"Move her to the side. Chain her hands and feet," I commanded, my voice flat and cold as the guards entered.
They didn't move at first. They just stared at me, their eyes wide with a mix of horror and sick surprise. I could hear the faint, cocky vibration of their suppressed laughter as they dragged her to the corner of my room. They thought they knew what had happened behind those closed doors.
"I have important matters to attend to," I said, my voice shallow and raspy.
I reached for my coat on the hanger. I moved slowly, pulling it across my chest and sliding my arms into the sleeves, one after the other. Every movement was deliberate, masking the chaos twisting inside me.
I walked toward the stone pillar at the far end of my chamber. I looked down, letting out a heavy sigh before pressing my palm against the cold surface. Instantly, ancient runes glowed to life under my touch, and a hidden compartment ground open. I reached inside and pulled out the stone tablet. I stared at the carvings for a long moment, my heart heavy with the weight of what I was holding, before turning away. Behind me, the pillar sealed itself shut as it sensed my presence fading.
"I guess he fucked her so hard she lost her breath," the first guard murmured, his voice a disgusting crawl of sound.
"Hah," the other chuckled low, ducking his head to hide the grin splitting his face. "The Lord is so—"
"No one goes in."
I was suddenly right in front of them. They hadn't even seen me move. The air between us turned to ice as they jumped, nearly dropping their spears.
"No one goes out," I added, my voice cutting through the terrified silence.
I could feel them shaking in their boots. Their grip on their weapons was clumsy, fueled by a frantic, wide-eyed terror. The tension in the hallway was thick enough to choke on. I didn't wait for a response. I moved past them at a speed their eyes couldn't even follow, leaving them frozen in my wake.
I raced toward Lady Koile's residence, my speed so blurring that the wind couldn't even keep up. If I hadn't buttoned my coat, it probably would have snapped behind me like a pair of dark, useless wings.
The moment I arrived, I placed the stone tablet on the ground. It made a strange, chuckling sound, and a blinding light erupted from its surface. I felt the wolf on my chest stir, my spine lengthening and groaning as the shift tried to take hold.
"Younger generation!!"
The voice was a physical blow, a sound wave that bounced off the walls and vibrated in my teeth.
"I told you to stop the transformation when you come to me!"
The ripples in the pond turned into violent waves. Her presence was sudden—too fast, even for her. Lady Koile burst from the water, a massive sphere of liquid acting as her throne.
Her fingerlings were different now. They had grown since my last visit, reaching nearly 15 centimeters. They swarmed around her, restless and sharp.
"They've grown," I noted. I closed my eyes in a slow, rhythmic beat, lowering my head just a fraction. "Your juveniles. Soon, they will..." I trailed off, a small, sad smirk tugging at my lips.
"You don't have to say it," she interrupted. She used her fin to gently tap one of them on the head. "My time is almost up. The next Lady will rise from one of these."
The little fish didn't take the gesture well. Its eyes flared with a tiny, sudden rage. In a flash of silver, the whole group burst out of the water bubble and dived back into the pond, leaving us alone.
She watched them go, letting out a deep, shaky sigh that made her look older than the pond itself.
"Fight all you want," she whispered, her voice heavy with a weary kind of love. "Fate is already written, and you can't outrun it. You little ones have so much to learn."
"What brings you here today Liam?" her gaze on me "and do not complete that transformation" Her eye balls twitched in a serious manner.
I forced my body back into its human shape, the bones snapping into place with a dull ache. I gave a low, slow bow. "Greetings. Something is bothering me," I said, my voice heavy and tired.
"You are always bothered". She began to circle me, floating inside her bubble of water. I could feel her gaze weighing on me like lead. "If it isn't your future Luna or the mess in your kingdom, what else could it be, Liam?" Her voice was a mix of a tease and a mother's worry.
"The fox tribe.
She lunged toward my face so fast the wind from her movement whipped against my skin. The playful energy vanished instantly. "Look at me," she commanded. The air grew thick and heavy. Every line on her face was tight with a deadly seriousness.
"I had a run-in with a wolf," I replied, forcing the words out. "She lost consciousness the second she came in contact with the fox-killer ash."
"A wolf, you say?" She turned away, putting a bit of distance between us. She tapped her jaw with a fin, her eyes narrowed in deep thought. "But she fell at the scent of the ash. That shouldn't happen."
"From what I know, the fox kingdom was wiped out long ago, before I was even born," I said, the words tasting like poison. The hatred I felt for them was like a physical weight in my chest. "I've heard the stories. Deceitful, backstabbing monsters. They never kept their word. They even tried to murder my mother."
My fist clenched so hard my claws sliced right through my palm. I didn't flinch as the blood began to drip, staining the ground beneath me. My hatred for a race I had never even met ran deeper than I could ever explain.
"Yes, you're right, that race is gone," she whispered. "But if this happened... who is this girl? How did she get into this kingdom?"
Her questions hit me like a physical blow. I wasn't ready to answer them. I stared off into the distance, a dark regret pulling at my heart. "She's an Omega," I finally muttered.
Deep down, a cold promise took root in my soul. *If she turns out to be a fox, I won't hesitate. I will kill her myself.* I squeezed my fist even tighter, the pain grounding me.
"Bring her to me," Lady Koile said, her voice sharp and urgent. "A fox in this kingdom? We cannot let that happen again. Not after everything."
I didn't answer. I just turned my back and started the long walk back to my chambers, the darkness of the night reflecting the storm inside me.