Hollow Hamlet

Dylan had made his decision—there was no turning back now. He had chosen to stand by my side, not just as an ally, but as something more.

I was his mate. His queen. The one he was bound to by instinct, duty, and something deeper than either of us could yet name.

As Alpha, his responsibility extended beyond himself. His pack looked to him for leadership, and by extension, they looked to me.

Whether I was ready or not, I was tied to them now. No longer an outsider. No longer just a passing figure in their world.

To them, I was their queen.

Vlad stalked ahead, his movements sharp and precise, his presence cutting through the eerie silence like a blade.

Xander kept pace beside me, his steps measured and deliberate.

Dylan walked just behind, close enough that I could feel the heat of him—a steady, grounding warmth in the midst of uncertainty.

The three of them had become part of my life, tangled in my fate, whether I wanted them there or not. And I didn't know how to feel about that.

We stepped deeper into the ruins of Hollow Hamlet, and something shifted.

The air thickened, pressing down like an unseen weight.

Xander slowed, his entire body coiling with tension.

Dylan's golden eyes flicked around, ears twitching, listening to something just beyond my range of hearing.

Vlad's hand hovered near his coat, his gaze sharp and watchful.

I shivered.

We saw nothing. Not a single soul.

And yet…

A cold touch wrapped around my wrist.

I gasped, jerking my arm back, but the sensation lingered—an unnatural chill, seeping into my bones, deeper than any winter frost.

I glanced down.

My bracelet.

Edee had warned me never to remove it. She told me it was more than just a simple woven charm—it was protection. A ward against the undead… and perhaps against other unseen forces as well.

What would happen if I took it off?

For just a moment.

Long enough to see.

To understand.

To know.

I hesitated, fingers trembling slightly.

Then, cautiously, I slid the bracelet from my wrist.

The world twisted.

Hollow Hamlet breathed.

Shadows stretched, lengthening unnaturally across the ruins. The abandoned buildings shifted, their edges warping into something darker, something alive.

It was as if an invisible veil had lifted, revealing the true nature of this place—something that had always been here, lurking just beneath the surface.

I saw them.

Tall figures moved through the ruins.

Then, I noticed something—pointed ears.

Elves.

A whisper, soft as wind, slipped past my ear.

"You see us now."

A hand—cold, weightless—brushed my shoulder.

I froze, my breath catching.

A tall, slender figure stood beside me.

"You should not have done that."

My stomach twisted.

She was an elf. Her white hair cascaded like silver silk, her features ethereal and otherworldly. There was an unsettling grace to her—beautiful, but distant.

"Who are you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She tilted her head slightly.

"I am Holumis."

Her gaze sharpened, assessing me with quiet intensity.

"Welcome to Hollow Hamlet," she said. "You should have just walked past us. Why did you take your bracelet off?"

I frowned. "I was just curious."

Behind me, Dylan let out a low growl. In an instant, he was at my side, his body tense, golden eyes scanning the mist.

"Leighton, what are you doing? Who are you talking to?"

He couldn't see them.

Neither could Xander.

But Vlad…

Vlad exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, his irises were black as the void—hollow, endless. Power stirred within him, ancient and deep.

"Well, well, well," he murmured.

He saw them.

"Elves," Vlad said, his voice almost amused.

Holumis turned to him, expression unreadable.

"You need to leave," she said.

"Now. Before the others see you."

There was a warning in her voice. A serious one.

"Most of them do not welcome outsiders," she continued, glancing at Dylan, Xander, and Vlad. "Especially them."

I steadied myself.

"We're looking for the City of the Forgotten," I said.

"Can you show us the way?"

Vlad stood beside me, unwavering. He saw her, but he let me do the talking.

Xander and Dylan, still unable to see the elves, remained silent, though I knew they could feel the shift in reality.

"Vlad, what's happening?" Xander asked.

Vlad stepped closer and whispered, "I guess we've trespassed into elf territory."

"How many of them?" Dylan suddenly asked, startling Vlad and Xander.

Vlad's smirk was slight.

"A few. A dozen… or maybe more."

His gaze flickered toward me.

"A female elf is speaking to Leighton right now."

Xander frowned.

"How come I don't see or hear anything, but you can?"

"Same here," Dylan added.

Vlad chuckled darkly.

"Live long enough, and you'll discover more abilities. But this one… I rarely use."

Meanwhile, Holumis hesitated.

Then, slowly, she nodded.

"I don't know exactly where the City of Forgotten is, but I'll try to help. Come, follow me."

I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, my movements careful and deliberate. The unease in the air was undeniable, but I forced myself to push past it.

With a quick glance over my shoulder, I turned to Vlad, signaling for him and the others to follow.

But before we could take another step—

A sudden blur of motion.

In the space between one breath and the next, a figure materialized before us as if he had always been there, waiting.

Tall. Silent.

His very presence was like an unyielding force pressing against me, ancient and absolute. The weight of his gaze settled on mine—sharp, assessing, and impossibly knowing.

It felt as if he could see right through me, peeling back every layer with a single look.

A male elf.

Beside me, Holumis inhaled sharply, the sound barely audible but thick with recognition.

"Oregon," she breathed.

And in that instant, the very air around us turned colder, as though the world itself braced for what was to come.