Chapter 23: Emerging Beast

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Her question felt like chains were placed upon his shoulders and locked around his ankles

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Her question felt like chains were placed upon his shoulders and locked around his ankles. His heart seemed to throb in his chest, beating painfully. It felt as if someone had injected a dark serum into the organ to restrict its life. Terror ran through him like strikes of lightning, and his apprehension seemed to shimmer in his eyes like the electric flashes of light.

She peered up at him with a knowing look. She knew the impact her question had on him, and she knew the topic was a sensitive one, but she also knew it needed to be addressed.

He couldn't run from his wolf forever.

"He's dead." 

His answer was short. His tone was cold. His heart was sorrowful.

But he knew it wasn't the truth. He knew his wolf was alive and he knew Asheria knew that was well.

So why did he try to lie?

"You can't keep your wolf locked up forever," Asheria spoke, laying a hand on his upper arm, "It isn't healthy for you. Suppressing who you are will only harm you."

Kyros looked down at his feet. He knew she was right, he knew. But he was terrified. It had been so long since he had shifted into his wolf, and the last time he had done so he had murdered everybody in his path.

He had promised he would never shift again.

Was he preparing to break his promise? Was he willing to do so? After all, the promise was spoken into the air on the assumption that his wolf was truly evil and corrupt.

But now that that wasn't the case, was it safe to break his promise?

He shook his head. He didn't know.

"I don't want to hurt anybody." He whispered.

"You won't," Asheria stepped closer to him, rubbing his arm, "You've been set free."

"How can you be so sure?"

Her eyes searched his eyes in the glistening, orange glow of the torches in flames around them. He could only stare down at her with a caring gaze, his chest rising and falling slowly.

This was the first time he had looked at her in such a way, and he looked away from her gaze. From her trance.

"You can only hide from your fears before they finally find you and break you," Asheria whispered.

He sighed. "Why must it be so difficult?"

"We were born into this earth with scars engraved onto our souls prophesying the trials in which we all must face. This is no different, but be strong. Each trial has the power to strengthen certain traits. Depending on how you handle them, these traits can be promoted into something better or something....more sinister. Which will you choose?"

Kyros knew the answer. So did Asheria.

He seemed to answer silently and Asheria spoke once more. "So, the question is not if trials will happen, but when."

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