CHAPTER 332: CHAPTER 332 LAYLA (1)

The dark wave of obliteration spreads further out. A flicker of fear passes through the Greater Evil’s eyes, their eyes reflecting the incoming destruction.

The Greater Evil struck their staff against the earth, building a shield over them. "I can’t believe you went this far." Their voice drips with bitterness, and with a wave of their hands, they disappeared into thin air.

When the spell faded, nothing remained except the ruin of what once was the witches’ castle. The body of the Queen had been reduced to nothing but ashes drifting along the wind.

.....

(Aeris/Ember POV)

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of sobs and whispers.

The light in the room was soft, the golden rays of dawn filtering through thin curtains that swayed gently in the air. Everything felt distant, muffled, as though I was underwater. I blinked a few times, and when my vision cleared, I saw that Liora was sitting at the edge of the bed, her face buried in her hands.

Zeir stood close by, his expression blank but his eyes carried emotions of regret. The air around them felt fragile, like a thin thread that could snap at any moment.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt dry, my voice weak. "Why am I here?"

Before I could say anything more, a voice echoed in my head.

"It took you long enough."

My body stiffened, and my breath caught in my throat from the shivers that rushed down my spine.

My eyes widened. ’Layla’ My heart pounded in my chest in anticipation. It had been a long time since we last spoke, our last encounter was disastrous, almost meeting our doom.

"Who are you?" I whispered in my head to confirm my suspicion.

There was no reply, except for the sound of grunts and snarls. Then suddenly, a sharp pain struck at the edge of my mind, like claws raking through my skull. I gasped, clutching my head as a groan escaped my lips.

My head felt like it was torn apart, I groaned, my body writhing on the bed.

Liora’s head snapped up. "Aeris?" Her voice was trembling as she reached for me. "What’s wrong?"

I could barely answer, my fingers dug into my hair as the pain grew sharper, the voice snarling somewhere deep inside my head. I shook my head, trying to make it stop.

Liora moved closer, her hands trembling as she cupped my face. Her eyes looked tired and swollen. Her cheeks were sunken, her lips were pale and dried.

"Aeris, try to focus... It’s your wolf... she’s not supposed to show up now...," she said softly. "When we suppressed your fae powers, we... we suppressed her too."

Her words made the air vanish from my lungs. "You did what?" My voice rang with disbelief, even when a part of me already knew about it.

She didn’t answer, the look in her eyes said she already knew the damage her words had caused.

My legs trembled as I swung them off the bed, my body landing on the cold floor with a thud. The pain in my head burned, spreading down my neck, into my chest. I could barely breathe.

"You betrayed me," Layla growled, heavy and filled with rage.

"You trusted the wrong people," her voice like thunder in my mind. "You let them silence me. You let them bind me in the dark, even when I called out to you in your dreams, you turned away and left me."

"No," I gasped, shaking my head. "I didn’t know... I couldn’t remember, "It’s not my fault."

"Lies." The word cracked through my mind like a whip. "You are weak... despicable... If you can’t protect us, then I will."

Her anger flooded through me, thick and consuming. My hands trembled, as I grew angry, my eyes burned violet with golden rings in their depths.

"Layla... stop," I commanded.

I knew if I didn’t put up a fight for dominance, she would take control. I needed to show her that I was strong enough to earn her trust... but I didn’t know what to do.

But she didn’t listen.

"I will kill them all," she hissed. "I will rip the throat of the one who chained me, and I will end every fae in this kingdom painting their land red with their blood. How dare they lay a hand on me!"

"Stop," I yelled, but my voice came out broken. My knees buckled. Pain shot through my body, my bones cracked, shifting beneath my skin. I screamed, my voice raw as my body convulsed.

Fangs and claws protruded out, and the pain of having all my bones broken and rearranged was excruciating. This was going to my first shift, and it was already messy with a promise of bloodshed.

"Aeris!" Liora rushed toward me, her hands outstretched.

"Stay back!" Zeir’s voice cut through the air, but she didn’t listen.

She grabbed my shoulders, trying to hold me still. Her touch burned against my skin. My claws slashed through the air before I realized what was happening.

Liora gasped, stumbling back as blood gushed out of her hand. A deep line of red spread across her arm. Her eyes widened in sorrow.

"Liora" I whispered, but it was too late. My voice wasn’t mine anymore, it was animalistic, deep, and angry.

Zeir raised his hand, a shimmering blue light bursting between us. The barrier formed quickly, enclosing me in a dome of magic. It shimmered faintly, humming in the air.

Liora fell to her knees beside him, clutching her arm, tears streaking down her face. "Aeris, please fight her," she begged, her voice cracking.

Layla laughed inside my head. "Fight me? She can’t even stand."

"Shut the fuck up, Layla! Why are you doing this?! Others can behave like a fucking villain but it definitely shouldn’t be you, what happened to being one?! You know I lost my powers and memories... I was locked away too!" At my fury, golden light waves sliced through the air, clashing with the barrier.

"Lies... you don’t know how much I suffered in the dark, alone and lost."