Chapter 101: Broken Chains
The silver light from the broken crystal spread through Kael’s body like liquid fire. But instead of pain, he felt... complete.
"What did you do?" Celeste shrieked, backing away from him. Kael stood up slowly, the crystal pieces melting into his skin. "I figured out your trick.
That wasn’t my daughter’s soul in there. It was the missing piece of mine you stole years ago."
"Impossible!"
"When we were kids, you used to practice dark magic behind the school," Kael said, his ice skills now glowing with silver light. "You took something from each of us back then. A piece of our souls to control us later." Celeste’s face went pale.
"How did you—" "Because I’m the strategist," Kael smiled coldly. "And I just got my full power back." Meanwhile, in the abandoned school building, Elara dodged another shadow creature’s claws.
Her wolf was tired, and the baby inside her was making her movements slower. "You can’t run forever," the shadows whispered. "Just like you couldn’t run from being unwanted." The school around her changed, showing her worst memories.
Every time someone called her weak. Every moment she felt worthless. Every day she believed she didn’t deserve love.
But then Kael’s voice repeated in her mind: Stop fighting your memories. Embrace them. Elara stopped running. She turned to face the shadows surrounding her. "You’re right," she said strongly.
"I was unwanted. I was called weak. I did feel stupid." The shadows stopped, confused. "But that’s not who I am now," Elara added. "Every harsh word made me stronger.
Every refusal taught me my worth. Every moment of pain showed me what real love looks like." Her hands glowed with golden light - not the silver of the trial, but something pure and warm.