𝚩𝐄𝚴𝐄𝚨𝐓𝚮 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐔𝚸𝐓 𝐒𝚱𝐈𝐄𝐒

Chapter 04

Betrayal wasn't a common feeling for me—it was a mixture of heartbreak and anger so intertwined, I could barely separate one from the other. That was exactly what gripped my chest now, squeezing tighter than I thought possible. Maybe a small part of me, buried deep beneath years of skepticism, had believed in my grandmother's stories. Maybe I thought that somewhere out there, a guardian angel would come down to save us, that our struggle wouldn't be in vain. All those years, picturing resistance turning into triumph, it was foolish. And I should've known better.

I scoffed, bitterness coating my voice. "Well if that's the case, then why'd you come back?". In all honesty, he should've just stayed hidden.

I squared my shoulders, standing taller even though the disgust I felt for him churned within me. The fear I had once held for this man evaporated in an instant. In its place was a cold, steely loathing that hardened my resolve. If he didn't want to help, then he could fuck off back to that floating rock.

Azure tilted his head, amusement playing across his face as if considering something. After a long pause, a mocking smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "I didn't come back willingly. Darling, you woke me up, and at a great time too. Now, I get to watch you and your people get what you all deserve."

His words sliced through me, the rawness catching me off guard. I didn't want to care, I shouldn't care, but the sting was there, undeniable.

My heart twisted painfully. I swallowed back the emotion threatening to spill over and snapped, "You sound so petty. Then don't mind me." I forced a sneer, turning on my heel, ready to leave. "Go back to disappearing."

"Aren't you going to beg me to save you?" His voice was laced with mockery, as if he found my pain amusing. His footsteps followed closely behind mine, his presence a suffocating weight.

I stopped abruptly, spinning around. "Beg?" My lips curled in disgust as I spat the words. "Why would I beg you? I don't beg, especially not to men like you." I spent years building my independence and courage. Never once in my life did I beg a Corruptor, what makes him think I would beg him?

As if on cue, sirens wailed in the distance, their sharp cry slicing through the air. My body jerked in response, a surge of adrenaline pushing me into motion. I needed to get back home. Now. 

"What's that?" Azure asked, trailing behind me with his usual irritating calm. He sounded almost curious, as if the situation amused him.

"Sirens. It means the hunt is starting," I said, quickening my pace, my eyes scanning the path ahead. "Stop following me!" I threw the words over my shoulder, frustration boiling over. Of course, he didn't listen.

"They hunt you now?" He practically beamed, excitement clear in his voice. "This just gets better."

Suddenly, his hand clamped onto my shoulder, yanking me backward with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of me. Instinctively, my muscles tensed, my body ready to fight or flee.

"What are you doing?!" I yelled, twisting violently to break free from his grip. My hand shot up, grabbing his wrist, intending to pry his fingers off, but as soon as I made contact, an electric-like pulse rippled through me, traveling up my arm and through my body. Azure jerked his hand away, his reaction sharp as if my touch had physically burned him.

His eyes flared brightly, glowing with that unnatural intensity as he snarled, "Don't touch me."

Breathless, I snapped back, "You touched me first." I glared at him, my chest heaving with frustration. "You're so moody."

I wasted no more time. Turning on my heel, I sprinted away, the urgency pounding in my chest. I had no choice but to get home before the hunt started. But before I could make any real distance, Azure reappeared in front of me, his expression completely unfazed.