Echoes Of War

64

Struggling against the chains, I grit my teeth, against the paint in my broke fingers, "Why did you do it?" I demand, my voice trembling with anger and fear.

Arnoux's expression remains cold and indifferent, "Because she didn't listen," he replied calmly, "I only wanted what was best for my sister." I scoff incredulously, "I seriously doubt that," I retort, my voice thick with defiance.

His eyes narrowing as he meets my gaze, "I don't care what you believe," he sneers callously. Desperation floods through me as I search his eyes for answers "Why?" I pleaded, "Why did you kill them both?"

His response cuts through me like a blade, "Because she married your father, a man from Thundar's royal family," he reveals, his words crushing me with their weight. A wave of despair washed over me, leaving me feeling utterly broken and defeated.
"Why did you hate my father so much?" I needed to know, but my voice was thick with emotion. Arnoux's eyes flashed with anger as he responded "No one from the Wolfkin tribe should marry or create children of mixed blood," he says vehemently.
Confusion swirls with me as I ask the burning question, "Then why am I able to use Elara and Sythra Magic?" Suddenly, Master emerges from the shadows, her presence shocking me to the core. "That's what we've been trying to understand for years," she admits her voice heavy with regret.

Betrayal courses through me at her words. Master, the one who had raised me since my mother's death, the one who had taught me to control my powers from a young age, had kept this from me. Tears well up in my eyes, as I shake my head in disbelief, "No, please not you," I whisper hoarsely, tear streaming down my cheeks.

In a cruel twist of fate, I watch as Arnoux grabs Master and kisses her, their BeReal cutting deeper than any physical wound.

I watched with a mix of shock and disbelief as Master approached, attempting to touch my scar. Instinctively, I pulled away, unwilling to let my former mentor's hand near me.

Arnoux I terruped, directing his question to Master, "Did you create it in time?" He demanded his tone impatient. She nods, and produces to hand over a tube filled with a purple liquid. My gaze flickered between them two, my heart heavy with betrayal. "Just a few days again, you told me your were proud of me," I murmured my voice barely above a whisper.

Master's response was callous,"That's the way of life," she said coldly "once you're not needed anymore, you have to be smashed like a bug, and you" she gestured towards me, "are a big."
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I closed my eyes overwhelmed by the depth of the betrayal I had experienced.

As Arnoux approached with a syringe, dread filled me. "What are you going to do with that?" I asked as my voice trembled.

He smirked menacingly, "This is a very deadly poison, deadly even to a mere Wolfkin," he explained calmly, "It will slowly kill your wolf spirits and then it will go on to break your bones one by one if you fight it."
Fear surged through me as I tried to pull away but he only responded with a brutal slap, sending me spiraling into unconsciousness.