Chapter 1
Hybrid's Secret: Protecting the Crowned Enemy
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"Cater! Cater!"
Jane's voice cut through the stormy courtyard as she sprinted toward him, her boots splashing through puddles left by the rain. She blocked his path just as he reached the front door, arms spread wide, her eyes blazing with anger and something deeper—fear.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her voice sharp and cutting as her gaze locked onto the sword hanging at his side.
Cater gripped the hilt tightly, his expression unreadable as he tried to step past her. "I'm going to save Alric."
Her hand shot out, shoving him backward with surprising strength. "Are you insane? Let him die, Cater! Let all of them die! Isn't that what we've been waiting for? After everything his family has done to us—after everything they've stolen from us—you still want to save him? Why?"
Cater froze. For a moment, he didn't answer, the tension in his shoulders softening as he looked at her. Thunder rumbled overhead, and the rain began falling harder, soaking them both to the bone.
"Jane," he said quietly, his voice calm but firm, "I know how much you hate them. I know what they've done to us. But if I don't go now, everyone in that party will die—innocent people included. You know I can't just stand by and let that happen."
Her jaw tightened, tears glistening in her eyes as she shook her head furiously. "The only one who's going to regret this is you, Cater. You're too kind—you always have been. I've been by your side this whole time, pretending to be human, hiding who I really am, all because of some stupid prophecy. And where has it gotten us? Pain. Loss. Nothing more."
Her voice cracked, and she took a shaky step back, her body trembling. "I can't do this anymore. I'm done."
She turned to leave, but Cater's voice stopped her cold.
"I know you loved him."
Jane froze mid-step. Slowly, she turned, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him. "What did you just say?"
Cater stepped closer, his gaze steady. "I know you loved him. Eric. I saw how happy he made you. I saw the way you looked at him, Jane. And I know it broke you when King Authur took his life." His voice softened. "I know what he meant to you."
Her breathing hitched. Her hands clenched into fists as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Yes," she admitted, her voice trembling with barely contained grief. "I loved him. He was my everything. We were going to get married, Cater. We had plans. A future. And then they took him from me." Her voice cracked, and she looked away, her shoulders shaking. "He's gone, and nothing I do will ever bring him back."
Her words dissolved into sobs, and she buried her face in her hands.
Without hesitation, Cater stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she collapsed against him. "I'm sorry, Jane," he murmured. "Eric didn't deserve what happened. None of us did."
She pushed away from him, tears still streaking her face as she glared at him. "So why? Why are you doing this? Why do you care what happens to those people?"
"Because if we let them die, we're no better than King Authur," Cater said softly. "And you know it, Jane. I don't want to lose myself to anger and hatred, and I don't think you do either. I need you with me on this. You're the only person I trust."
Jane stared at him, her breathing shallow as she searched his face for answers. After what felt like an eternity, she closed her eyes and let out a long, shaky breath. "Fine," she whispered. "Tell me what to do."
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Cater moved cautiously through the courtyard, his sword unsheathed in his hand. Rain dripped from the hilt as he approached the looming front door. The storm had quieted, leaving only a heavy silence in the air.
The guards stationed along the walls lay slumped where they stood, their weapons abandoned at their sides.
"She did it," Cater muttered under his breath. Jane's spell had worked, putting them all into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He relaxed slightly and was about to sheathe his sword when a sharp jolt of energy struck him from behind. Pain erupted in his chest, and he hit the ground with a grunt, his vision swimming.
Gritting his teeth, Cater forced himself back to his feet, his hand trembling as it tightened on the hilt of his sword. He turned to face his attacker, his heart sinking as a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Well, well," the man drawled, his voice smooth and mocking. "If it isn't Cater, the ever-loyal servant of Prince Alric. Tell me, does the prince even know how far you'll go to protect him? Or does he still think you're just a harmless little errand boy?"
Cater's jaw clenched. "Zuko," he spat. "You're supposed to be locked in the Underworld. How did you escape?"
Zuko smirked, electricity crackling at his fingertips. His eyes glowed faintly, a sinister light in the darkness. "The Underworld couldn't hold me forever. I'm the most powerful being alive, Cater. Not even death can keep me trapped."
He stepped closer, his smirk growing as he studied Cater's tense stance. "But the real question is, why are you risking your life for these humans? They're not your kind. Join me. Together, we can destroy them all and take the power that's rightfully ours."
Cater lifted his chin, his grip on his sword steady. "Over my dead body."
Zuko's smirk twisted into a sneer, and the air around them grew heavy with dark energy. The wind picked up, howling through the courtyard, and lightning crackled in the storm clouds above.
"Then I'll kill you first," Zuko growled, his voice low and filled with menace. "And after I'm done with you, I'll destroy every last one of them."
Cater raised his sword, the blade catching the faint glow of lightning as he steadied his stance. "I don't want to fight you, Zuko," he said firmly. "End this now, and I won't have to send you back to the Underworld."
Zuko laughed, the sound echoing like thunder across the courtyard. "You won't get the chance."
With a roar, Zuko lunged, his body shrouded in crackling electricity as he charged. Cater held his ground, his muscles coiled as he waited for the perfect moment to strike.