Chapter 10
"The Price of Power"
"You're still not enough."
The creature's words didn't just echo—
They sank in.
Deep.
For a second…
I believed it.
My chest tightened.
Because no matter what I did—
It wasn't falling.
Not even close.
The air shifted again.
Darker.
Heavier.
The ground beneath us cracked as something unseen pressed down on everything.
My breath hitched.
"What now…?" I whispered.
The Alpha forced himself up beside me, unsteady but standing.
"Something worse," he muttered.
Great.
Before I could react—
The creature raised its hand again.
But this time—
It wasn't aiming at him.
It wasn't aiming at me.
It aimed at the ground.
And crushed its fist downward.
The world—
Broke.
A shockwave exploded outward, throwing me off my feet.
I hit the ground hard, air knocked out of my lungs.
Pain shot through my body—
But that wasn't the worst part.
The light—
It flickered.
Unstable.
Weakening.
"No…" I whispered.
My power—
It was slipping.
"You rely on it too much," the creature said calmly.
I tried to stand—
But my legs trembled.
"Stop…" I muttered.
The light surged again—
But this time—
It hurt.
Sharp.
Burning.
Like it was tearing through me instead of flowing with me.
A gasp escaped my lips.
"What's happening to me?" I whispered.
The creature tilted its head.
"You're forcing it," it said.
My chest tightened.
"You're not strong enough to carry it yet."
That word again.
Not enough.
Something inside me cracked.
"I don't care!" I shouted.
The light flared violently—
Brighter than ever—
But unstable.
Wild.
"Stop!" the Alpha's voice cut through sharply.
I ignored him.
"I don't care what it takes!" I yelled.
The energy surged again—
Too much.
My vision blurred.
My body felt like it was breaking apart.
But I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
Because if I did—
He would die.
Everyone would.
"ENOUGH!"
His voice wasn't just loud—
It shook something inside me.
Strong.
Commanding.
My body froze.
For just a second.
And in that second—
He moved.
Faster than before.
He stepped in front of me—
Blocking me.
Shielding me.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?" he snapped.
My breath came out uneven.
"I have to—"
"No," he said sharply.
His hand grabbed my face—
Firm.
Forcing me to look at him.
"You don't get to throw your life away like that."
My heart skipped.
"I'm not throwing it away," I whispered.
"I'm saving yours."
Silence.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Then you're doing it wrong," he said quietly.
The words hit harder than they should have.
"I can't lose you like this."
My chest ached.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly.
"Trust me," he said.
A pause.
Dangerous.
Honest.
"I'll handle this."
"No," I shook my head immediately. "You can't—"
"I can," he said.
And this time—
There was no hesitation.
No doubt.
Only certainty.
Before I could stop him—
He turned.
And walked toward the creature.
Alone.
My heart dropped.
"What are you doing?" I shouted.
He didn't look back.
"Ending this," he said.
The creature watched him approach.
Almost amused.
"You?" it said.
A faint smirk.5
"In that condition?"
The Alpha stopped a few steps away.
Blood still on him.
Breathing still uneven.
But his eyes—
Sharp.
Deadly.
"You're not taking her," he said.
The creature chuckled.
"You can't stop me."
"Maybe not," he replied.
A pause.
"But I can slow you down."
My breath caught.
No.
No, no, no—
"Wait—!" I tried to move—
But my body refused.
Too weak.
Too drained.
And then—
It happened.
He shifted.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough.
Power exploded from him—
Dark.
Wild.
Dangerous.
Stronger than before.
Stronger than I had ever seen.
Even the creature paused.
"Interesting…" it murmured.
But I knew.
Something was wrong.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't safe.
"You're pushing too far…" I whispered.
He didn't respond.
Because he was already moving.
The clash—
Violent.
Brutal.
This time—
He wasn't holding back.
Every strike—
Lethal.
Every move—
Desperate.
The ground shattered beneath them.
The air tore apart.
For a moment—
He held it.
Matched it.
Pushed it back.
My heart pounded wildly.
"Please…" I whispered.
But then—
The shift happened.
Small.
But deadly.
His movement slowed.
Just a fraction.
But enough.
The creature caught him.
Hard.
And this time—
He didn't recover.
He hit the ground.
Not moving.
Everything stopped.
"No…"
The word barely came out.
My body moved before my mind could.
I ran.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the weakness.
"Get up!" I shouted, dropping beside him.
No response.
My heart shattered.
"Get up…" I whispered.
Still nothing.
The world blurred.
The light inside me—
It reacted again.
But this time—
Not with power.
With something else.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
"Get up…"
My voice broke.
But he didn't move.
Not even a little.
My hands trembled as I shook him lightly.
"Hey… this isn't funny," I whispered.
Nothing.
The world felt distant.
Muted.
Like everything had been pulled away from me.
"No…" I shook my head.
This wasn't happening.
Not like this.
Not after everything.
"You said you'd handle it…" my voice cracked. "So get up…"
Still—
Nothing.
Something inside me shattered.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
Completely.
The light inside me—
It didn't flare.
It didn't surge.
It… changed.
The warmth—
Disappeared.
Replaced by something colder.
Darker.
"He's not getting up."
The creature's voice cut through the silence.
Calm.
Unbothered.
My head slowly turned toward it.
Something in my expression must have shifted—
Because for the first time—
It stopped smiling.
"You did this," I said quietly.
My voice didn't shake anymore.
It didn't break.
It felt…
Empty.
The air around me began to tremble.
Not with light.
But with something else.
Something heavier.
"You pushed him too far," the creature said, watching me carefully.
I stood up slowly.
Every movement deliberate.
Every breath controlled.
"And now…" it continued, "you'll come with me."
Silence.
Then—
I laughed.
Soft.
Wrong.
The sound didn't even feel like mine.
"Come with you?" I repeated.
I took a step forward.
The ground beneath me cracked again—
But this time—
The light didn't glow.
It dimmed.
Distorted.
"What makes you think…" I said slowly…
"I'm still the same person?"
The creature went still.
Completely still.
Something had changed.
It felt it.
I felt it.
That power inside me—
It wasn't just light anymore.
It was something else.
Something broken.
Something… dangerous.
"You're unstable," it said.
I smiled faintly.
"Good."
The word barely left my lips—
Before everything exploded.
Not outward.
Inward.
The energy pulled into me—
Compressing.
Twisting.
And then—
It burst.
But not like before.
Not bright.
Not pure.
Dark.
Cracked light.
Like something beautiful—
Had been broken beyond repair.
The hunters didn't even move this time.
Because they couldn't.
They disintegrated instantly.
Gone.
The creature stepped back.
One step.
Then another.
"Impossible…" it whispered.
But I wasn't done.
Not even close.
I walked toward it slowly.
Each step heavier than the last.
"You said I wasn't enough," I murmured.
My voice echoed—
Strange.
Layered.
Like it wasn't just me speaking.
The creature didn't respond.
Because now—
It was watching me the way it had watched him before.
Carefully.
Cautiously.
"Maybe you were right," I continued.
I stopped in front of it.
Close enough to feel its energy.
"But you forgot something."
Silence.
"What?" it asked quietly.
I tilted my head slightly.
A faint smile forming.
"You broke me first."
And then—
I moved.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
Uncontrolled—
But precise.
The impact sent it flying back.
Not a step.
Not a stumble.
It crashed into the trees behind it.
Hard.
For the first time—
It didn't recover instantly.
My breath came out slow.
Steady.
Too steady.
This wasn't just power anymore.
This was something else.
Something terrifying.
"You're not just light…" the creature muttered, pushing itself up.
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
Or maybe—
I didn't care.
"You're both," it said slowly.
My heart didn't react.
"Balance…"
The word echoed faintly.
But it didn't matter.
Nothing mattered—
Except one thing.
I turned my head slightly.
Looking back at him.
Still lying there.
Still not moving.
Something twisted painfully in my chest.
But it didn't break me again.
Not this time.
Because now—
I wasn't just scared.
I wasn't just confused.
I wasn't just trying to survive.
Now—
I was angry.
And that was far more dangerous.
I looked back at the creature.
My eyes steady.
Cold.
"You're not taking me anywhere," I said.
A pause.
Then—
"Because I'm not the one being hunted anymore."
Silence.
Heavy.
Deadly.
And then—
"You are."
The air cracked.
And I attacked again.