chapter 7

“My name is Amiela, and I am your Fae spirit,” it echoed in my ear.

“My… what?” I finally managed to whisper

“Your Fae spirit,” Amiela repeated, her tone patient and warm.

A shiver ran through me. Every hair on my skin stood up as I looked around again, just to be sure. My breathing hitched as I clutched the sheets tighter. “Fae spirit?” I whispered, my voice cracking halfway.

Something inside me stirred, a pulse, faint but powerful, like a second heartbeat that wasn’t mine.

“You’re not ordinary, Aria,” Amiela’s voice murmured again, calm but firm. “You’re not weak. You were never meant to be.”

“No, I am human. I’m normal. What are you talking about?” I asked.

“I have been inside you since the day you were born I was just dormant,” she said gently.

“Dormant?” I repeated, confused.

I shook my head, disbelief twisting in my chest. “No. That’s impossible. I’m just human.”

“Humans don’t survive a rejection like that,” Amiela interrupted softly, her voice echoing in the back of my mind like a calm tide. “You should have passed out from the pain. But you didn’t, because you’re not ordinary, Aria. You never were.”

I swallowed hard. “Then… why does it still hurt?”

Her tone softened, a hint of sympathy weaving through her words. “Because the bond isn’t broken.”

My heart skipped. “What?”

“The bond between you and the Alpha,” Amiela said gently. “He rejected you, yes… but you didn’t accept it. Until you do, the bond will stay alive although weak, but not gone.”

Her words hit me like a wave of realization. I didn’t even know rejection had… rules.

“So the pain,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “it’s because…”

“Because your souls are still connected,” she finished for me. “He cut the string, but you’re still holding the other end.”

I shut my eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks again. “I don’t know if I can let go. Why would he do that to me? I thought the kiss meant something to us.”

“It did,” Amiela said quietly. “But he believes we are weak.”

Her words sank deep into my chest like a blade. I pressed my hand against my heart, trying to stop the ache, but it only throbbed harder.

“He doesn’t even know me,” I whispered bitterly. “How can he say that?”

“Because he’s afraid,” Amiela murmured. “Afraid of what he doesn’t understand.”

I let out a shaky breath, my tears burning. “And what am I supposed to do now? Pretend none of this happened? Pretend he didn’t tear me apart?”

“No,” she said softly. “You endure it. You learn from it. You grow stronger.”

I wiped my cheeks roughly. “Stronger? I can barely breathe.”

A faint hum echoed in my chest again, the same strange pulse as before. It spread through my veins like warmth, soft but alive. I looked down at my hands and, for a second, I swore I saw a faint shimmer under my skin, like golden dust before it disappeared.

I gasped. “What was that?”

“Your essence,” Amiela answered. “But don’t force it. You’re not ready yet.”

My heartbeat quickened. “Essence? What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re not just human, Aria. You carry something old… something powerful. But power without strength will destroy you.”

I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. “Then what do I do?”

“Wait,” Amiela said, her voice fading like a whisper in the wind. “Your time will come. Until then… survive.”

The room fell silent again, but the air around me felt different, heavier, charged. I sat there, trembling, my heart racing with confusion and fear.

At some point, my tears stopped. My body gave up fighting the pain, and exhaustion took over. I didn’t even realize when I fell asleep.

The last thing I remembered was Amiela’s fading voice whispering, “Until then… survive.”

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight was spilling gently through the curtains.

For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, unsure if everything that happened last night had been real—or just a dream born from the pain.

But then I sat up, and something felt… different.

My chest didn’t ache anymore. The burning that had ripped through me was gone. My whole body felt light almost too light.

I blinked, trying to steady my breathing. “What… happened to me?”

I swung my legs over the bed and stood up, half expecting the weakness to come back.

It didn’t.

In fact, I felt stronger, steady, almost refreshed.

As I walked past the mirror, I stopped.

Something about my reflection made me freeze. My skin looked clearer, brighter somehow, and my eyes—they glimmered faintly, a hint of gold shining through the usual brown.

“What the hell…” I whispered, leaning closer.

I shook my head, trying to push away the thought. “You’re just tired, Aria. That’s all.”

I grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom, letting the sound of running water drown my racing thoughts. The steam filled the small space, curling around me like a blanket.

For the first time since last night, I almost felt… calm.

But as I stepped under the water, my foot slipped on the wet tile.

Everything happened fast.I lost my balance, hit the floor hard, and pain shot up my arm.

I winced, glancing down at a small cut forming on my skin.

“Perfect,” I muttered under my breath. “Just perfect.”

But before I could even think of standing up, the cut began to close.

Right before my eyes, the skin knitted together, the blood disappeared, and within seconds… it was gone.

Completely gone.

I froze, staring in disbelief. “What the actual hell just happened?”

Then, just as panic started rising in my throat, her voice came again soft, calm, and echoing from somewhere deep inside me.

Your power is working, she said gently. You’re becoming stronger… and it’s divine.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. “Amiela?” I whispered. “What do you mean?”

But this time, she didn’t answer.

Only the quiet sound of water filled the room.

I stood there for a long moment, trying to breathe, trying to make sense of what I just saw. My pulse finally slowed, and I forced myself to finish showering. The warm water soothed the last of my fear, even if my mind was still spinning.

When I stepped out, I looked at myself again in the mirror. There was still that strange glow in my eyes but now, instead of fear, I saw something else. Strength.

Maybe I didn’t understand what was happening. Maybe I wasn’t ready to.

But one thing was certain I didn’t feel weak anymore.

I got dressed quietly, tied my hair up, and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Whatever was waiting outside, I knew I couldn’t hide anymore.

And this time… I wasn’t the same Aria who cried herself to sleep last night.

I walked out of the room feeling strangely at ease, like the weight that had been pressing on my chest all night had finally lifted.

The air felt different, lighter somehow, and every sound seemed clearer than before the creak of the floorboards beneath my feet, the soft hum of the morning breeze.

I made my way downstairs, smoothing my hair absently as I descended the steps.

That was when I saw him.

Derick stood near the window, his posture straight and composed, talking to a man I’d never seen before. He was dressed sharply, his expression calm but focused.

But what made me stop wasn’t the sight of them together it was how I could hear them clearly.

They were on the far end of the room, yet I could hear every word of their conversation as though they were standing right beside me.

My breath caught. I blinked, trying to make sense of it, but the voices didn’t fade. They stayed sharp and distinct, echoing in my ears.

My fingers tightened around the railing as my heart started to race.

What… what the hell is happening to me?