For the past four years, Alexander has walked the halls of Unus Academy-a school of supernaturals, gods, and monsters alike. The rules are simple: conceal your identity, control your power, and never let your true nature show.
Alexander expected iso...
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The forest blurred around us as Mark ran, branches whipping past. I slipped in and out of consciousness every time Father's influence clawed through my mind, the pain was unbearable.
I gasped, fingers tightening in Mark's shirt.
"Stay with me, Alex. We're almost there."
I heard shouting behind us but it felt distant. Everything was muffled, like I was underwater.
Soon the air grew warmer. Heavier.
I blinked, barely conscious. "Where...?"
A low, rumbling growl answered me. From the shadows Cerberus emerged, his three heads blocking the moonlight.
Mark stopped several feet away while still holding me securely. "Cerberus, we need to pass."
The middle head snarled, teeth bared, but the right head's ears flattened. He sniffed, catching my scent as he looked for me.
Another pulse of Father's influence ripped through me, causing me to cry out.
He reacted instantly, all three heads snapping to my attention. A deep, mournful whine rumbled from them.
"He's hurt. His father is trying to drag him back. If we don't get through, he may not be allowed out ever."
Cerberus growled again.
"Please."
I forced my eyes open. "Cerb...," my voice cracked.
The massive beast lowered himself to the ground, bowing.
Mark adjusted his grip on me and stepped forward. "Thank you."
But before we entered, Cerberus leaned in. One of his heads brushed my shoulder with a low, protective rumble.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Just a little longer," Mark said to me as we moved forward. The air was turning thinner crackling with the changing atmosphere.
He surged forward, clutching me tight against his chest, and leapt straight into the portal. The world twisted. Then silence.
"Alex... we made it. You'll be okay."
I couldn't answer. The world grew dark.
~~~~~~~~
I was small again.
Time had a weird way of moving in hell. Both fast and slow at the same time.
The courtyard stones were cold beneath my bare feet. The looming presence towered over me, casting a shadow along the path.
"You're not trying."
"I am," I whispered.
I could hear Evangeline's laugh from the steps. She was delighted to see me fail. "I am," she mocked me in a high pitched tone, laughing. "Look at him, he's shaking."
