Aria Wynter's POV
The blood on my palms had not yet dried. As I stared at my reflection, my thoughts became a maelstrom, with memories of the warehouse's mayhem spinning endlessly.
The replicate did not lie.
Silver eyes shone faintly in the dark light of my condo, and my hair stuck to my damp face as I drew closer. The rims of my inventive and prescient eyes buzzed, almost as if I could see through the glass. It wasn't just how I appeared; it became how I felt. My body still vibrated with the power that had awoken, raw and alive, as if it had always been there, waiting.
Looking ahead, though, to what?
I closed my eyes and gripped the sink to keep myself steady. The warehouse had not provided me with answers; better to ask additional inquiries. My chest constricted as a deeper anguish ran through me. It became the agony of knowing I was losing myself—no, transforming into something else.
When I opened my eyes again, the silver had faded into my usual deep brown. However, I knew it was still there, beneath the floor, ready to push up again.
A gentle rap on the door jolted me out of my thoughts. I dried my hands on a towel and strolled into the living room. The person we had identified was remained unconscious on the sofa, her breathing faint but consistent.
The knock came again, more forceful this time.
"Aria," Caleb's voice, known as from the opposite side. "permit me in."
I paused. Allowing him into my space felt volatile, yet something about his tone compelled me to unlock the door. Caleb came inside, his leather jacket spilling rain onto the floor. His gaze traversed the room, briefly focusing on the female before selecting me.
"You look terrible," he added before closing the door behind him.
"I have had better nights," I shot back, crossing my hands.
Caleb smirked, but his expression quickly became critical. "We need to speak."
"What about the vampires?" Or approximately regardless of what the hell is going on with me?" I asked.
"Both," he said, taking a chair to his desk. "But first, sit down. "You are not going to like this."
I reluctantly sat across from him. Caleb leaned forward, laying his fingers on the table.
"Aria, you've jumped right into a conflict. "One that has been brewing for years," he began. "The vampires, the werewolves, the rogues—they're all pieces on a board, and you just became the most precious one."
"Why?" I demanded. "What do they want from me?"
Caleb hesitated, his glance shifting to the girl on the sofa before returning to me. "Because of what you are. Or more specifically, who you are.
"I don't even understand who I am anymore," I said, my voice low.
"You're the last heir to the Lunar Bloodline," Caleb explained, his words thoughtful. "A lineage idea to be extinct for centuries."
The words hit me like a blow in the stomach. I shook my head in astonishment. "That is impossible. I'm simply myself. "I am human."
"No longer anymore," Caleb answered softly. "The Lunar Bloodline is more than just a family; it represents strength. Strength that may bring the supernatural groups together or split them apart. That is why Victor desires you. That is why Elijah cannot stay away. And that is why I am right here."
I leaned back in my chair, attempting to process what he had announced. "If that was genuine, why didn't I recognize it? Why didn't Lily tell me?
"Perhaps she didn't recognise either," Caleb said. "Or maybe she started trying to defend you." In any case, the reality began to emerge as soon as you entered that warehouse."
Before I could respond, a piercing pain rushed through my brain, stunning me on the spot. I shouted out, grabbing my head as images filled my mind.
Lily.
She stood amid a darkened woodland, her face light but determined. Her lips moved, saying things I couldn't hear, and her fingers were covered in blood. Shadows moved behind her, gigantic figures twisting and writhing.
"Aria," she said, her voice cutting through the noise. "Do not let them take it. "Do not allow them to—"
The vision shattered, leaving me panting for oxygen. Caleb quickly turned to face me, his hands on my shoulders.
"Aria!" he exclaimed, his tone frantic. "What did you spot?"
"It has become Lily," I said quietly, my throat tightening. "She became...in a wooded area." She tried to warn me, but I don't understand what she meant."
Caleb grimaced, and his grasp on my shoulders tightened significantly. "Visions are part of it. The Bloodline provides not only strength, but also knowledge. However, it comes with a price."
"What fee?" I inquired, fear coming into my voice.
"That depends on how a long way you're willing to move," Caleb informed me.
The room grew silent as the weight of his words struck between us.
Finally, Caleb stood and paced the length of the room. "There's something you want to understand," he told you. "The groups are already in the region. The rogues are rising up, challenging the traditional order. They agree that the conventional ways are dead and that energy belongs to those who use it.
"And in which do you stand?" I asked.
"I support survival," Caleb stated. "If the rogues win, the magical world will rip itself apart. "If Victor wins, it will be worse."
"And Elijah?"
Caleb pulled his lips into a slight grin. "Elijah believes in policies and order. He believes he can handle what is ahead. However, even he cannot control you."
I did not respond. The truth became that I didn't know what to believe anymore.
Caleb stepped back to the table and leaned down until we were eye level. "Whatever you choose, Aria, you need to understand that you are more than just a participant in this sport. You are the board. "And anyone will fight to manipulate it."
His comments conveyed a sense of relaxation through me.
Before I could react, the woman on the sofa moved, a tiny whimper escaping her lips. Caleb and I turned toward her, the fear in the room increasing.
"She's waking up," I said, shifting to her perspective.
The female's eyelids flickered open, bewildered and disoriented. She looked at me, then at Caleb, and her demeanor changed to one of concern.
"You're secure," I whispered softly. "nobody's going to hurt you."
The woman shook her head faintly, her words scarcely audible. "You don't comprehend. They're coming. "They're coming for her."
"For me?" My pulse quickened as I requested.
The female nodded, tears running down her cheeks. "They recognise. "They understand who you are."
The room grew silent, with the woman's warning echoing in my mind.
Caleb placed a hand on my shoulder. "Seems like the clock's ticking," he added solemnly.
I clinched my hands, a burst of determination building within me. Whatever happened, I was not going to run. Not anymore.
If the supernatural international wanted a battle, I was ready to give them one.