Sorry I couldn't post school stress okay my other novel will be updated tomorrow and the other chapters of the novel will drop by tomorrow xoxo...
Lamia, Damian, and Catherine dashed desperately through the shimmering glass mirror, their frantic footsteps echoing as the eerie light cast distorted reflections of their fear. Terror etched every line of Lamia's face, his heart pounding in his chest as the horrifying thought of being trapped inside the mirror forever consumed him. He had to reach his mother. She has to explain... she has to. The bitter betrayal of knowing his beloved mother erased all memories of Damian from his past gnawed at his soul. How could she hide something so important?
Damian, running beside him, was lost in his own whirlwind of thoughts. Every glance at Lamia confirmed his worst fear—that after they escaped, Lamia would abandon him. How could he not? Damian had done unspeakable things, committed atrocities, things that Lamia would never forgive. But his priority right now wasn't forgiveness; it was protecting Lamia. Now that he knew the truth—Lamia wasn't fully human but half-god—Damian realized the Black Dragons would stop at nothing to destroy him. Revenge could wait. Lamia's safety came first.
Catherine's gaze stayed fixed on Lamia's tear-streaked face as they sprinted. Her heart clenched painfully for him. How is this fair? She'd lost her parents, but this... this was beyond cruel. Lamia had been ripped apart from his soulmate, and now fate itself seemed determined to keep them apart. What could be worse than that? The weight of it all crashed down on her. It wasn't fair.
"Lamia, please," she called, her voice breaking. "Stop crying. It's not the end. We still have to make them pay—Emily, Abigail, and everyone who has ever wronged you. Remember, Lamia, we're in this together."
Suddenly, Lamia skidded to a halt, his body trembling. Damian and Catherine stopped just as abruptly, their breath heavy with confusion.
"Lamia, why did you stop?" Damian's voice was urgent, almost panicked. "We have to keep going. If we don't, we're going to die in the real world. I know you're mad at me, but please, we have to do this."
Lamia turned and walked slowly toward Damian, the pain in his eyes unbearable to witness. Without warning, he collapsed into Damian's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Damian instinctively wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly, his mind racing.
"I'm so sorry, Alexis," Lamia choked out between sobs. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you hide such a horrible experience from me? That's why you've had those nightmares, isn't it? You were experimented on, and you had to bear all that pain alone. Your parents died in misery, and your childhood was stolen. It's my fault. If I hadn't suggested we go into that forest... I'm so stupid!"
Damian stood frozen, his heart breaking into a thousand pieces. Lamia was apologizing. Apologizing to him. After everything he had done—murdering children, committing acts that even he couldn't forgive himself for—Lamia still loved him. He didn't deserve this angel. He didn't deserve any of it.
Catherine watched the two in silence, her throat tight with emotion. She had no words. Lamia was a beautiful soul, far more than she had ever realized. He was kind, forgiving, and above all, pure in a world that sought to corrupt him.
"Sorry to interrupt such a touching moment, but we have to go now," Catherine's voice cut through the air sharply. "The astral world is collapsing, and we must get out before we're trapped here forever."
Damian's eyes widened in shock. The glass bridge beneath their feet was disintegrating, leaving an endless, dark pit behind them.
Without a second thought, Damian swept Lamia into his arms, carrying him bridal style, and bolted forward with supernatural speed. Catherine ripped off her heels, racing madly beside him, determination blazing in her eyes. There was no turning back now. They had to make it.
Back at the Cabin
Mina paced restlessly, red candles flickering around her, their soft glow casting ominous shadows on the walls. Her nerves were fraying as she glanced repeatedly at the ticking clock, the sound scraping against her sanity.
"Where the hell are you, Damian?" she muttered under her breath, her frustration bubbling over. "You were supposed to be back by now!"
Her gaze drifted toward the lifeless bodies of Lamia, Damian, and Catherine, their souls still trapped in the mirror's astral plane. Time was running out, and if they didn't return soon, their souls would be lost forever.
Meanwhile, hidden in the dense forest surrounding the cabin, a shadowed figure emerged, his presence powerful and commanding. His cold, predatory eyes locked onto the small cottage as he whistled sharply, summoning his men. Dozens of armed thugs appeared, each one bristling with bloodlust, their weapons glinting under the moonlight.
"Find them," the leader growled, his deep voice sending chills through the air. "Kill anyone who gets in your way, but the dark-haired one... he's mine. The redhead? You can dispose of him."
The men sneered, their grins wicked and malevolent as they surrounded the cabin. The leader removed his mask, revealing a strikingly handsome face with long, flowing blonde hair and piercing emerald eyes. A cruel smile twisted his lips as he heard a bone-chilling scream echo from within.
Inside, Mina's skin prickled with unease, sensing the danger closing in on her. The air was thick with bloodlust, and she knew they were coming.
"Who's there?" she shouted, her voice firm but laced with fury. "Show yourselves, you cowards!"
Peering out the window, she saw the men. They were savage, their eyes burning with a murderous intensity. A dark grin spread across her face.
"Idiots," she muttered under her breath. "You're in for a real treat."
With a flick of her wrist, the air around the cabin crackled with energy. The men charged at her all at once, but before they could even reach the door, a bolt of lightning shot from the sky, tearing through them like paper. Flesh was ripped from bone, their agonizing screams filling the night as the lightning struck again and again until nothing remained but a bloody heap of limbs scattered across the ground.
Mina's smile faded slightly as she surveyed the carnage. "That damn barrier spell Damian put up... I could've roasted them myself. But this... this will do."
Suddenly, a soft crack echoed from the window, and Mina's eyes shot toward the figure standing there. A man—tall, with an otherworldly beauty—stood among the chaos, his silver mask gleaming.
"You must be insane," Mina hissed, her hands glowing with crackling energy. "Get out now, before I end you."
Joakim, the intruder, stepped forward, his expression hardening. He had underestimated them. These were no ordinary beings. But he had an ace up his sleeve. With a swift motion, he stepped through the barrier effortlessly, his body immune to its magic.
As he neared the bodies lying in the center of the demonic circle, he turned to Mina, his voice a chilling whisper. "Worry about yourself, witch. Because tonight, I am your worst nightmare."
Joakim raised his twin-bladed dagger, its gleaming edges aimed at Mina. But before he could strike, a hand caught the blade mid-air. Damian stood there, his eyes glowing a menacing shade of red.