The sun had barely begun to rise when Kael motioned for Elena to follow him out of the wreckage of the cabin. The men they had taken down were still sprawled across the floor, but Kael didn't seem concerned with them anymore. His eyes were focused on something else—something far more urgent.
Elena, still shaken from the events of the night, followed closely behind him, her footsteps soft against the dirt. The world outside the cabin was eerily quiet, the only sound being the rustle of the trees in the light morning breeze.
"Where are we going?" Elena asked, her voice still unsteady.
"Somewhere safe," Kael replied without looking back. "At least for now."
Elena's mind raced. Safe? What did that even mean anymore? After everything that had happened—after she had tapped into that strange power in her hands—there was no such thing as safe. She had been running, hiding, and surviving, but none of it made sense. What was she? Why were these creatures after her? And what did Kael really know about her?
She opened her mouth to ask more questions, but the words caught in her throat when she saw the dark shape moving through the trees ahead. It was fast, too fast to be anything normal. Her heart skipped a beat as the figure grew closer, and she recognized it immediately.
"Jonas," Kael muttered, his hand going to his weapon.
Jonas stepped into the clearing, his eyes scanning the area before locking onto Elena. He wasn't smiling, and there was no trace of the humor he had shown earlier. He was all business now, his movements sharp and purposeful.
"Thought I'd find you here," Jonas said, his voice low. "It's not safe. Not anymore."
Elena's heart raced. "What's happening? What do you mean it's not safe?"
Jonas gave her a grim look before turning his gaze to Kael. "You didn't tell her, did you?"
Kael's jaw tightened. "No, I didn't think she was ready."
Jonas scoffed, shaking his head. "Ready? She's the one they're hunting, Kael. She needs to know everything. Now."
Elena's pulse quickened, and she stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? What am I supposed to know?"
Jonas sighed and turned to face her fully. He was silent for a long moment, his eyes scanning her face as if weighing how much he should reveal. Finally, he spoke, his voice rough.
"You're not human, Elena. At least, not entirely."
Elena froze, her mind struggling to process the words. "What do you mean? I'm not—what? I'm just me. I'm not anything special."
Jonas shook his head, his expression hardening. "That's exactly what you're supposed to believe. But the truth is, you're a hybrid—a mix of something ancient and something very dangerous. They're after you because you're the key to something much bigger than any of us."
Elena's world tilted on its axis. Hybrid? She couldn't wrap her mind around it. What was he saying? What could he possibly mean?
"I don't understand," she whispered. "How could I be—what, a mix of what?"
Kael stepped forward, his expression more serious than she had ever seen it. "A mix of two worlds. One that has been hidden for centuries. And they—the creatures, the ones that attacked the cabin—they're from the other world. They know what you are, and they've been hunting you since you were born."
Elena stumbled back a step, her mind racing. "No, that can't be true. I'm just... I'm just me. I don't—"
Jonas cut her off, his voice soft but firm. "You've always known there was something different about you, haven't you? The way you feel things—see things—things others can't. The power you unleashed earlier? That was just the beginning."
Elena's hands trembled at her sides. She couldn't even remember the feeling of the power, but the image of it—blinding light coursing through her fingers, throwing the creature across the room—was seared into her memory.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena asked, turning to Kael, her eyes hurt. "Why didn't you warn me?"
Kael's face softened for a moment, guilt flashing in his eyes. But he quickly masked it. "I didn't think you were ready. I didn't think you'd believe me. I needed you to trust me first."
Elena took a shaky breath, trying to process the flood of information. But the more she tried to make sense of it, the more her mind spun. She wasn't human. She was something else, something dangerous. And now the creatures were after her. What else was there to know?
Jonas cleared his throat, pulling her attention back to him. "We don't have much time. They know you're still alive. And if we don't move soon, we'll be walking straight into their hands."
Kael nodded. "We need to go, Elena. Now."
She looked at both of them—Kael, who had been by her side all this time, and Jonas, the mysterious stranger who knew far too much. The weight of the decision hit her like a physical force. Whatever was happening, whatever she was, it was too much for her to process alone.
But she had no choice. She had to trust them, because there was nowhere else to turn.
"Where are we going?" Elena asked, her voice shaking.
"We're going to find answers," Kael said, his voice determined. "And we're going to make sure they don't get to
you first."