Chapter 11 – The Fallen Ones
POV: Seren Thorne
The ruins stretched before us, ancient stone pillars half-buried in overgrown ivy, the remnants of a time long past. The air was thick with history—heavy, oppressive. Something here held power, a power I couldn't quite grasp but could feel pressing on me from every direction. It was almost as if the ground beneath my feet was alive, the earth pulsing with an energy older than the world itself.
"Stay close," Kael murmured, his voice low, and I could hear the tension in it. He had been distant since the battle with the Fallen Ones—their attack on the pack had left him wounded in more ways than one. His mind, I knew, was far away, torn between his need to protect me and the unspoken fear that my power was becoming too much.
We entered the heart of the ruins, and I felt it again—the power stirring inside me, stronger here than I had ever felt it before. The stone seemed to hum with it, as though the walls themselves were alive. The power inside me had always been like a restless animal, pacing just beneath the surface, but here, it was wild—unrestrained.
"This place," I said softly, my breath hitching, "it feels… wrong."
Kael's sharp gaze met mine, his brow furrowing. "This is the ancient temple of the Ancients. It's where they held their rituals, their rites. Everything about this place is tied to their power… and to the Fallen Ones."
The name sent a shiver through me. The Fallen Ones. The very beings who had exiled themselves from the world of the Ancients, those who sought to control the power that now lay dormant within me. They were the ones hunting me. And with each step I took deeper into this temple, I felt the threads of my fate tightening around me like a noose.
"I thought they were just legends," I said, my voice barely a whisper.
"They were," Kael replied. "But legends often hold truth."
As we ventured further into the heart of the temple, we came upon a massive chamber. The ceiling was high, the air cool, and at the center of the room stood a raised altar. Around it, murals covered the walls—depictions of wolves, tall and fierce, surrounded by swirling symbols I could not understand. The energy here was different than anything I'd felt before. It was almost alive, as if the walls themselves were watching us.
I stepped forward, drawn to the altar. There was something about it—something that called to me, like a beacon.
"Seren," Kael warned, his hand on my arm, "this place is dangerous. We don't know everything that happened here. It's best not to disturb anything."
But I was already reaching toward the altar, my fingers brushing against the cold stone. The moment I touched it, something surged inside me—an explosion of power that rippled outward, making the ground tremble beneath my feet. I gasped, stumbling backward, barely catching myself on Kael's arm.
"What the hell was that?" I breathed, trying to steady my racing heartbeat.
"The temple's power," Kael said grimly. "It's awakening."
Suddenly, the air around us thickened, and I could feel it—another presence. It was old. Ancient. It was watching us.
"Seren," Kael warned, pulling me closer to him. "Something is coming."
And then I saw them.
Figures emerging from the shadows of the chamber, cloaked in darkness. Their eyes glowed with a cold, menacing light, and their movements were fluid, like shadows slipping between the cracks of reality.
The Fallen Ones.
They were real.
The leader, tall and imposing, stepped forward, his face hidden beneath a dark hood, but his eyes—those eyes were filled with malice.
"You shouldn't have come here, girl," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "This place was meant to stay forgotten."
I stood my ground, despite the fear gnawing at me. Kael's hand was tight around my wrist, pulling me toward him as if to shield me. But I knew better than to run now. The truth was right in front of me.
"They want me," I said, my voice shaking but defiant. "They've been hunting me."
The Fallen One's lips curled into a smile that was more like a sneer. "You are the key, child. The key to unlocking what should have stayed sealed."
His words hit me like a blow to the chest. Key? Unlocking? What did that mean? What was it about me that they needed?
"I won't let you control me," I said, though my voice wavered with uncertainty. The power inside me was thrumming, but I couldn't harness it, not yet.
"You don't have a choice," the Fallen One replied coldly. "You are already part of the plan. And soon, the power within you will belong to us."
Kael stepped in front of me, his stance protective, his eyes burning with fury. "I won't let you touch her."
But the Fallen One merely chuckled, a dark sound that echoed through the chamber.
"You're too late," he said, his voice thick with disdain. "The power has already begun to stir."
And with that, the air shifted. The energy around us crackled, vibrating with a force that I couldn't ignore. The murals on the walls began to glow faintly, the symbols twisting as though they were alive, reaching out toward me.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Kael growled, stepping forward. "We're leaving. Now."
But it was already too late.
The ground beneath us trembled again, this time more violently, and the air seemed to warp. From the shadows, more figures emerged—others of the Fallen Ones, their eyes glowing with unnatural light, their presence heavy with menace.
I could feel it now—their power, their overwhelming presence, their intent. They were closing in.
"We don't have time for this," Kael muttered. "Get ready."
Without another word, he shifted, his wolf form rippling beneath his skin. His massive form towered beside me, his fur gleaming in the dim light of the chamber. I could feel the pull of his wolf—strong, commanding, protective.
But as the Fallen Ones advanced, I knew that strength alone wouldn't be enough.
And neither would my own.