Behind His Mask : My Hockey Alpha

Chapter 12. The Awakening

(Rhea’s POV)

I didn’t even know what I was looking at.

The gallery door… it was trembling, like some giant creature was trying to claw its way out from behind it. That thud… thud… thud sound wasn’t just knocking anymore—it was a heartbeat. A heartbeat that wasn’t human.

My hands shook. The bag in my arms grew hotter, like burning coals pressed against my skin. The heat crawled into my bones, making me want to throw the damn thing as far away as possible. But somehow, my fingers couldn’t let go of the straps. My muscles froze, and my brain seemed to be controlling me against my own will.

“What the hell…” my voice cracked on its own, barely audible. My heartbeat was hammering so fast it made my head spin.

The first crack split across the wood of the door. From that thin gap, silver light dripped onto the ground. No—wait. That wasn’t light. It was liquid. Silver liquid. I stumbled back a step, my breath stuttering.

“Kaelan…” my voice trembled, unable to hide my fear. “What the hell is going on? Why is Elaria Gallery turning into this? And—”

Before I could finish, something unseen yanked at me from inside. My body locked up, my eyes snapping to Kaelan in pure panic. “Kaelan… why do I feel like something’s pulling me in there?”

He gripped my arm, firm and unyielding, jerking me back enough to keep me upright. “Listen to me, Rhea. Focus on me. Not on that buzzing in your ears.”

The voice.

Oh God. That’s when I realized—there was a whisper, so faint at first, brushing right against my ear. But it grew clearer, sharper, until it sounded like thousands of voices speaking at once, low and raspy, pressing against my skull.

And the worst part? I understood some of the words.

I wanted to cover my ears, but it was useless. The voice wasn’t coming from outside—it was crawling straight into my head.

“I… I hear something… someone’s calling me…” My panic pushed me to the edge of tears.

Callum had already stepped forward, his staff extended, his face tense. Anselma stood like a statue, but her eyes—her eyes locked on me, like I was the weak point in this entire courtyard.

And then—

CRASH!

The door suddenly burst open.

I screamed, covering my head with both hands as splinters flew and silver light blasted outward, stabbing against my skin like shards of ice. A sickening stench filled the air—blood, metal, rotting flowers.

Then I saw it.

Something stepped out of the darkness.

It looked like… a human. No. Not human. Its body was too long, its joints snapping unnaturally as it moved, pale skin stretched like a drowned corpse. And its eyes—hollow, flat gray, soulless.

My hand flew to my mouth. Oh God… this was real. This wasn’t a dream.

My legs backed away on their own. I didn’t care about the bag anymore, or the papers inside with their strange symbols. I just wanted to run—run as far away as possible, lock myself in my room, and never open the door again. But then the creature turned its head—straight at me.

The bag in my arms pulsed violently. The heat shifted into a pounding rhythm, thump-thump, thump-thump, syncing with my own heartbeat.

I choked on my breath, half-crying as fear and panic tore through me. “Why… why is it looking at me?!”

“Don’t look into its eyes!” Kaelan roared, his voice heavy, not entirely human anymore.

I wanted to ask what he meant, but my throat froze.

The thing crawled toward me, unnaturally fast. Instinct ripped a scream out of me as I stumbled back, almost falling, my whole body trembling violently. I looked around wildly, desperate for anyone—any human—to help me. But the world had gone still, frozen, like time itself had swallowed everyone who usually walked the streets around Elaria Gallery. Gone without a trace.

Maybe it was just me. Or maybe something had forced everyone away. All I knew was—I had no idea what to do.

“K-Kaelan… they’re—”

“Rhea! Follow my orders!” Kaelan’s shout cracked through the air, yanking me closer to him. His body was coiled tight, ready to snap.

I couldn’t even answer. My eyes widened further, my breath broken and shallow.

Callum lunged forward, his staff spinning before slamming into the creature’s knee. The crack of bone was loud, but the thing didn’t scream—it only lurched awkwardly before crawling even faster toward me, like a starving insect.

I screamed again, hysterical, backing away so hard I nearly collapsed. Fear twisted so deep in me, I swore I was terrified of all of them—even Kaelan, even Callum, even Anselma.

Anselma raised her hand, her fingers sketching strange symbols in the air. Thin light spilled from her fingertips, like black ink etched into the air itself. It shot forward, slamming into the creature’s chest. Its movement halted—

But only for a second.

Then it surged again, faster, hungrier, those dead gray eyes locked on me.

“I said get inside, now!” Kaelan snarled. His eyes burned gold, his voice dropping into something deep and primal. He shoved me toward the gallery doors. “Go, Rhea! Now!”

I stared at him, panicked, tears streaming down my face. “Are you insane?! In there?!”

“If you stay out here, they won’t stop until you’re ash!”

I wanted to argue, wanted to shout that he could die out here. But before I could speak, the creature lunged again—

And that’s when Kaelan… changed.

I froze in place.

The figure standing in front of me was no longer human. His jaw elongated, fangs jutting out, his eyes blazing gold, and his growl thundered through the air.

This wasn’t the Kaelan I’d met at Elaria Gallery.

This wasn’t the Kaelan I’d seen on TV as the national hockey captain.

This wasn’t Kaelan at all.

In an instant, his massive body slammed the creature down, holding it to the ground with strength no human could ever possess.

I clutched my mouth, nausea crawling up my throat from shock. “Oh God…” I whispered, stumbling back. “He’s… a monster?”

Callum rushed in, smashing his staff into the creature’s head. The sickening crack and spray of black blood splattered the ground. But even broken, it still clawed toward me.

My heart nearly stopped between terror and disbelief. If Kaelan could turn into a monster… how could I believe this world wouldn’t swallow me whole, too?

Thankfully… Anselma’s hand seized my arm with startling strength, snapping me back. “You have to get inside! Now, before he burns!”

I jerked toward her, panicked. “Burns? What do you mean?! Who’s burning?!”

“Kaelan!” Callum’s voice shouted behind me. “Don’t stay out here too long! The moonlight—”

I whipped my head around. And finally realized.

The silver light spilling from the doorway wasn’t just light—it was burning. Kaelan’s skin smoked under it, veins bulging in his arms as he held the monster down.

He looked back at me, those blazing gold eyes spearing through me. God, he looked terrifying.

“Go, Rhea!” he roared, his voice almost an animal’s snarl.

The dam broke—I burst into tears. I didn’t know who to trust, or what to believe. But my body moved on its own, panic dragging me across the threshold into the gallery, obeying the monster Kaelan’s command.

And the moment I crossed the doorway, the world collapsed.

The gallery walls weren’t still anymore—the paintings writhed, their paint melting, faces whispering from within. Old symbols scorched across the floor, glowing faintly.

And in the center of the main hall—

The Moon Painting.

The canvas hovered in the air, silver light radiating from it, spilling across the entire room.

I froze, stiff as stone, breath trapped in my chest.

Because standing in front of the painting was someone cloaked in shadow, the moonlight catching part of their face.

I gasped, my heart stopping.

That face—God, that face…

It was my mother’s.

***