*~Young Lilith’s POV~*
The mont I stepped inside the cave, the stench hit first..thick, tallic, rotten. My stomach lurched, and before my eyes could adjust to the shadows, I froze.
Bodies....Witches.
Dead witches sprawled across the cave floor, their lifeless eyes reflecting the torchlight.
A strangled scream tore from my throat as I stumbled back, slamming into my father. "Dad! Dad! Witches! Witches!" My voice cracked, shaking with panic.
But instead of pulling away, instead of protecting , he shoved forward.
Rough hands caught before I could fall—old wolves, their grips iron-strong. My eyes widened in horror. "Dad! Dad!" I scread again, but the cave door slamd shut with a finality that crushed the last thread of hope in .
My wolf stirred inside , her growl a low vibration of fear and fury. I reached for her, desperate to awaken fully, to fight—but before I could, sothing sharp pricked through my veins. My chest tightened. My vision blurred. The world tilted sideways, and then—nothing.
Darkness.
When I woke, my body was heavy, weak, as though the life had been drained from my bones. My wrists and ankles burned where thick ropes dug into my skin. I tried to move, but the binds were too tight. Panic flared when I realized the worst part—my wolf was silent. Gone.
"No, no, no..." I whispered, twisting against the chair. But she didn’t answer .
Blinking through the haze, I turned my head and froze again. I wasn’t alone.
Young wolves like were tied to chairs, lining the cavern in a grim, silent circle. So were unconscious, their heads hanging forward, while others shifted restlessly, their eyes wide with fear.
And one of them was crying.
A girl with flaming red hair and striking green eyes sobbed uncontrollably, her screams bouncing against the stone walls. The sound clawed at my nerves. I swallowed hard, trying to calm my own rising panic.
But then one of the older wolves snapped. He stord across the room, his face twisted with anger, and struck her hard across the cheek. The crack echoed in the cave.
She fell silent instantly, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
My stomach turned. Fear gripped so tightly it was hard to breathe. Stay calm, Lilith. Stay calm, I whispered to myself, but the words felt hollow.
And then the cave doors opened again.
Two wolves dragged more bodies inside. Not witches this ti—wolves. Dead wolves.
The stench hit before the sight did, and when I saw their mangled, lifeless forms tossed across the floor, my composure shattered.
I scread inwardly "Dead wolves!"
The sound echoed into the darkness, but no one ca to save .
I was terrified, but I forced myself to grip down on that fear. No ti to be scared, Lilith. Ti to be smart.
And then—he ca back.
My disgusting father.
He entered the cave again, wolves at his side like shadows, and my blood ran cold. I straightened in my chair, biting back the tremor in my lips, and fixed him with the hardest glare I could muster.
He didn’t look at . Not once.
The group of them circled together, speaking in low voices, their words too hushed to catch. And when they were done, they left. Just like that. My father walked out without a single glance in my direction.
I wanted to scream at him, to rip his na from my throat and demand answers—but I knew if I did, I’d end up like the red-haired girl with blood on her mouth. So I swallowed the scream.
One wolf ca forward after they left and began untying us, one by one. Relief flickered inside , but it didn’t last long. The mont the ropes were gone, I realized how weak we all were—too weak to fight, too weak to even run. My body felt like lead.
I dragged myself toward the redhead, who still sat trembling. Blood stained her lips, her green eyes wide with fear. Kneeling in front of her, I reached out and clasped her hand.
"I want to go ho," she whispered, voice breaking. "My mom brought here. My mom brought here..." Her whole body shook.
"Shh." I squeezed her hand tighter, forcing calm into my voice. "It’ll be fine. I swear, it’ll be fine."
But the words felt empty even as I said them.
That was when a boy—one of the older wolves—stood up. His voice cut through the heavy silence. "Everyone calm down. We need to find an escape route. Now."
One by one, the unconscious began to stir, weak groans filling the air. Just as a fragile sliver of hope sparked... a sudden flash of light broke open the cave.
A cloaked figure appeared, hood drawn low, steps slow and deliberate. Instantly, our wolves stirred within us, instinctively barking, though none of us were strong enough to shift.
The boy who had spoken earlier squared his shoulders, glaring at the figure. His voice thundered, "Who the fuck are you? Why are you holding us here?"
The figure didn’t flinch. A deep, hollow voice rolled out instead:
"Stretch out your hands. We only need your blood tonight. Tomorrow... the ritual begins."
A chill swept through the cavern.
The boy growled and shifted, fur bursting forth as he transford into a wolf. For a mont, strength and courage radiated from him. He lunged—
And then three arrows shot out of the darkness.
They pierced straight through him.
His wolf form collapsed mid-stride, crashing to the floor. Blood pooled beneath him as his body flickered back to human. Lifeless.
A collective gasp tore from our throats.
The cloaked figure turned back to us, voice low and rciless.
"Stretch your hands... or that will be your fate."
We obeyed. Instantly. Trembling, each of us held out our hands as the figure moved down the line. A sharp blade sliced skin after skin, blood dripping into a bowl carved with strange markings.
When it reached , the knife kissed my palm. Pain stung, and my blood flowed. My vision blurred again, strength draining from like water slipping through cracks.
As darkness swallowed whole, only one thought burned through my chest:
I curse you, Father.
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