Chapter 7: Astrid's POV
2026 Words
The horn's blare shattered the morning calm. Niles and I locked eyes for a split second before instinct took over.
"Get inside!" I grabbed his arm, yanking him towards the safety room just as the first explosion rocked the ground beneath us.
The forest trembled. Birds erupted from the trees in a panicked flurry.
"Who the hell—?" Niles stumbled, catching himself against a tree.
I didn’t answer.
From what they told me, the only attack they had suffered came because a pack wanted to seek revenge for allowing their members to come here, but they were never able to find this place because of the spell surrounding the area.
Whoever this was, they were powerful; they were able to discern our location and attack.
The barrier was supposed to be impenetrable. But the way the air crackled with foreign magic told me everything I needed to know.
Someone had broken through.
The hideout erupted into chaos. All the kids and the elderly were taken into the safety room, but even though I dragged Niles there, he resisted.
"Astrid! Stop!" He exclaimed. "I can fight!"
"Not this time!" I countered. "They are not wolves; whatever they use can hurt you badly!"
Niles pulled his hand away and glared at me. "I've been living here for years, Astrid. You've never seen me fight."
Without another word, he turned around and left.
Niles was right, I've been here for three months, and they have trained for years. I am not fully aware of their abilities, so I shouldn't act like I do.
Shifters transformed in flashes of fur and fang, witches chanted spells in hurried whispers, and the vampires—well, most of them wore daylight rings, so they took their stance and waited to see what was going to break in.
Ariana ran to the center, her silver eyes blazing. "Defensive positions! Don't let them in!"
Adrineh appeared by my side. "Astrid, you need to get to safety."
I bared my teeth. "Like hell I will."
Another explosion, closer this time. The scent of burning wood and ozone filled the air.
My fingers closed around the hilt of a fallen blade—a short, curved sword that one of the vampires or witches must have dropped in the chaos. The metal was cool against my palm.
At first, I didn't understand why Ariana insisted on practicing with swords, but now I do. If you didn't have a beast, you were only a little better than a human, and a weapon was essential.
I unsheathed it in one smooth motion, the steel singing as it left its scabbard.
Then—
The barrier shattered.
A deafening crack split the air, and the world rippled—like a mirror breaking in slow motion. The protective spell dissolved into shimmering fragments before vanishing entirely.
Silence.
A heartbeat of stillness.
Then—
Darkness surged through the trees.
Not soldiers. Not hunters.
Shadows.
But these weren’t mere silhouettes—they were alive, writhing masses of black fire, their forms flickering between humanoid shapes and monstrous, clawed beasts. Their eyes burned crimson, their very presence sucking the warmth from the air.
"What the hell are those?" someone screamed.
I didn’t have time to wonder.
The first shadow lunged.
First Kill
It came at me like a storm—a blur of smoke and embers, claws outstretched.
They looked familiar for some reason, but now was not the time to think about that. I had to fight.
I pivoted, twisting my body to the side just as its talons raked through the space where my throat had been. The heat of its touch seared my skin, but I didn’t flinch.
Step. Turn. Strike.
My sword flashed upward in a diagonal arc, cutting clean through the shadow’s torso.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
The creature screamed, a sound like tearing metal. Its form convulsed, black fire erupting from the wound before it dissolved into ash.
One down.
The next two came at once.
I dropped low, sweeping my leg out to destabilize the first while my sword met the second’s claws in a shower of sparks. The impact rattled my bones, but I held firm, shoving it back before rolling to my feet.
The first shadow recovered faster than I expected, its claws grazing my shoulder. Pain flared—hot, sharp—but I gritted my teeth and retaliated.
A quick feint left.
A real strike right.
My blade carved through its neck, and it burst into cinders.
The second shadow lunged again, but I was ready. I sidestepped, letting its momentum carry past me before driving my sword straight through its back.
It shrieked, thrashing, before exploding into smoke.
But more were coming.
Too many.
They poured through the broken barrier like a flood, their fiery forms illuminating the chaos. The outcasts fought valiantly—witches hurled spells, shifters tore into the shadows with tooth and claw, even Niles had grabbed a blade and was holding his own.
But we were outnumbered.
We might all be good fighters, but we can only take so many of them before they get to us.
A shadow slammed into me from behind, claws digging into my ribs. I cried out, twisting violently to throw it off, but another seized my wrist, its grip like molten iron.
I couldn’t break free.
Then—
A roar split the air.
Tommy, in full wolf form, barreled into the shadow holding me, his jaws closing around its throat. It screeched, flailing, before he ripped it apart.
"Astrid!" Adrineh’s voice cut through the din. "The sword—it hurts them!"
I knew that. But it wasn’t enough.
I'm not sure what kind of sword this one is, or perhaps it is because I am the one wielding it, but there was only one of me, and tons of them.
More of those things were coming; it seemed like they were endless.
And then—
A voice, cold and familiar, echoed through the trees.
"Enough."
The fighting stopped.
The shadows froze.
And from the darkness, he stepped forward.
My father.
His gaze locked onto mine.
And he smiled.
I knew he wasn't dead.
My grip tightened on the sword. The blade trembled in my hand—not from fear, but from the fury boiling in my veins.
"Leave them alone," I snarled. "This is between you and me."
My father tilted his head, his smile widening into something cruel. Even if the face was the same, I couldn't recognize the man before me.
"Oh, Astrid. You brought them into this the moment you hid among them."
His words slithered through the air, wrapping around my throat like a noose.
"You suspected I wasn't dead, meaning, you knew I would find you eventually," he continued, stepping closer. The shadows parted for him, their fiery forms bowing like loyal hounds. "And yet you still let these pathetic creatures shelter you. That makes them complicit."
A growl rumbled from Tommy's throat. His wolf form crouched low, ready to spring. Adrineh's fingers twitched at her sides; she was ready to grab a blade. Niles stood firm beside me, his borrowed sword raised despite the blood dripping from his temple.
They weren't running.
They were ready to die for me.
Besides Adrineh, they've known me for only a few months, but they were still willing to sacrifice themselves to protect me.
And that made my father laugh.
A cold, manic sound that scraped against my bones.
"Look at them," he sneered. "Still standing with you, even now. Do they truly believe they can win?"
I didn't answer. My jaw clenched so hard I tasted blood.
His amusement faded, replaced by something darker. Something hungry.
"Kill them all," he commanded.
The shadows moved.
No More Mercy
I lunged before the first shadow could reach Adrineh. My sword cleaved through its chest, but another took its place instantly, slashing at my side. I barely dodged, rolling to my feet just in time to see Tommy get swarmed—three, four, five shadows piling onto his massive wolf form.
"TOMMY!"
He howled, thrashing, but there were too many. Black flames licked over his fur, searing flesh.
Niles rushed forward, sword swinging wildly, but a shadow caught his arm. The sound of his scream as its claws sank in would haunt me forever.
Adrineh tried to fling her sword, but it was too late; one slipped behind her.
Its claws pierced her back.
Her eyes met mine.
And then she collapsed.
"NO!"
I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe.
I just killed.
My sword became a blur, cutting through shadow after shadow, but for every one I destroyed, two more took its place. My arms burned. My lungs screamed. Blood slicked my palms, making my grip slip.
It wasn’t enough.
I wasn’t enough.
And my father watched, his laughter ringing in my ears.
"This is what happens when you let others stand with you, Astrid," he called, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "They burn."
A shadow slammed into me from behind, knocking me to my knees. My sword skidded out of reach.
I reached for it—
A boot crushed my fingers.
I looked up into my father’s merciless eyes.
"Remember this," he whispered. "The next time you think of hiding among vermin, remember what I do to those who help you."
He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear.
"They die."
Then—
A horn blasted in the distance.
Not ours.
Theirs.
The shadows recoiled as one, their fiery forms flickering. My father’s head snapped toward the sound, his smirk vanishing.
"Retreat," he ordered sharply.
And just like that—
They were gone.
Leaving behind only blood, ashes...
And a few cadavers.
We had lost too many, and yet they didn't lose anyone.
I crawled to Adrineh first.
Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps; her clothes were soaked in crimson. The wound in her back still smoked, the edges of it blackened as if burned from the inside.
"Adrineh—" My voice cracked.
She had risked her life to save me back then, and she did it again. Even though I tried to scare her and tell her to leave me alone, she still helped me.
Her fingers twitched, grasping weakly at my wrist. "S...still... alive..."
Niles groaned nearby, clutching his mangled arm. Tommy had shifted back to human form, his torso a mess of burns and deep gashes. But they were breathing.
They were alive.
For now.
Ariana appeared at my side, her silver eyes scanning the devastation. Her face was pale, her hands trembling. She glanced at me, and I knew what she wanted to say next.
"I'll leave," I stated emotionlessly.
"You... you," Adrineh tried to say, but because of her wound, she ended up coughing blood.
I wanted to drop to her side, but if I did, then I wouldn't leave.
"Thank you, Adrineh, for being a great friend. You saved me twice," I looked at Niles and Tommy. "You were also great friends, and I had a wonderful time here." Now I focused on Ariana. "You also saved me, so thank you."
"You can't leave!" Niles exclaimed.
"My father left, but he will return if I stay here. You saw what he did. If he comes back, you are all going to die." I clenched my fists.
Even though I've trained... it wasn't enough.
I can't risk them, I can't let my father get his hands on them.
I can't.
"But... where will you go?" Niles asked.
I looked at the forest. To be honest, I have no idea what I should do next, but they must not worry.
"I'll be safe, and that is all that matters. I've thanked you all, now it's time to take my leave."
I started walking towards the tree line when I heard Niles scream my name. Adrineh would probably be doing the same if she weren't so weak.
Thankfully, Tommy was holding him back.
I reminded myself I couldn't stay here, even if everything, every fiber of my being, told me not to leave the only friends I've ever made behind.
- Writer
