Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Vivian’s POV

“What?” I whispered in disbelief, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch the wall. But it was nothing but bare gilded wood. “Why isn’t it here?”

My pulse roared in my ears as I stumbled backward, scanning the length of the ballroom. I hurried along the wall, dragging my palms across the cold panels as if the mirror might suddenly materialize beneath my fingers.

It didn’t.

“Fuck!” My fingers combed through my hair, chest heaving with frustration. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Why wasn’t it here?

Was I hallucinating?

Then how did I get here then?!

I replayed the moment in my mind again, the sunlight, the ripple, the violent pull. It had all been real. I wasn’t hallucinating.

So I continued to search. I searched behind the heavy curtains, my fingers fumbling with thick velvet as I yanked them aside. Still nothing.

Next, I crouched low, checking underneath each lavish piece of furniture, even when I knew it was ridiculous. No one would put a mirror under a sofa, but what else could I do?

“Come on!” I hissed at the empty room, running a hand over my face. But then I spun too quickly, my elbow knocking into something solid.

A sharp crash cut through the silence of the night, making me freeze in my tracks. Dread pooled in my stomach as I looked down at my feet, at the shattered remains of the ceramic vase scattered across the polished floor.

“Oh no.” I gasped, my inner historian screaming. “No, no, no…”

I had just broken something that could have been preserved for the future.

“Did you hear that?” A voice echoed outside the hall, snapping me back to reality. “It came from the ballroom!”

Shit. Guards.

Panic surged through me as I scurried for a place to hide, knowing there was no way to run back to my room without being seen.

Without a second thought, I bolted toward the nearest window, grunting as I struggled with the latch. “Open, open, open.”

The rushed footsteps grew louder, and I gritted my teeth, summoning all of my strength. With a final shove, the window flew upward, cold night air slapping my face.

Just as the ballroom doors creaked open, I climbed onto the sill and jumped.

The fall wasn’t far, but I landed hard on the damp grass, swallowing a cry as pain shot up my ankle.

I exhaled shakily, pressing my back against the stone wall of the estate. My heart was beating so hard it hurt, drumming in my ears and reminding me of how insane this was.

I just leaped out of a window in a nightdress.

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips as I tipped my head back, looking up at the dark sky.

It was a full moon night, bathing the gardens in pale silver light. The estate grounds stretched before me; hedges trimmed into interesting shapes, gravel paths winding between statues and fountains.

It was beautiful. Terrifyingly so.

A groan rumbled in my chest as I pushed myself to my feet, glancing around to evade any stationed guards. If the mirror wasn’t in the ballroom…then maybe it was somewhere else.

And I just had to find it…

Gravel crunched beneath my slippers as I limped forward, the hem of the gown brushing around my ankles.

But then something moved in the corner of my eyes. A sharp movement that made me whirl around.

I paused, my ears perked as I waited, unconsciously holding my breath.

I wanted to think it was nothing. That my mind was playing tricks on me. And I almost did—until a low growl vibrated through the air.

Goosebumps prickled my skin, not from the chill of the night, but from the menacing presence looming behind me.

Slowly, I turned, the color draining from my face.

A beast stood at the edge of the trees, its yellow eyes glowing unnaturally in the darkness. Its fur was dark and uneven, patches scarred and torn. Saliva dripped from bared fangs as it snarled, another growl ripping through its throat.

It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Nothing like any animal I knew existed, even among the extinct ones.

No. This….this looked like something corrupted, radiating a pulsating energy that locked my knees.

The beast crouched, its eyes flickering with intent. Then it lunged.

My scream died on my tongue as I stumbled backward, collapsing against the ground. I braced my arms over my face, expecting bone-shattering pain.

But then something slammed into it midair. A blur of gray and silver.

My lips quivered as I lowered my arms, my eyes rounding in shock.

It was another beast. A wolf rather. One that was far larger than a normal wolf.

Its silver fur gleamed beneath the moonlight, almost as if it were absorbing energy from it. Its movements were calculated and precise, tackling the other beast with earthquaking force.

They crashed violently into the ground. Teeth snapping, claws tearing through earth and flesh.

I watched everything unfold, my lips parted in awe, paralyzed by fear and intrigue.

The silver wolf overpowered the beast quickly, clamping its jaws around the creature’s throat.

I grimaced as the sickening crack echoed through the grounds, piercing my ears.

The beast went limp instantly, its body collapsing with a resounding thud as a dark pool of blood spread across the ground. The sight was horrendous, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

A beat of excruciating silence passed, and I still didn’t move.

The silver wolf stood over the body, its chest rising and falling steadily. Then it raised its gaze, storm-gray eyes finding mine.

At that moment, the air shifted. A strange wave of energy surged outward, distorting the moonlight. The wolf’s massive frame shimmered, its fur peeling away like smoke, taking the shape of a man.

The last man I expected to see—Adrian Northbrook.

He stood before me, barefoot and bare-chested, unmarked by the violent fight that had ended seconds ago.

His expression was as hard as stone, somewhere between anger and relief.

“You should not wander alone at night,” he reprimanded, his fists clenched at his sides.

I stared at him, my mind spiraling, clashing with everything I believed in, everything I knew about reality, about the world.

Because this…..

This wasn’t in the history books.