed her, the fire within her roared, demanding attention. Anne yanked her hand away from his, a growl rising in her throat.

"No! You don't understand," she snapped, her voice laced with frustration. "You think I'm still the same? You think I can just—" She broke off, her throat tight with emotion.

Lucian took a step back, his expression faltering. He'd never seen her like this before—so lost, so torn between the light and the dark. His gaze searched her face, trying to understand, trying to find the Anne he had once known.

"What do you want from me, Lucian?" Anne asked, her voice raw. "What do you think I am? A hero? A savior? I don't even know who I am anymore. Every day I feel this darkness growing inside me. It's like a storm that's about to break, and I'm not sure I can control it."

Lucian opened his mouth to speak, but Anne didn't wait for him. She turned away, walking deeper into the forest, her boots crunching on the fallen leaves beneath her feet. The fire within her still burned hot, but there was a new feeling creeping into her chest—a sense of uncertainty, of dread.

She needed space. She needed time to think. To figure out what was happening to her.

Lucian hesitated for a moment before following her, his footsteps steady and quiet behind her. He wasn't going to let her push him away. He couldn't. Not after everything they'd been through together.

"Anne, please," he called after her, his voice breaking through the stillness. "You don't have to run from this. You're not alone."

But Anne didn't stop. She couldn't. She wasn't running from him—she was running from herself, from the monster she was becoming.

As she moved further into the woods, the air grew colder, the trees closing in around her. The weight of the night pressed down on her shoulders, and the further she went, the more she could feel it—the eyes on her. The hunger that waited just beyond the shadows.

Then, just as the tension in the air became unbearable, she felt it. A presence.

Not Lucian.

Valtheris.

Her heart skipped a beat, her entire body locking in place as she felt the oppressive weight of his power bearing down on her. The air crackled with energy, and the shadows seemed to come alive, stretching toward her like dark hands.

"I knew you would come to me eventually," Valtheris's voice echoed in her mind, smooth and cold, like poison seeping into her veins.

Anne clenched her fists, the flames inside her flaring once again. But this time, she didn't feel the excitement she had once known when she unleashed her power. This time, the fire felt like a curse, like a leash that kept her chained to something she couldn't control.

"You're too late," Anne snarled, her eyes glowing with the intensity of her rage. "I'm not yours to control."

Valtheris's laughter echoed through the trees, a dark, mocking sound that sent chills down her spine. "Ah, but you don't understand, little dragon. You are already mine. You've always been mine. All I've done is wait. Wait for the right moment."

Anne felt the pressure of his power pushing against her, pulling her toward him. She could feel the darkness wrapping around her like a web, threatening to trap her.

But she wasn't ready to give in. Not yet. She would fight. She would break free.

Anne raised her hands, the flames in her veins searing, her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel the heat in the air, the rush of energy building in her palms.

"You'll have to kill me first," Anne said, her voice low, steady, as if she had already made her peace with what she had to do.

Valtheris's presence shifted, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, his voice returned, colder than before.

"I've waited long enough," he said, and Anne could feel his power grow stronger, a crushing weight that threatened to drown her.

The battle was about to begin.