Born Of Two Worlds

ouncil's black envelope tucked inside her denim jacket, a weight she couldn't ignore, pressing against her ribs like a stone. The air was cool, carrying the metallic tang

the coat, his knowing smile haunting her like a ghost. The shadows around her felt restless, t

mind a tangle of fear and defiance. She wasn't naive enough to think they'd wait patiently for her decision. They'd sent someone to watch her-maybe the man from the coffee shop, his dark eyes and heavy shadows burned into her memory, or maybe ot

sting long, jagged shadows across the cracked pavement, like fingers reaching for her. She quickened her pace, her breath visible in the chilly air, her jacket's zipper jingling softly. The envelope in her pocket s

et was empty, the storefronts silent, but the shadows weren't. They writhed, coiling along the walls in ways no natural light could explain, their edges sharpening into shapes that made her stomach lurch. Her pulse spiked,

ws, spikes, eyes that glinted like shards of glass. Lila's fear surged, and with it, her own shadows stirred, straining against the tight leash of her control, begging to be unleashed. Not now, she t

and damp concrete, the stench thick in her throat. A single streetlight flickered at the far end, its weak glow barely reaching the shadows that pooled like ink around her. Lila's breath came in sharp bursts as she ran, her boots slippin

s shifting and blurring, as if they were both there and not there, shadows given flesh but not substance. They weren't human, not entirely, their edges dissolving and reforming w

Her own shadows pooled at her feet, rising like a tide, ready to obey her command. The air humme

ids staring through her. "Lila Morgan," it hissed, its voice a chorus of whispers, layered and dis

writhing darkness that pulsed with her heartbeat. But her control was shaky, her fear feeding the power, making it wild and unpredictable. The shadows

ng her jacket and leaving a stinging cut that burned with unnatural cold. She scrambled to her feet, her breath ragged, and unleashed her power, no longer holding back. The shadows around her exploded outward, forming a

streetlight, plunging the alley into near-darkness, the only light now the faint glow of distant streetlamps and the eerie glint of the assassins' eyes. Panic clawed at her chest, her vision blurring as her powers spiraled out of

ures, its form looming like a wall of smoke. The others closed in, their whispers filling the air, pressing against her mind, urging her to give in. Lila's s

la froze, her shadows faltering, as a man stepped into the alley, his silhouette framed by the dim glow of the street beyond. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that fell into his eyes and a leather jacke

ed, his voice cuttin

heir forms unraveling like smoke caught in a windstorm, their glinting eyes dimming as they dissolved. The man moved with relentless focus, his shots unrelenting, each bolt

pon, securing it to a holster at his side, and turned to her, his face half-hidden in the dark. His eyes were sharp, assessing, but not unkind, a deep hazel

from the surge of power. "Who are you?" she demanded, pushing herself to her feet, her legs unsteady.

saw his face clearly-rugged, with a faint scar across his jaw, and eyes that held too many secrets, like he'd car

r hardening into defiance, her hands cle

are waking up, and you're not ready. Those things? Shadow wraiths. The council's enforc

rn, the same term the woman on the phone had used. She took a step back, her shadows flaring, casting jagged shapes on the

t even close. I'm a hunter. I track things like those wraiths, keep them from hurting people like you. But you're not just any

e'd saved her, risked his life to take down those assassins, but trust was a risk she couldn't afford, not with the council's

ouncil's got plans for you-plans you won't like. You can't hide from this, Lila. Your powers are too big, too

their whispers quieter now but still restless. She wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, that she could keep running, keep hiding. But the assassins' whispers still echoed in her mind-Come with us. Surrender-and h

ed, how vulnerable it made her feel. Her hands unclenched, her shadows s

nctuary for people like you-outcasts, runaways, anyone the council wants to control. We can keep you safe, help you con

intly at his side. The envelope in her jacket felt heavier, the council's summons a chain she couldn't break, its wax seal a brand she couldn't erase. She didn't trust him, not yet, not fully, but

at her, her chin lifting in defiance. "But if you're lying

rk of respect in his eyes. "Fair enough. Let

. The city loomed beyond, its lights bright but cold, a labyrinth of concrete and secrets. Somewhere in its depths, the council waited, their enforcers already regrouping, their plans for her unfolding like a storm.