Page 74 of Dark Bonds

As I stand here, facing these two would-be alphas, I realize something. This is exactly what Blackwood was warning us about—the cutthroat nature of shadow shifter society, where alliances are formed and broken over perceived power dynamics. Friendship can be seen as a threat, and showing weakness isn’t an option.

Thoughts of my complicated relationships flood my mind. Bishop’s intense gaze, Leo’s warm smile, Matteo’s protectivepresence, and even Dorian’s enigmatic allure—each of them stirs something within me. Would any of them stand beside me now, or would they see me as a threat too? The uncertainty of where I stand with each of them adds another layer of complexity to my already chaotic emotions. I push these thoughts aside, focusing on the immediate danger, but the ache of longing lingers.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever comes next. “Alright,” I say, my voice low and steady. “Let’s get this over with.”

Chloe’s eyes flash with anger, and for a moment, I swear I see her pupils elongate into slits. “You better watch your back, Frankie. You have no clue what you’re messing with.”

As she speaks, the air around us seems to thicken, growing heavy with tension and unspoken threats. I can feel Amanda’s and Chloe’s hostility pressing in on me, almost a tangible force, but beneath that, there’s something else—a desire for power that radiates off them in waves.

I plant my feet, rooting myself to the spot even as every nerve in my body screams for flight. My muscles coil tight, a spring ready to unleash at a moment’s notice. “Neither do you,” I reply, my voice a low, steady rumble that belies the thunderous beating of my heart. “I’m not seeking conflict, but make no mistake—I won’t crumble before your threats.”

Amanda’s laughter slices through the air, a sound as sharp and cruel as shattered glass. It echoes in the emptiness around us, a discordant melody that sets my teeth on edge. “Oh, sweetie,” she croons, her words dripping with venomous honey. “Choice is an illusion you can no longer afford. This reckoning was inevitable from the moment you dared to exist in our world.”

As she speaks, she and Chloe begin to move, their steps a choreographed dance of menace. They circle me with liquid grace, predators sizing up their prey, their eyes gleamingwith barely contained hunger. I pivot slowly, my gaze darting between them, desperate to keep both in my line of sight. My heart thunders in my chest, a war drum pounding out a frenzied rhythm of fear and defiance. Despite the biting January chill, sweat beads on my forehead, trickling down my temples like icy fingers of dread.

The air around us thickens, heavy with unspoken threats and the electric charge of impending violence. Each breath feels like inhaling syrup, the tension so palpable it’s almost suffocating. In this moment, suspended between action and reaction, I can almost taste the metallic tang of destiny shifting on my tongue.

My gut screams at me to run, but I am frozen in place, torn between fight and flight. How can I defend against a threat I barely understand, with powers I’ve never consciously controlled? My abilities have always been a wild current, surging through me unbidden in moments of crisis, but now, with danger circling like vultures over carrion, I must seize the reins of this untamed force within me.

The memory of the shield incident flashes through my mind, a beacon of hope in this maelstrom of fear. I squeeze my eyes shut, blocking out the world, and focus inward. In the darkness behind my eyelids, I reach for that elusive energy, my mental fingers grasping at wisps of power.

Come on,I plead silently, my thoughts a desperate prayer to forces I don’t comprehend.I need you now. Be my aegis against this storm.

I remember Professor Blackwood’s warnings about the unpredictable nature of our powers, especially for untrained shifters. The possibility of accidentally breaching the veil between worlds flashes through my mind. It’s a risk, but right now, it might be my only chance.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever may come. As I reach deeper into my power, I feel something shift withinme, a door unlocking to a realm I’ve only glimpsed in my darkest nightmares.

I should have pushed the guys to tutor me sooner, but with the world imploding, there was no time. Now I have to reach for my gift on my own, and I have no idea what I’m doing.

Nothing stirs, but then, like the first tremors before an earthquake, I feel a ripple of power deep within my core, a slumbering titan slowly rousing from eons of sleep. As this force unfurls within me, dread coils in my stomach. This isn’t the warm, golden light of protection I hoped for. Instead, a bone-deep chill seeps through my veins, as if winter itself has taken residence in my blood.

My eyes snap open, and I gasp at the transformation before me. The world I knew has vanished, replaced by a reality straight from the fever dreams of a mad god.

Or Nyx.

The bright January day vanishes, replaced by a twilight realm of deep shadows and muted colors. The air grows heavy, smelling like a thunderstorm mixed with something old and wild. The campus fades away, replaced by a world of shadows that make my head spin just from trying to make sense of it. Colors bleed and warp, muted yet somehow more intense, as if viewed through a prism of shadow. The air thickens, becoming a tangible entity that presses against my skin, heavy with the scent of ozone and something far older—a primordial musk that speaks of forgotten epochs and nameless terrors.

Our surroundings flicker and undulate, reality seeming to ripple like the surface of a dark, bottomless lake. The January chill I felt moments ago pales in comparison to the bone-deep cold that now seeps into my very essence, as if the warmth of life is being sucked away.

Amanda and Chloe stand frozen, their eyes wide with a fear so palpable I can almost taste it. Their earlier bravadoevaporates like morning mist before the harsh light of this new, terrifying reality.

“What did you do?” Chloe’s whisper barely carries, the usual venom in her voice replaced by naked terror.

I shake my head, my own bewilderment a mirror to theirs. “I... I don’t know,” I say, the words feeling foreign in my mouth, as if the very act of speaking is an aberration in this otherworldly realm.

As the truth of my words sinks in, so does the magnitude of what I’ve unwittingly unleashed. This isn’t the protective shield I sought to summon, but something far more vast and perilous. Somehow, I’ve torn open the veil between worlds, calling forth the shadow realm Professor Blackwood warned us about—the wellspring of our powers and the abyss of our greatest fears.

The shadows begin to coalesce around us, taking on forms that mock the concept of physical existence. These are creatures born of nightmares and madness, beings of pure darkness with a geometry that defies euclidean logic. Limbs sprout and multiply in impossible configurations, while eyes blaze with an inner fire that seems to consume light itself. Their movements are a jerky, unsettling dance, each twitch and undulation a violation of natural law that sends shivers cascading down my spine.

These shadow entities swarm around us, their curiosity a palpable force. I can feel their alien minds probing at the edges of my consciousness, hungry to understand this being who has bridged the gap between realms. Their very presence is an affront to reality, each moment of their existence threatening to unravel the fabric of my sanity.

Amanda recoils, her face a mask of ashen terror. “This defies all laws,” she whispers, her voice quavering like a leaf in a storm.

“Seems Frankie didn’t get the memo,” Chloe snaps, but her usual venom is diluted by the tremor in her voice, fear bleeding through every syllable.

I’m paralyzed, a statue of flesh and bone, overwhelmed by the cosmic horror I unwittingly unleashed. The shadow creatures draw closer, their attention focused on me. I can feel their desire to comprehend this anomaly that has breached the barriers between worlds. Their scrutiny is a physical weight, pressing down on me from all sides.

Suddenly, the swarm of shadows parts like a dark sea, making way for a presence that dwarfs all others. One shadow, vaster and more ancient than its brethren, glides toward me. As it approaches, it begins to take on a more defined shape, fusing into something hauntingly familiar yet utterly alien.

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