The Forbidden Bond: Arik & Sasha (Nuria S. A.)

Chapter 1 - Part IV

  Arik was strolling, along with his friends, towards the hall where the meeting was to take place. According to the students and the circulating rumours, tonight would reveal either a union of companions or the beginning of a war. As he approached the hall, he felt a strange sensation running through his body, one that was not only affecting him but also his animal. He couldn't understand why and was unable to find any explanations for it, as he was one of the few young shifters who could control his animal one hundred per cent; it had been years since he had lost control. He had trained countless times to gain control over his animal, and now he felt he was losing it. He stopped walking, shaking his head, trying to regain control. He was doing everything he could to maintain it, feeling his fangs and claws wanting to come out, and his eyes starting to shift to animal vision.

  "Arik?" Raze called out, touching his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

  "Stupid, question, man. Of course, he isn't. His eyes have changed. The animal wants to take over!"

  "What do you mean? I don't understand, he's never lost control, what the hell is going on?" Raze asked Calix, confused.

  Arik turned to face the wall and pressed his forehead against it. As soon as he felt the cold of the wall on his forehead, started taking deep breaths, closing his eyes and clenching his fists, feeling his claws digging into the palms of his hands.

  Raze and Calix positioned themselves against the wall on either side of him, keeping an eye on their surroundings in case someone came towards them, while also watching Arik in case they had to grab him.

  After ten minutes of breathing in and out, Arik finally no longer felt the presence of his animal trying to take over, but he proceeded to take deep breaths just in case it tried to regain control.

  "Arik, focus on your breathing," Calix said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

  "I am trying!" Arik moved away from the wall, opened his eyes, and composed himself. "I don't understand, this has never happened before. My animal wants to be free, and I don't know why."

  "You'd better talk to Stravos, maybe he can help you," Calix said, thinking aloud, with half-closed eyes.

  "Or maybe it's time for us to get back to training." Declared Raze." It's been a month since we last trained and three weeks since we last shifted. Maybe your animal needs to be let loose, to run, to feel freedom and adrenaline."

  "That it is possible. I agree." Calix nodded. "Now let's go, we're really late. We can't afford to miss this, you know the consequences.

  Arik took a deep breath, collected himself, and continued with his friends towards the meeting. Honestly, it hadn't even started yet, and he was already desperate for it to end. Upon arriving at the hall where the sacred book was kept, they saw that it was already filled with students from both houses.

  The hall, like the rest of the palace, was designed with ancient Greek architecture. Inside, along the walls and scattered throughout the large space, were various Corinthian pillars, supporting the expansive ceiling, which resembled that of a church, with carvings made directly into the stone. The walls were adorned with large depictions of the main Greek gods who had led to the creation of the sacred book. The floor was made of brown marble, reflecting the light of the various antique golden candelabras with candles.

   The three of them crossed the massive doorway, and the first thing they saw was the two steps leading to the altar where a crystal cube sat atop a Corinthian column, containing within it the sacred book. But instead of being still as usual, it was actually moving as if it were fighting against the crystal to break free.