Celeste's POV
*****
Every story has a beginning.
Some were gut-wrenching. Others are filled with love, hope and everything sweet.
And then there's mine. Which starts with me running for dear life.
"Fucking hell..." I cursed breathlessly, pushing myself to move faster through the thick forest.
Behind me, the growls and unnatural snarls of creatures that shouldn't exist grew louder and closer until I felt like they were racing side by side with me.
The moon shone above, filtering through the canopy of leaves and trees that seemed to encroach the more I ran.
How the fuck did I get here? You might be wondering. Perhaps with a little less vulgarity—I'm not sure.
Well, it all started after our academy decided a camping trip into the surrounding woods would help ground us. Or whatever the professors said.
The Blood Oak Academy was a prestigious college with a diverse mix of werewolf, witch, hybrid and Hunter students. And why did such an academy exist?
To train students in hunting monsters like the ones chasing me now.
"Argh!" I stumbled, tripping on a root. My body plopped forward, elbows scraping the muddy ground when I fell.
But I didn't have time to sulk.
I swerved behind me in time to spot the creatures coming closer. Their eyes glowed in the thick darkness, the scattered moonlight barely illuminating the outlines of their grotesque form.
"Solaris natura!" I stretched my right hand forward and yelled out a spell.
My palm lit up with a bright silver light, the spell taking effect. Vines, roots and leaves sprouted erratically several meters in front of me. They formed a thick wall that blocked the path ahead.
Buying me time.
Biting my bottom lip, I flicked a stray strand of my black hair off my face before running again. The frustrated snarls of the creatures behind the wall were enough to spur my desire to flee.
Magic.
The only thing I inherited from my parents. Alas, after nineteen years I was still wolfless. Even my magic wasn't all that impressive.
As the daughter of an Alpha King and a hybrid Luna Queen whose name was literally legendary, one would expect I'd have a head start compared to others.
Sadly, I didn't. But my twin brother—
Wait... Maybe I could reach him!
Slowing down a bit, I struggled to get my phone out of my jeans pocket. When I brought it out, my hopes shattered harder than the cracks on the screen.
The damn thing was out of battery!
"This... This can't be how I die." I shook my head, glancing over my shoulder.
To my absolute terror, the nature wall I created crumbled easily under the brunt of the creatures who wasted no time continuing their chase.
I couldn't take it anymore. The camp was about ten minutes away from here if I kept running.
If I'm gonna die, they should at least know where to find my body.
"Help!" I screamed, bringing my gaze back to the path ahead. "Somebody, please help! Luther! Caelum! Anybody, gods damn it!"
Tears stung my eyes but I didn't let them fall. Once again I was forgotten.
I'd wandered off from the camp after an argument with my boyfriend, Luther. Our relationship has always been shaky, but recently it seemed to be going into a free fall. So much so that I didn't even think of calling him just now.
"Moon goddess..." I looked at the crescent moon. "You've... You've never been the best at answering my prayers. But... But could you please... Help me?"
The cold air slapped my face, my chest heavy as my stamina dwindled by the second.
I was running out of—
BAM!
My thoughts were cut short when something crashed on my right arm, halting my run and sending me hurtling sideways. I crashed into a tree with enough force to steal the air out of my lungs, the world spinning as I fell to the leaf-coated floor.
Strained gasps left my lips, my hand finding my left shoulder which had slammed into the tree. It was limp, making mobility impossible.
Raising my head, my eyes locked on the culprit. One of the creatures. It stood tall on hind legs, its spine arched out of its back, and its claws stretched longer than nails.
Its head was jagged, almost triangular in shape. And its eyes. Those bloody red orbs stared at me with raw blood lust.
I managed to sit up, crawling closer to the tree while never tearing my gaze from the beast. The other creatures were close as well, flanking me from every angle.
This was it.
There was no way I'd be able to fight all of them off. Not with my limited magic, aching right arm and probably dislocated left arm.
"You wanna kill me?" I pulled my legs closer, breathing through my teeth. "F–Fine." My fingers glowed with silver light, my eyes lighting up with the same light. "But I swear, if I'm dying... I'm taking as many of you down with me. So bring it!"
The last word tore through me with finality, the tears blurring my vision burning off thanks to the rage. But deep down, hidden away from these creatures who only knew blood and darkness... Was fear.
My heart jumped into my throat when the tall creature took a step. Then another, its triangular head tilting slowly. An unnerving sound, like nails scraping against steel, rolled out of its mouth.
And then... It lunged forward.
I screamed, my magic flaring until it surrounded me like a coat. Ready to explode outward in a last resort attack that'll expend all my magic. And my life.
Death was certain. It should have been.
But then—
The beast froze, its limbs stiffening. Its body shook, its eyes widening.
A frown deepened my features. I glanced back, wondering if it had seen something or someone that made it pause.
"Luther?" I called out, swinging my head back to the creature. But when I did, my eyes widened, my breath hitching in my throat.
The creature had been ripped in half. Like, horizontally torn clean in half from the waist like it was nothing but paper, black blood and entrails splashing out of it.
And standing in its place was a man with long black hair blowing into the wind, both hands holding one half of the creature's body.
Brute force. No traces of magic. Just freakishly raw brute force that made my heart thud against my rib cage like war drums.
My magic died down, the fear of being discovered by this new party gnawing through me. But oh, he saw me. He had his back facing me, but the way he stood still, basking in the horror of what he just did was... It was unlike anything I've ever seen.
Suddenly, he flung both halves of the creature's body aside. He slowly glanced over his shoulder, each movement making my pulse spike.
And then I saw it. Cold, detached eyes burning like coal in a fire. Fixed on me like I was his next kill.
I shrank, scanning my eyes around. The other creatures seemed to have run away after witnessing the brutal way one of theirs was killed.
They were ruthless, killing machines. But they weren't stupid. That's how they've survived for two decades.
"W–What are you...?" I stuttered, my lips trembling with each word.
He didn't move. Didn't speak. Just stood there like this was a fucking movie scene.
I gritted my teeth, letting my eyes scan his body. He wore a black outfit which seemed like it was from a different era. His hands and face were pale, even under the darkness.
And on one of his blood-soiled fingers was something that stood out. A silver ring with a glowing crimson sigil.
This man was definitely not a witch. He didn't seem like a wolf either. A human Hunter was out of the question and so was a hybrid.
So... What. Is. He?
Before I could collect myself, he moved. It was instant. One second, he stood there, watching me scrutinise him. The next he was in front of me, his right hand stretched toward my face.
I jolted, nearly screaming at his bloody hand lingering close to my face. Gods, was he... Was he going to kill me too?
"You don't belong here."
What the heck?
He spoke. He actually spoke. And gods, his voice. Deep. Calm like he had the world in his palm. And reverberating in a way that made me want to put all trust in him.
My eyes fell on his outstretched hand.
That wasn't meant to hurt me. It was meant to help me on my feet.
I hesitated, eyes flicking from his burning gaze to his hand. He didn't say anything again, waiting patiently.
Goddess, I had a bad feeling. But fuck it.
I grabbed his hand, my stomach constricting when I felt his cold touch. My gaze never left his as he helped me stand.
Every nerve in my body screamed "run", but something else whispered "stay".
However, before I could find words to thank him—
"Celeste?! Celeste, where are you?!" My brother's familiar voice boomed through the forest, echoing from the mysterious man's back.
Relief flooded me as I yelled back, looking past the man. "Caelum! I'm... I'm over—"
A gust of wind whooshed past my face, followed by a sudden emptiness. And then he was gone.
The mystery man who saved my life disappeared into the night. Leaving me standing there, back against the tree.
Soon, Caelum came into sight. He whipped his head around, spotting me within seconds.
"Gods below. Celeste!" He ran, his blonde hair blowing through his face.
He got to me, silver eyes scanning my body from head to toe. My arms still hurt like hell but I managed, placing my right on his shoulder.
"No... No questions..." I swallowed hard. "Just get me the heck out of here."
Caelum's eyes still glinted with questions. But he understood my situation was urgent. Wrapping his right arm around my back, he grunted, helping me walk toward the direction of the camp.
We left the woods behind—alongside the mystery of that man. His touch still lingered on my hand. Like a phantom. And for an odd reason, it felt as if he was still close. Still watching.