Chapter 4 Awakening Shadows

• The sudden crash shattered the fragile silence of the night like a thunderclap. Ivy’s heart jumped into her throat as shards of glass tinkled down onto the porch. Her breath hitched. Somewhere outside, a low, guttural growl rolled through the forest, sending a shiver straight to her core.
• She pressed her back flat against the cold wall of the old house, clutching the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Every nerve screamed to run, to escape the unknown danger lurking just beyond the windows, but she was rooted in place. It was as if something deeper inside her held her firm, a growing, restless energy.
• Then the door slammed open with a violent crash.
• Kael stormed into the room, his amber eyes glowing fiercely in the dim light. His body was coiled, every muscle taut and ready to strike. Behind him stumbled two figures — a tall, battle-scarred man, and a woman whose unnatural, flickering eyes sent a chill down Ivy’s spine.
• “They followed me,” Kael growled, shutting the door hard behind them. “Rogues. They won’t stop until they find you.”
• Ivy swallowed hard, panic tightening its grip on her throat. “Why me? What do they want?”
• Kael’s jaw clenched like iron. “Power. Control. The Marked One is the key to everything.”
• The woman stepped forward, her voice icy and sharp. “She’s more valuable alive than dead. You know that, Kael.”
• Kael’s eyes narrowed with warning. “We’ll see about that.”
• The tension in the room was electric. Ivy’s pulse thundered in her ears. She wanted to run — to hide from these dangerous strangers — but her body refused to obey.
• Then, suddenly, a strange heat blossomed in her chest. It spread like wildfire, igniting every nerve ending with an energy that felt at once terrifying and strangely familiar. Her skin prickled, hairs standing on end.
• Her vision sharpened. Sounds became clearer, the shadows seemed to shift, and the faintest scent of pine and earth filled the room, almost overpowering.
• Without warning, Ivy felt a surge of strength coursing through her veins. Instinctively, she lunged for the nearest weapon — a heavy brass candlestick sitting on the mantel.
• She gripped it tightly, raising it like a sword.
• The two rogues hesitated, momentarily taken aback by the fierce fire suddenly blazing in the woman they had come to capture.
• Kael’s voice was fierce, cutting through the silence. “Ivy, control it! Use it!”
• Her hands trembled but she swung the candlestick with a power she never knew she had. It connected solidly with the man’s arm, sending him staggering backward.
• The woman hissed, claws suddenly extending from her fingertips as she lunged forward.
• Ivy barely dodged the swipe, stumbling, adrenaline flooding her veins. The warmth inside her grew, pulsing stronger — filling her with a fierce courage she hadn’t felt before.
• Kael moved like a shadow, interceding with brutal precision. His growls were low and terrifying as he fought the rogues off, protecting Ivy with every ounce of his strength.
• But Ivy knew this was only the beginning.
• The energy inside her roared louder, begging to be unleashed. It was power she had to master — or it would destroy her.
• As the battle raged on, Ivy realized one thing with terrifying clarity:
• She was no longer just a scared girl from Silver Ridge.
• She was the Marked One.
• And the fight for her destiny had begun.