Chapter 08
"The Light That Shouldn't Exist"
Light.
Not fire.
Not shadow.
Light.
It burst out of me like something that had been locked away for years—no… for a lifetime.
Blinding.
Pure.
Uncontrollable.
I couldn't breathe.
My entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out, but it didn't hurt.
It felt—
Powerful.
The ground beneath my feet cracked violently, veins of glowing light spreading outward like lightning trapped in the earth.
The hunters—
Stopped.
Frozen mid-movement.
Like something invisible had grabbed hold of them.
"What… is this…?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
But deep inside—
Something answered.
Not in words.
In recognition.
This wasn't new.
This was mine.
"No…" the creature said quietly.
Not mocking.
Not calm.
For the first time—
Uneasy.
"That power…" it murmured. "It's not supposed to exist anymore."
My breath hitched.
"What do you mean?" I demanded, though my voice shook.
It didn't answer me.
Instead—
It stepped back.
One step.
That was all it took.
But it changed everything.
Because something that powerful—
Shouldn't be afraid.
And yet—
It was.
Behind me, I heard movement.
Weak.
Strained.
I turned.
The Alpha.
Still on the ground.
Blood staining the earth beneath him.
My chest tightened painfully.
"No…" I whispered, rushing toward him.
The light followed me.
Not fading.
Not weakening.
But responding.
Like it was tied to me.
To my emotions.
I dropped beside him, my hands trembling as I reached out.
"Hey… hey, look at me," I said, my voice breaking slightly.
His golden eyes flickered open.
Weak.
But still there.
"You came back…" he muttered.
I swallowed hard.
"Of course I did," I whispered.
His gaze shifted slightly—
Toward the light surrounding me.
And for a second—
He looked… shocked.
"You shouldn't have," he said quietly.
I shook my head.
"Don't start that again," I snapped softly. "I'm not leaving you."
A faint, almost invisible smile touched his lips.
"Stubborn," he murmured.
"Shut up," I replied, my voice shaking.
My hand hovered over his chest, unsure what to do.
"I don't know how to help you," I whispered.
But the moment my hand touched him—
The light reacted.
It surged.
Not violently.
But deliberately.
Flowing from me—
Into him.
My breath caught.
"What…?" I whispered.
His body tensed slightly.
And then—
The bleeding slowed.
Stopped.
My eyes widened.
"No way…" I breathed.
The light wasn't just power.
It was—
Healing.
The creature's voice cut through the moment.
"Of course," it said softly.
I turned sharply.
Its eyes were locked onto us.
Dark.
Calculating.
"That explains everything."
My heart dropped.
"Explains what?" I demanded.
It didn't look at me.
It looked at him.
"You found her before we did," it said.
The Alpha slowly pushed himself up, still weak—but no longer dying.
"Stay back," he warned.
But the creature ignored him.
"You really don't know what she is, do you?" it said.
Silence.
The Alpha didn't answer.
But that was answer enough.
The creature smiled.
Cold.
Certain.
"She's not just the last one," it said.
My breath caught.
"She's the source."
Everything stopped.
"What…?" I whispered.
The word barely left my lips.
But it hit harder than anything else.
"The source of what?" I asked, my voice shaking.
The creature took a step forward again.
This time—
Careful.
Almost cautious.
"Of balance," it said.
My mind spun.
"I don't understand—"
"You don't need to," the Alpha cut in sharply.
His voice had changed again.
Stronger.
More controlled.
Protective.
"Stay behind me," he said.
I didn't move.
"Tell me," I demanded instead.
The creature's smile widened slightly.
"Long ago," it began, "there were beings who kept the world in balance."
My chest tightened.
"Light… and dark. Creation… and destruction."
The air felt heavier with every word.
"Your kind," it continued, "were the ones who carried the light."
My breath stopped.
"No…" I whispered.
"That power you feel?" it said softly.
My heart pounded.
"It's not just yours."
A pause.
"It's what's left of them."
Silence.
Shattering silence.
"They were hunted," it continued.
My stomach twisted.
"Eliminated."
The flashes came back.
Fire.
Screams.
Running.
"Because power like that…" the creature said…
"cannot be allowed to exist."
My hands trembled.
"And now…" it finished…
"It's all inside you."
The weight of it crushed me.
"No…" I shook my head. "That's not possible…"
But the light around me pulsed.
Strong.
Alive.
Real.
"You're lying," I whispered.
"I wish I was," it replied.
The Alpha stepped forward again.
"That's enough," he said coldly.
But this time—
I didn't hide behind him.
I stepped beside him.
My heart was still racing.
My hands still shaking.
But something inside me had changed.
If what it said was true—
Then running wasn't an option anymore.
Because they wouldn't stop.
Not until I was gone.
The light around me flared again.
Stronger.
Brighter.
Unstable—
But mine.
"I don't know what I am," I said quietly.
Both of them went still.
"But I'm not going with you."
Silence.
Then—
The creature smiled again.
Not amused.
Not mocking.
Something worse.
Certain.
"You don't get to choose."
The air shifted.
Danger returned.
Stronger than ever.
And this time—
I didn't step back.
I stepped forward.
Now we stop holding back.
"You don't get to choose."
The creature's words echoed like a challenge.
Something inside me snapped.
"No," I said quietly.
The light around me flickered—
Then steadied.
"This time… I do."
For a moment—
No one moved.
Not the creature.
Not the hunters.
Not even him.
Then—
The creature smiled.
"Show me."
That was all it said.
And then—
Everything attacked at once.
The hunters lunged forward in perfect synchronization, their movements sharp, unnatural.
Too fast.
But this time—
I didn't freeze.
I felt it.
That power inside me—
Not wild.
Not uncontrolled.
Waiting.
Listening.
My breath slowed.
Focus.
The Alpha's voice echoed in my mind.
"Control it."
I lifted my hand.
Not knowing what I was doing—
But trusting something deeper.
The light responded instantly.
It surged outward—
But not like before.
Not exploding.
Shaping.
Forming.
A barrier.
The moment the hunters hit it—
They were thrown back violently.
I gasped.
"I… did that?" I whispered.
"Don't stop!" the Alpha snapped.
My head turned sharply.
He was already moving.
Fast.
Deadly.
But this time—
He wasn't alone.
I stepped forward.
The ground beneath me glowing faintly with every step.
The creature watched.
Calm.
Interested.
"Good," it murmured. "You're learning."
"I'm not doing this for you," I shot back.
It chuckled.
"We'll see."
Another wave of hunters rushed toward me.
My heart pounded—
But I didn't run.
Not this time.
I focused.
The light gathered in my palm—
Warm.
Alive.
And then—
I pushed forward.
A burst of energy shot out—
Not wild.
Directed.
Precise.
The hunters—
Disintegrated.
Gone.
Just like that.
My breath hitched.
Silence fell for a second.
Even the creature stopped smiling.
"Impossible…" it muttered.
But I felt it.
That shift.
Confidence.
Not full.
Not perfect.
But enough.
Behind me—
A sharp growl.
I turned.
The Alpha was fighting again.
Stronger now.
Faster.
But still—
Not enough.
The creature moved.
Finally.
And in a single second—
It was in front of him.
The impact—
Brutal.
He was thrown back again.
Harder this time.
My chest tightened.
"No!" I shouted.
Without thinking—
I ran toward them.
The creature turned its gaze to me.
"And now…" it said softly.
My heart pounded.
"This is where you fall."
It raised its hand—
Dark energy gathering.
Heavy.
Crushing.
I froze—
Just for a second.
And that was enough.
The attack launched.
Fast.
Unavoidable.
But before it could hit—
Someone stepped in front of me.
Again.
The Alpha.
The impact hit him instead.
My breath stopped.
Everything went silent.
"Why…?" I whispered.
He staggered—
But didn't fall.
"I told you…" he said, his voice strained…
"I won't let them touch you."
Something inside me broke.
And reformed.
Stronger.
Enough.
Enough running.
Enough fear.
Enough confusion.
"Move," I said quietly.
He didn't.
"I said MOVE!" I snapped.
This time—
He did.
Not because he wanted to.
But because something in my voice—
Had changed.
I stepped forward.
The light around me surged violently.
Stronger than ever before.
But controlled.
Focused.
Mine.
The creature watched me carefully now.
No smile.
No arrogance.
Only attention.
"Interesting…" it said.
My heart pounded.
"You wanted to see what I can do?" I said.
The ground cracked beneath my feet.
Light exploded upward—
But this time—
It didn't scatter.
It condensed.
Into something sharp.
Something powerful.
A weapon.
My breath caught.
"I don't know what I am," I said, my voice steady now.
"But I'm done being hunted."
Silence.
Heavy.
And then—
I attacked.