The leader's smirk returned, this time tinged with something darker. "We shall see," he muttered, and with a flick of his wrist, the vampires around them surged forward, emboldened by their leader's confidence.
Aria's pulse raced, and for the briefest moment, she considered fleeing, retreating into the safety of the pack. But she couldn't. Not when she knew deep down that she was tied to this fight, that her involvement in this battle was more than just a necessity. It was a choice. One she had no control over. The prophecy had already chosen her.
She felt the power within her stir—a pulse of energy too strong to ignore. It surged up from deep within her, twisting through her veins, filling her chest with a dizzying, almost suffocating warmth. But with it came a wave of fear. What if she couldn't control it? What if it consumed her, as it had done to so many before?
The leader advanced, his eyes gleaming with certainty. "You are nothing but a child. You think you can stand against me?" He laughed, the sound of it slicing through the tension like a blade. "I will break you."
Aria's heart hammered in her chest, but instead of giving in to the fear, she clenched her fists at her sides. She wasn't going to let him control this. Not now, not ever.
The power inside her pushed again, clawing at her, urging her to let it out. Aria shook her head, her breath shallow. "No," she whispered to herself. "Not yet."
She wasn't ready. The power—whatever it was—terrified her. It wasn't just the wolf inside her. It was something older, darker, something that belonged to her bloodline but had been buried for centuries. If she unleashed it now, there would be no turning back. She could feel that, deep in her bones.
But the pack needed her. Her people needed her.
As the leader's dark laugh echoed in her ears, Aria's hands shook. She glanced at Elias, standing by the perimeter of the battle, his eyes locked on hers, filled with a mix of hope and concern. She knew he believed in her, even if she couldn't believe in herself.
The leader's power surged toward her—like a dark cloud, pressing down, suffocating her. He was testing her, pushing her to the edge.
And in that moment, something snapped. The fear, the resistance, the self-doubt—it all faded away, replaced by a quiet, almost reluctant acceptance. She couldn't afford to back down. Not anymore.
Her body moved before her mind could fully catch up. With a deep breath, she raised her hands, and the air around her shimmered with the first tendrils of magic, reluctant and raw. The power within her crackled like a storm about to break. She felt it rise, wild and untamed, but still, she didn't fully understand it.
The leader's expression shifted—slightly confused, slightly wary—before he waved his hand, sending another wave of vampires toward her. But Aria wasn't focusing on them anymore. She was focusing on the energy, the feeling, the pull of something ancient and primal.
With a breath, she let go.
The ground beneath her feet split open with a violent crack, and the sky seemed to darken, the air charged with electricity. The power surged from her, wild and uncontrollable, but it didn't tear her apart. Instead, it seemed to hum in harmony with her, as if it had always been a part of her.
Her eyes flashed with an eerie light, her wolf instincts pushing forward, but it was more than that. The ancient magic, the part of her she hadn't fully understood, roared to life within her, wrapping around her like a protective shield. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't clean. But it was powerful.
The vampires faltered, taking a step back as the energy radiated out from her like an unstoppable force. They recoiled from the raw power, sensing the danger. The leader, however, stepped forward, his expression now filled with contempt. "You think this is enough?" he sneered. "You think you can control it?"
Aria clenched her jaw. "I'm not controlling it," she said, her voice low but steady. "It's controlling me."
The leader's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, he seemed unsure. He had underestimated her. He had thought her power would be weak, unrefined. But he hadn't realized the depth of the prophecy, or the strength she carried within her, even if she didn't understand it yet.
The ground continued to shake, but Aria wasn't done. She had to push forward. She had to control this, even if it was only a little bit at a time.
With another surge of effort, she reached out, her hands shaking as she directed the energy toward the leader. The power crackled, and with a cry, the leader was thrown back, his body slamming against the trees, momentarily knocked out of the fight.
The vampires hesitated, unsure of their next move, and Aria took a step forward. Her breath was ragged, and her mind was spinning. She hadn't won yet. She didn't know what the power inside her was capable of, but for the first time, she didn't feel as though it was something to fear.
It was a part of her. It always had been.
The battle was far from over, but Aria had taken the first step. She wasn't the scared, unsure girl she had been when this journey began. She wasn't fully in control, but she was learning. And that was enough for now....