Chapter 133
Lisa’s POV_
The tunnel was endless.
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My hands scraped against cold stone as I crawled forward. The narrow walls were pressing so tightly against me that I could barely breathe. The beam of the flashlight trembled with every step I took. Dust filled my lungs.
Every sound echoed; the thud of my knees, the faint rush of my breath, the distant dripping of
water.
Sierra, I can’t breathe, I whispered in my head.
“Keep going. Follow the air. There is wind here. It means that there is a way out.”
Her voice steadied me even when my body trembled. I focused on that faint current brushing against my cheek. I moved toward it. Sometimes, I had to crawl on my stomach, pulling myself through gaps so narrow my ribs scraped the walls. My heart thundered every time I thought the tunnel might close on me forever.
The flashlight flickered. I hit it against my palm, praying it wouldn’t die now. Darkness here felt alive. It was whispering and reaching out for me.
“I won’t die here,” I muttered, my voice cracking. “I won’t let Fenric win.”
After what felt like hours, the tunnel widened slightly. I stumbled forward, knees shaking, and then, there was a shimmer of faint silver light ahead.
“Moonlight,” I breathed. “Sierra, we found it.”
“Hurry, Lisa. We need to get out before anyone notices.”
The tunnel sloped upward. I pushed through roots and damp soil until my fingers met cool air. I shoved harder, and finally, the earth gave way. I tumbled out into the open.
The night air hit my face like a blessing.
I gasped. The forest surrounded me. There were tall, dark trees and the faint rustle of leaves. I could smell smoke and hear distant chanting carried on the wind. I pushed myself up, brushing dirt and blood from my hands.
Thorns clung to my borrowed body. Branches had torn my sleeves, leaving small scratches across Katherine’s pale skin. But I didn’t care. I was free.
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Chapter 133
Or so I thought.
Because the moment I turned my head, I froze.
—
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There were lights in the distance torches burning bright near the Shadowrune border. Shadows moved between them. Voices rose. They were deep, commanding and angry.
I crept closer, staying low, my heart thudding in my ears.
And then I saw them.
Kael, Rylan and Morana. Their warriors lined up, tense and ready for battle. And across from them, there was an army of warlocks and witches. Their eyes were glowing with magic.
But it wasn’t just them.
Standing calmly at their side, draped in white, was me.
My breath caught. I stared in disbelief. My body, my face, my hair, stood beside the warlocks like one of them. My heart twisted painfully.
“No,” I whispered. “That’s… that’s my body.”
“Katherine,” Sierra’s voice was sharp. ” She is inside your body. She has taken control.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “So that’s why I’m here. Fenric used me as a vessel… just to let her bring my body to him.”
Below, the voices grew louder.
“You’re not crossing this border with her!” Rylan’s voice thundered across the clearing.
Kael’s wolf aura was rising. It was visible even from here. There was golden power crackling around him. “You step one inch further,” he growled, “and you won’t live to regret it.”
The warlocks only smirked. One of them raised his staff. There was dark light swirling at his fingertips. “We don’t need to cross, Alpha. The girl comes with us willingly.”
My body smiled. But it wasn’t my smile. It was cruel and confident. The kind that made the world feel colder.
“That’s not you, Lisa. Don’t look.”
But I couldn’t look away. My chest felt like it was breaking open.
I wanted to scream. To tell them that it wasn’t me. That I was right here, trapped inside the wrong skin.
Chapter 133
Kael took a step forward, his fury blazing. “Give her back to us.”
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Morana stepped up beside him. Her magic was glowing faintly blue. “You can’t control her forever,” she warned. “Whatever spell you’ve used…it won’t last.”
The warlock smiled darkly. “Long enough.”
A sharp hum of power filled the air. The witches began to chant. The trees shook. They were whispering with strange energy.
I saw Rylan’s hands clench at his sides. His wolf was barely restrained.
My heart broke watching him; the way his jaw tightened and the pain flickering behind his eyes. He didn’t know. He didn’t know that I was still fighting to reach him.
And then I made a decision.
If I stayed hidden, they would all die.
“Stop!” I shouted.
My voice tore through the chaos, echoing across the forest.
Everything froze. The chanting stopped. Even the flames flickered weaker for a heartbeat.
Every eye turned toward me.
I stepped out from behind the thorny bushes. My clothes were torn and my hair was tangled and full of dirt. My knees almost gave out under the weight of their stares.
Rylan’s eyes widened. “Katherine?”
The name hit me like a knife. But I stood tall and forced my trembling lips into a steady line.
“Please,” I cried. “Don’t let them take her!”
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Rylan’s eyes flicked between me and my body standing among the warlocks. His expression hardened. “What kind of trick is this?”
Morana looked confused. “Why would you be concerned?” she whispered.
Kael’s growl rolled through the air. “Enough games. We finish this now.”
“Wait!” I shouted again. “I’m not Katherine! I’m Lisa!”
Kael turned sharply. “You expect us to believe that?”
< Chapter 133
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Rylan stared at me. His eyes were burning with disbelief. “Stop this nonsense. You’re one of Fenric’s witches. Why are you pretending to be on our side?”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Because it’s true!” I screamed. “I’m trapped in her body!”
He shook his head slowly. “No. That’s impossible. Lisa is there.” He pointed toward my body; the one wearing my skin, my face and smiling with cold delight.
“That’s not me!” I cried. “Katherine’s soul is inside that body. Fenric made it happen.”
Rylan’s brows furrowed. “You’re lying.”
I took a deep breath. My voice broke as I spoke. “When we went to the ruins of Eldermoor, Fenric sent those creatures to distract you. He tricked me. He took Morana’s form and made me follow him. He dragged me into the past. He used a ritual to bind Katherine’s soul into my body so she could bring it here…to Shadowrune. That was his plan all along.”
Rylan just stared at me.
I swallowed hard. My voice was trembling. “He doesn’t need my soul. He needs my blood to end his curse.”
“Enough!” Rylan roared. “This is madness. You’re making it up!”
I shook my head. “No! Rylan, listen. I met my mother there….in the past. She helped me free the lost souls Fenric killed. They helped me return. But I couldn’t go back to my own body… so I woke up in this one. Please, you have to believe me.”
There was complete silence.
Morana’s eyes widened slightly. “That explains it,” she murmured. “When I tried to find you through the bond, I couldn’t sense your wolf. That’s because she wasn’t there.”
Rylan still didn’t speak. His hands clenched into fists.
So I whispered the only truth that could reach him. “Rylan,” I said softly, my voice breaking, the first night you touched me… you said you wanted to memorize every scar on my skin because you didn’t know if you would ever deserve to see me again.”
He froze. His eyes went wide. The breath left his chest.
“That’s… that’s what I said,” he whispered.
Kael’s jaw tightened. He looked away, but I saw the flicker of jealousy in his eyes.
Then my body, Katherine’s soul wearing my face, laughed. The sound was sharp and cruel.
”
< Chapter 133
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“It’s too late now, Lisa,” she said, her voice echoing with power. “You’ve already lost. Your little Alpha and your precious witch can’t save you. We have dark magic on our side. You will all fall tonight.”
Her laughter echoed through the night.
And then, the battle began.
Morana raised her hands, summoning a blinding sphere of light. It pulsed with raw magic, growing brighter until it exploded toward the warlocks. The blast sent several of them flying, but they recovered quickly. They were chanting louder and they came back stronger.
Morana’s body shook from the strain. Sweat dripped down her forehead. “There’s too many!”
she shouted.
Kael’s warriors lunged forward, their wolves clashing against spells that burned through the
air. The scent of sweat and blood filled the forest.
I tried to summon my power but nothing happened. There was no spark and no warmth. I was trapped in a body that didn’t belong to me.
Sierra! I can’t!
You can’t channel your bond in this body, Lisa. Katherine’s body rejects it.
Frustration burned through me. I wanted to fight, but I could only watch as the people I loved
risked their lives.
Morana staggered. Her magic was flickering. “I can’t hold it much longer!” she gasped.
And then the air grew colder.
A shadow rippled across the battlefield.
Every spell died midair. Every wolf froze.
And a voice, deep and cruel, slid through the silence like poison.
“So, it said softly, “you’ve managed to return to the present… Lisa.”
I turned slowly.
He stood there, tall and cloaked in darkness, his eyes glowing like embers.
Fenric.
My blood turned to ice.
<Chapter 134