Aurora’s P.O.V

    I paced back and forth in my room, the quiet tapping of my feet on the floor only adding to the pounding rhythm of my thoughts. Caleb. Caroline. Everyone out there, probably frantic, searching for me, and here I am, trapped in this space, cut off from everything that should matter.

    I try to connect with the people I care about, to feel something-anything-but it’s like there’s a wall between us. A nk, numb space where the bonds should be. What’s wrong with me? Is it me, or have they done something? Have they put some kind of spell on me? I can’t help but wonder, but the more I try to think it through, the more tangled my thoughts be.

    I can’t even remember how I got here. The feeling of istion grows heavier, suffocating me in a way I don’t know how to exin. Maybe if I can just get my mind off it, just clear my head for a second, things will make sense. But that’s the problem. Nothing makes sense. I run my fingers through my hair and nce toward the door, as if staring at it will somehow reveal the answers I’m missing.

    I stand still for a moment, breathing, before I walk towards the washroom. The cold tile on the floor feels sharp beneath my feet, a small jolt of difort that I wee. I need something to ground me. Something real. I ssh water on my face, the cold sting snapping me back to my body for a second, but the numbness still lingers. The sound of the water dripping echoes in the silence, and I stare at myself in the mirror, trying to find any sign of who I was, of what I’ve be.

    The memories from the birthday party flood back-fragments, shes of power rushing through me, sharp and electric. I remember how it felt, how I could almost control it, and the thought of that st I managed to unleash… it was the only time I felt even remotely like myself. That power was mine, and if I could master it, control it, maybe I could use it to escape this ce. To escape all of it. Tclench my fists as I think about it. If I could channel that energy again, if I could replicate that force, I might stand a chance to escape this hell. But how? How do I bring it back? And what if I can’t? What if I fail?

    I turn away from the mirror and run my hands through my hair again. There’s got to be a way. There has to be. I can’t stay here, cut off from everything. I can’t keep feeling this… hollow. I need to find a way out, and that power is the only thing I have left to hold onto.

    I raise my hands, closing my eyes, focusing on the energy I feel swirling within me. The wind should bend to my will, I tell myself. The power should course through my veins, pushing me to control it, to finally grasp what I’ve been struggling with. The air around me should feel like a tangible thing, something I can mold, something I can shape. But as I concentrate, just as a flicker of light ignites in my hand, a sudden sting shoots up behind my ear. It’s sharp, like something’s been driven into me.

    I wince, my eyes snapping open, and I instinctively reach up to touch the spot. The pain is raw, like it’s fresh, even though I can’t remember when it started. My fingers brush against the skin, and something catches me off guard-there’s something there, something engraved into my skin, something that wasn’t there before. I freeze. My mind races back, shes of memory: my father’s body, cold and lifeless, that mark etched into his skin, the one Caleb had mentioned-the one he said was used to transfer power. Could this be it? Could my biological father have bound my powers to him somehow, leaving me useless, powerless?

    The thought gnaws at me, but there’s no time to dive deeper into the possibility. I can’t even be sure that’s what’s happening. I don’t have any solid proof, just my gut instinct, iny fear.

    And just as I’m about to go further down that dark path of thought, a knock at the door breaks my concentration. Harmona’s voice calls through the wood, her tone steady, just as it always is when she’s here to pull me away from my thoughts.

    “Dinner with the family,” she says, and I can feel the weight of her gaze, even though I’m not looking at her. I don’t have the luxury to explore this any longer. Not now. Not with her standing there.

    Harmona stands right outside the bathroom door, and reluctantly, I lower my hands, the flicker of light vanishing as I hide my hand behind my back. She tilts her head to the side, studying me with an almost knowing smile. “Are you feeling alright, Aurora?”

    “Y-yes.” I swallow, clearing my throat so my voice would be louder, “yes, I’m fine. We should get going.”

    Harmonaes forward ther, and I step back instinctively, thinking that she might hurt me again. But all she does is reach for the small face towel and use it to wipe the water still clinging to my face.

    “This is your first time meeting with your family,” she says, her voice almost excited. “You must look your best.”

    I look down at myself, at the same clothes that I had been wearing to Caroline’s birthday. I thought I looked decent enough, as much as I person could be in

    a situation like this.

    When she was done, she finally took my hand, leading me towards the door. “Come, it’s time.”

    I take onest nce at the raw spot behind my ear before heading to the door, my hand still in Harmona’s. The time had finallye for me to figure out exactly where I was.

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    imed by My Bully Alpha