The Gate of Shadows

After reaching the forest’s edge behind me, they finally released Ezra, allowing him to run towards his fallen friend’s ashes as Fenris joined him.

“Lilith!” My wolf called out to me once again from behind me.

However, this time, I ignored him. Turning to him would break me, and I couldn’t afford that to happen, especially since I didn’t want to see how he was looking at me after I killed his friend.

"Who are you?" the corpse asked instead of attacking me as it quickly turned into burst into flames from the previous spell.

Watching it turn into ash, I slowly glanced towards the forest as a smirk formed on my lips.

“You think you can hide from me?” I breathed, raising my bleeding hand towards the forest. "Ut incenderent cinere, impius animarum." I muttered, swiping it to the side as the blood formed a scythe that flung their way.

Burn to ashes, wicked souls.

In an instant, the forest became a fiery blue inferno that didn’t care if one was living or not, seizing anyone in its path. The sudden heat triggered most of the hidden witches to run out towards the clearing while others ran away from it only to be consumed by the flames.

It all depended on what was closest to them, but there was no escaping my wrath. I intended to draw out whoever was nearest, but if some burned to their deaths, their voices of horror became a symphony for all those around to hear.

A necessary casualty that I don’t care for.

I would shed no tears for them. However, most of them fell to the ground before I finally answered their question, even if the one who asked wasn’t there.

"Welcome, I’m your death," I smirked.

The voices in my head told me to show no mercy to those who stood before me. I raised my hand forward, intending to let my fury go, but someone stepped from the burning forest into the light before I could unleash it.

"Wait, please!" they pleaded to me in a familiar voice.

What?

Shock washed over me upon realizing why I knew them.

No… It can’t be. I haven’t seen you in weeks.

"Who are you?" I asked, not wanting to know the answer.

Yet it had to be known. And it would pain me to know. I should’ve burned them where they stood instead of letting them cause my heart to waver.

"Lilith, why are you here? You aren’t supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be back in Cerberus!" The female stranger announced, taking off her hood and revealing someone who had claimed to try to be my friend.

The same one who used to stalk me in the library and told me she cared for me.

What a joke.

"Cora? Why are you with them?" I questioned as my voice broke.

Her face scrunched up, gripping her cloak before shifting her gaze away from me.

"You wouldn’t understand." She pushed my question aside.

I stood there, unable to comprehend how a vampire would work for the witches—the same ones who intended the downfall of everyone but themselves—especially her, who was so bright and refused to leave me alone.

However, it all stopped once the article was written, as a realization slowly formed in my head. The only thing we knew about the person who leaked it was that they had a female voice.

You… This whole time, it was you?

Ah… it explains why you never came around after it leaked.

"Is this why you were after me?" my voice trembled as I clenched my hands into fists.

I let my guard down.

You betrayed me after constantly insisting on being my friend. Ah… you… liar!

Betrayer!

Kill her!

Make her bleed!

Silence! I need to think!

"No, I didn’t know you were his charge until much later. Please, believe me!" Cora reached towards me before her eyes widened when chains that erupted from under me interrupted us.

Before I knew it, I was bound up in the sky alongside Shade.

These little shits. The feline muttered, shifting her gaze onto me. Can I kill them already?!

“Lilith!” Fenris sprinted towards me, only to be met by a wall of these chains, separating us from him as Layla grabbed onto him before yanking him away from them.

“You can’t! She’s dangerous!” The white wolf yanked him away as Amelia joined her to hold him back.

“Let me go!” He growled.

Ah… that was a beginner's mistake. It’s foolish to let my guard down for someone who played me once already.

The chains that held me had visible cracks to break the spell quickly.

This won’t hold me, but… what if…

"Stop! You said you would let me speak with her!" Cora snarled at whoever was standing beyond the shadows.

"Not a chance. Do you even feel that magical power radiating out of her? Did you see what she did to all those Lycans? There’s a change of plans. Let’s take her with us. I’m sure Lady Edna will be glad to have her." A man announced, sprouting from the darkness that clung to him.

I couldn’t help but feel tickled by his words. They were so full of themselves that they thought they could handle me—their beginners' mistake. They were young like me, inexperienced in the art of war.

"Take me?" I lost it, unable to stop myself from laughing loudly.

They all watched me as if I were crazy. Perhaps I was going insane.

This... No, nothing makes sense anymore.

I didn’t need to understand them any further. They had to be destroyed.

No one will ever separate me from Fenris!

"What the fuck is wrong with that?" The hooded man huffed defensively.

I choked on my laughter, unable to stop.

A little crazy, maybe, isn’t bad. No, this feels so good! Ah… No, what to do with these idiots?

Let me slice them up into a million pieces, Lily! Shade glared at them with the intent to end them.

This world was as fucked up as it could be, but it had lights. Beams would keep me from being consumed by the shadows surrounding me, but that didn’t mean I would be merciful towards the few piglets that crossed my path.

"I’ve never heard something so damning before in my life!” I cackled, prompting the boy to tighten his bounds on me.

“Shut up!” He growled, killing all the laughter that left me.

Shade…

“Finally, understanding your situation?” He huffed, unaware of what was happening inside my mind.

“The only one who doesn’t realize he’s in the wolf’s jaws is you, little warlock,” I announced, infusing my magical energy into the chains that held me, triggering them to shimmer in colors as some cracked under pressure.

“If you take me to them, I’ll rip them all apart, but even if that makes my job easier, I can’t let you take me. If I’m not here, I can’t protect him.” I smirked as his incantation melted, overwhelming my essence.

When was the last time I felt this free? Ah… never… I’ve never felt… this alive.

“Everyone around him is an incompetent buffoon. He’ll die if I’m not here.” I smirked, floating down onto the ground with shade as the energy within me erupted, shattering my bounds and the entire spell he had cast.

"What the fuck?!" the man shook his head, too stunned to move

“None can take him! The moon wolf is ours! Whoever is his enemy will be my playmate!” Shade hissed before suddenly launching at him.

With one swift movement, Cora saved the warlock before turning to me with her pupils fully dilated and grimacing.

"No, Lily, please listen to me!" she pleaded for mercy.

Energy radiated from me to the point it almost became overwhelming to anyone around me. My body's rest would have to wait until all of them disappeared.

There’s only one ending for you.

"Only my friends can call me that, and you... You’re nothing more than a talking corpse!" I snarled, knowing what came next would make me a monster, but I didn’t care.

They deserved nothing less than to vanish.

Destroy…

Break them!

Traitors!

Annihilate them!

It was much easier to go with the flow than to fight the urges rising within me.