Adrian half-ran, half-walked, feeling the full weight of the unconscious female on his back as he followed the winding path out of the mystical forest. The air was heavy with enchantment, and strange rustlings came from deep within the woods. His breath came in steady huffs, his paws thudding quietly against the forest floor, each step deliberate, protective.
Suddenly, he froze.
His feline ears twitched violently, picking up faint footsteps and a shift in the wind. Something was coming.
He slowly turned his head toward a dense patch of bushes. The forest was too quiet.
Then it happened.
A violent rustle—then an explosion of motion. A pack of massive wolves leapt out, landing in front of him with snarling jaws and glowing red eyes. But these weren't just wolves. As they circled him, their forms shimmered. Their muzzles lengthened, their claws sharpened unnaturally, and their hunched forms twitched grotesquely. They were Orks—from the wolf tribe.
Adrian lowered the girl gently from his back, stepping protectively in front of her, his golden eyes narrowing with pure animal rage.
"You cannot take her," he growled, his voice a thunderous rumble as his beast form fully emerged—fur bristling, fangs bared, his body a living weapon.
The first Ork-wolf lunged.
Adrian met it with a crushing swipe, claws raking across its muzzle, tearing through flesh and bone. The creature howled and rolled across the dirt, but another took its place, leaping onto Adrian's back. He twisted, slamming it against a tree so hard the bark split.
Blood sprayed into the air—black and thick from the Orks, but crimson from Adrian as well. One caught his hind leg with its teeth, tearing into muscle. Another slashed across his ribs, deep and burning. He roared, his fury rising as his blood dripped onto the soil.
He tore through them—savagely, desperately.
Adrian's shoulder was pierced by a jagged claw, his left eye bleeding from a near miss. His breath came in ragged bursts, each move a surge of agony. He fought like a storm, the earth trembling beneath the power of his roars and the weight of fallen bodies.
One by one, the Orks fell, writhing and shrieking in defeat. He stood amidst their broken, mangled forms, his fur soaked in blood, muscles trembling with exhaustion.
Then silence.
Until a scorching wind blew across the trees.
A blinding red light descended from above. Adrian's swollen, bloodshot eye opened to see a massive bird descending—its feathers glowing with molten light, its body surrounded by trails of fire. But it was no ordinary bird.
It was a Phoenix—an ancient kind, rare and powerful. Its beady crimson eyes glared down at Adrian with cruel interest, as if mocking his weakness.
"No... her…" Adrian tried to stand, to roar, but his legs buckled beneath him. Blood gushed from his side. He was broken, unable to lift a claw.
The Phoenix lowered its fiery talons, surprisingly gentle as it grasped the unconscious female. It lifted her easily, her form glowing in its presence, and began to ascend into the sky, wings beating like thunder, leaving trails of sparks behind.
Adrian's lips parted to protest, but only a rasp came out.
His vision swam—flames, blood, her face, the sound of wings—and then everything faded to black.
Darkness swallowed him wholeThe Phoenix soared high into the sky, its fiery wings cutting through the air like blades of light. It carried the unconscious female with great care, her body limp in its glowing talons. The bird's blazing form left a trail of embers in the air as it ascended, heading toward a towering, ancient tree that stood like a giant against the horizon. The tree was massive—its trunk thick as a mountain, branches stretching across the sky like arms embracing the heavens.
Near the center of the colossal tree was a large, hollow opening, wide enough to fit several men. The Phoenix slowed its flight and glided into the hollow, the flames around its body dimming as it entered the sacred space.
Inside the tree, the air was warm and heavy with the scent of old wood and wild herbs. The chamber was lit by small glowing crystals embedded in the bark, casting a soft golden hue over the interior. In the center of the hollow was a stone bed, smooth and perfectly carved as if shaped by magic itself.
The Phoenix landed gently on the edge of the opening. With a brilliant flash of light, it transformed into a tall, strikingly handsome man. His skin had a warm, bronze tone, and his long crimson hair cascaded over his shoulders like a river of fire. His eyes, once avian, now burned with a subtle glow, their depth holding secrets of centuries past.
Cradling the female in his arms, he walked toward the stone bed with graceful, deliberate steps. He laid her down gently, adjusting her position so she rested comfortably on the smooth surface. For a long moment, he stood over her, quietly observing her face—taking in the delicate curve of her lips, the softness of her features, the faint rise and fall of her chest. His expression was unreadable—something between fascination and curiosity.
He reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face with the back of his fingers, then straightened up with a sigh. Without another word, he turned and walked toward the far side of the chamber. A hidden passage opened in the bark, revealing a narrow staircase that led deeper into the heart of the tree.
Without looking back, the man disappeared into the passage, leaving the girl alone on the stone bed, her chest rising and falling softly as the ancient tree whispered around her.
Alexia pov
I woke up with my head pounding from a splitting headache. My face twisted in pain as I groaned softly, trying to gather my thoughts. Then it hit me—I had taken the red crystal. The memory surged back like a wave crashing into my chest.
Had I changed? Was I a beast now?
Panic rose inside me as I glanced down at my hands. They looked the same—still slender, still human—but a little paler than before. My skin, however, was noticeably different. It was smoother now, softer and more delicate to the touch, almost unnaturally flawless.
"What about my face?" I whispered to myself.
Without hesitation, I called out, "Tinny."
At my command, the small robotic companion that had long been a part of my wristwatch disassembled and reformed in midair, floating just before my face. With a faint hum, it morphed its head into a reflective surface. A mirror.
I leaned forward, anxious and curious.
My face stared back at me—still human. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. But something had changed. My eyes.
Where once there had been plain black irises, I now saw piercing blue surrounded by a vibrant ring of glowing red—like a storm enclosed in a sunset. They shimmered with an energy I couldn't explain, like two gemstones infused with magic. I stared into them, mesmerized, acknowledging their beauty… and the truth.
I wasn't the same Alexia anymore.
Something powerful stirred beneath my skin, an unfamiliar yet thrilling sensation pulsing through my veins like liquid fire. I could feel it now—a strange energy, wild and alive. It coiled inside me, ready to be unleashed.
A new power. A new self.
And whatever I had become… there was no going back