The night pressed down like a living thing, thick and suffocating. Mist curled around the ruins, twisting over stone arches and shattered walls, hiding secrets—and footsteps. Ariana moved cautiously, the twins clutching her hands, small fingers gripping hers with desperate intensity.
Her nerves screamed. Every instinct screamed danger. Yet she couldn't afford to run blindly—not when the twins' powers were awakening.
"They're coming," one whispered.
Ariana's jaw tightened. "I know."
The words weren't meant to reassure herself—they weren't. Every time she saw Jayden's golden eyes, every time she felt the pull between them, she felt herself weakening. And tonight, there was no time for weakness.
"Stay close," she murmured, guiding the twins through the twisted paths of the ruins. Each step was measured, careful, the faint hum of magic protecting them like a heartbeat.
Behind them, Jayden followed silently, cloaked in shadows, eyes scanning the dark for threats. He didn't speak—not yet—but Ariana could feel his presence, heavy and relentless. He was close enough that every step she took brushed against the heat radiating from him.
She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to focus.
The first strike came without warning.
A flash of movement in the mist—a blade of darkness hurtling toward them. Ariana reacted instinctively, sweeping the twins behind her and unleashing a pulse of energy that sent the attacker crashing into the ruins. Stone splintered, glass shattered, and the air vibrated with raw power.
Jayden was already beside her, moving like a shadow, fangs glinting, hands ripping through the attacker with precision and ferocity. He was terrifying—and magnificent.
Ariana's heart pounded in ways that had nothing to do with fear.
The twins mirrored her tension, but their powers flared instinctively, small sparks of silver energy dancing from their fingertips, weaving protective shields around them.
Jayden's eyes widened. Recognition flashed across his features—power, raw and untrained, responding to him.
She noticed, but didn't let it show. She couldn't.
The fight escalated. Three more attackers emerged from the mist, faster, stronger, hungrier. Ariana dodged instinctively, pulling the twins close as energy coursed through her. Her hair whipped around her face, eyes bright with determination and fear.
"Enough!" Jayden roared, moving like a storm. His power erupted, ripping through the ground, sending attackers flying into the stone pillars of the ruins. His golden eyes glowed, body tense, aura thrumming with ancient force.
Ariana felt herself pulled into his storm, the proximity almost unbearable. Her pulse thundered in her ears as he moved with lethal grace beside her. Every brush of his arm, every shared breath, set her skin aflame.
The twins gasped, instinctively holding onto her, eyes wide as silver sparks danced along their hands.
One of them murmured, almost unconsciously, "He's… powerful."
Ariana's chest tightened. They didn't know what they were saying—but she did. And so did Jayden.
The last of the attackers struck from behind, a surge of shadow magic aimed directly at Ariana. She barely had time to react.
Jayden twisted around just in time, catching the energy in his hands. He growled—a low, resonant sound that vibrated through the ruins.
"You're mine," he said, voice low, deadly, and intimate all at once.
Ariana froze, chest burning, stomach twisting.
The words weren't about the fight. They weren't about the magic.
They were about her.
Her heart hammered. She wanted to turn to him, to collapse into him, to let the storm between them consume every restraint.
But the twins pressed against her, small faces pale and scared, snapping her back to reality.
"Focus," she whispered to herself, guiding the twins behind another ruined arch.
Jayden's eyes followed them, lingering on the children, and something in her chest twisted. He was still unaware. He didn't know they were his—and yet… his instincts recognized them in ways he couldn't explain.
Ariana swallowed hard, pushing herself to remain composed. She couldn't allow him to see the truth—not yet.
After what felt like hours, the attackers finally retreated, melting back into the night. Ariana sank against a stone pillar, heart racing, sweat cooling on her skin.
Jayden approached cautiously, hand extended—not touching her, but close enough that heat radiated between them. "Are you hurt?" he asked, voice rough, controlled.
"Not badly," she whispered, though her body ached in every joint, her muscles trembling.
He crouched beside her, gaze flicking between her face and the twins, lingering a moment too long. "They're… special," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Ariana tensed. "Don't say that."
He looked up sharply, golden eyes burning. "Why not? Don't lie to me, Ariana. I can feel it. And I can feel them too."
Her chest tightened painfully. He was too close. Too aware. She wanted to push him away—and yet, every nerve in her body screamed to lean in, to let him see even a fraction of the truth.
Instead, she said nothing.
The twins huddled together, whispering softly to each other. Ariana's eyes flicked to them. Their power was responding to Jayden, subtly, instinctively. Silver sparks danced along their fingers when they thought he wasn't watching.
Jayden noticed anyway. His jaw clenched, a low growl escaping. "They're reacting to me," he muttered, almost angrily.
Ariana's stomach twisted. She tightened her arms around them. "It's just instinct," she said. "Nothing more."
But he didn't respond. His eyes lingered on the children, his senses stretched, golden gaze sharp and probing.
And deep down, she knew—he was closer to the truth than ever before.
Night settled over the ruins, cold and silent now except for the soft whispers of the wind.
Ariana guided the twins into the shelter she'd prepared. They huddled close, trembling but safe for the moment.
Jayden remained outside, standing guard, eyes scanning the mist. His presence pressed against the shelter walls like heat, yet he did not enter—respecting her space, but unwilling to retreat.
Ariana's chest burned. She wanted to hate him for being there, wanted to curse his proximity—but instead, she felt herself drawn into the pull between them. Desire, frustration, fear—all colliding in waves too strong to deny.
Her hands brushed the twins' hair, feeling the subtle hum of power still lingering around them. And she knew, with a sinking certainty, that the prophecy was moving faster than ever.
Soon, secrets would be revealed.
And when they were…
Everything would change.