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This chapter is unedited so please excuse the grammatical errors. Enjoy!

____

Suzzanah's POV

The minute her name left my lips, Rino gasped, his eyes suddenly focusing on her, and before I could even blink he was already tearing down the concrete path, racing towards her, while I stood there unmoving, too shocked to even breathe.

It was her. It was Karina! My Karina!

She was the one radiating Luna Ethereal's aura so powerfully.

How...?

I knew that aura so well. The aura of our first Luna Queen. And as it stood out in the forefront, I realized that it enveloped another aura within it, which was my sister's own distinct one. Her body exuded the two auras together, but neither blended into the other. They remained separate and yet were emitted simultaneously, altogether constituting her overall aura. And that meant...

Karina was...the Luna Ethereal...?

But...how...?

Although I didn't immediately understand how that was possible, one thing became clear. It was no wonder the fog had brought me right to her. It had appeared when I had heard Karina mindlinking me!

She was here, my sister, our Luna of Hearts! She was but a few meters away from me. Within my reach. I could get to her! The thought made me want to leap in incandescent joy and dash towards her. I wanted nothing more than to run to her and embrace her in my arms. She was right there! And yet...

And yet I couldn't move- no! I wouldn't move. All the unimaginable magnitude of happiness within me wouldn't get me to move. Because by now, this entire scene had become too familiar to me. This ominous sense of foreboding was one I was too well acquainted with. For all that was happening right now had happened before. Exactly like this.

Fresh memories from but a few days ago began to flash before my eyes and dread exploded within me as I realized just what was about to happen. That the heat raging within me was but my body's way of preparing itself for it. And that it would begin soon.

Rino...No!

My thoughts had no time to reach my lips as Rino drew close to the territorial border, and threw his hand out towards Karina, calling out desperately.

"LUNAA!"

Karina, who had been about to reach out and touch the barrier, now took a startled step away from it and I watched petrified as the cloak covering her face fell away, revealing the face I had been longing to see for what felt like ages now.

My heart ached with overwhelming longing and unfathomable love at the sight of her face, her beautiful and painfully familiar features contorting in confusion as she now stared with wide shocked eyes as Rino reached for her. She hurriedly looked around before looking down at herself and then back at Rino, shocked.

But just before Rino's body made contact with the territorial border, the translucent shield gleamed fiercely and a bolt of electric energy burst out of it, crashing into Rino and sending him hurtling away from the Border.

RINOO!!

I wanted to cry out but my voice failed me, no words crossing my lips as the heat searing through me incapacitated me, making me feel faint. Rino landed hard on the ground, a few feet away from the Border. The Barrier had reacted and to his proximity and gone into defence mode, just as it had a few days ago at the Northern Wall.

But the barrier hadn't reacted to Karina's proximity though...

Although that was a good sign, I couldn't bring myself to feel any form of relief as I stared at the scene before me with an impending sense of dread.

Rino...get away from the barrier!

Thankfully, the barriers within the city weren't as aggressive as the ones within the woods, Rino was okay. The barrier hadn't reacted to Karina though...He got right back to his feet and dashed towards the Border yet again, desperately.

"LUNA!" Rino cried out to Karina, reaching for her again but only to be bombarded by yet another barrage of explosive energy and be pushed away from the Border once more.

Karina cringed, worry painting her confused features, but Rino was relentless. He was about to try a third time to get through and before I could call out to him, Karina herself hurriedly held up her hands, urgently motioning him to stay back.

"Stop!" She cried out, concern clear in her face, and he responding to her command, he did as he was told, coming to a halt about a foot away from the Barrier. She still hadn't seen me, the mist around us probably clouding her vision.

"RINA!" Rino cried out, looking into her eyes and I could see the absolute bafflement on Karina's face upon him calling her by her name. Or rather, the name I called her by.

And even though I couldn't hear what she said, I somehow still knew exactly what it was.

"H-how...?"

I wanted to call out to them but the heat within my body was now so unbearable that I could no longer stand it. My knees gave in underneath me and I collapsed to the ground, my hands planting onto the concrete to keep my body up.

N-No...!

"Its me!" I heard Rino tell her, "Its Rino!"

No Rino...!

"I'm a friend! A friend of Anna's!"

NO!

My vision blurred and terror gripped my heart as a very profound feeling that something bad was going to happen flooded my veins once more, just like it had that day when all this had happened for the first time.

That day in the woods by the Northern Wall.

"WHAT?! Its you?!" I heard Karina cry out alarmed, "Is she-is Anna-"

"She is!" Rino cried out, turning his head back to look at me, "Anna's here! She over-"

His voice caught in his throat when his eyes zeroed in on my frame, sprawled on the ground and breathing heavily. I saw all color drain from his face, horror flashing in his wide eyes at the sight of me. And at that very moment, Karina's turned her head towards me, and her eyes finally zeroed in on mine.

And my heart stopped.

I watched terrified as her countenance was painted with disbelief followed by intense panic, and despite me desperately shaking my head at her, her lips parted in utmost anxiety and she screamed out my name.

"ANNAAA!!"

NOOO!

Just as I had feared, the minute she uttered my name, the translucent barrier flashed blindingly, like it had once before by the Northern Wall. As Rino began to run back to me worriedly, it was all set into motion again. And the the next thing I knew, a barrage of silver beams came shooting through it once more.

I gasped in despair as they erupted out of the border and shot towards me, exactly as they had done that day in the woods. And my heart sunk as I established with finality, where they were coming from. It wasn't from the territorial barrier itself, but from Karina.

Shards of silver light exploded out of Karina's body, and came crashing into mine, avoiding everything else in their path. And with every shard that my body absorbed, new-found power seared through my veins.

My god!

As the silver light flowed into me, the intense heat within me began to quell, and all my fatigue and weariness started to disappear. And just like that day I felt more and more alive with every passing second. I had never felt so much power inside of me before. It was...unreal!

And yet...

With every beam of silver light that shot of Karina, her body weakened. With every fragment that entered mine, her skin paled of color. With every little transfer of silver shards that took place from her to me, a part of her life was sucked out of her. And I watched, terrified beyond anything I could ever express, as with every ounce of strength that I gained, she lost...a part of her life-force.

I stared, unable to move, as Rino came to a staggering halt when Karina's body slid to the ground behind him, her dark cloak spilling out around her like a pool of obsidian blood.

Rino's eyes shot to her and he gasped in alarm at the sight of her incapacitated. I heard him call out her name in distress before his panicked gaze shot to back to me. He was torn. Yet again he was torn between aiding me and trying to reach Karina. And I lay here helpless, unable to do a thing while I sucked the life out of my own sister!

Anna...!

I heard Karina's faint voice filled my mind, filling me with pain.

Anna...please be...okay.

NO!

My eyes zeroed in on hers once more and even from the distance, I could see the light fading from her eyes.

NO! KARINA!

An..na...

She's dying. My sister is dying!

KARINA!

Desperation tore through my body like molten fire. My body trembled violently in terror at the thought of losing her, of watching her die right in front of my eyes. I refused to accept it. She couldn't die. She couldn't leave me. No! No!

"RINAA!" I heard Rino scream her name as the last of the silver beams shot out her and her body went limp.

Excruciating pain tore through my body as I watched the last of her life-force ebbing away. For a moment I felt like the entire world had stopped moving and stood still. A part of me almost gave up hope, ready to sink into despair, but then I remembered that Karina never gave up. She was a fighter. She was strong. She couldn't die like this. She wouldn't.

And so, with every inch of my being, I screamed at her to live.

"KARIIINAAA!"

At once the remainder of the silver beams of light froze in the air between us and I felt determination tear through me. My sister wouldn't die. I wouldn't let her. Not as long as I was here.

Rino watched me shocked, frozen as like a stone as power surged through me, stronger than I had ever felt it before. It seared through my blood radiating off of me in waves. And concentrating with all my might, I willed it all out, back to my sister.

"RINAAA! LIVE!"

Silver orbs of power burst out of me and along with the shards that had stopped abruptly in the air earlier, they began returning to my sister, pouring into her body and reviving her soul.

"ANNAA!" I heard Rino cry out in panic, "ANNA NO!"

I grit my teeth, concentrating as hard as I could. It was almost as if the power was refusing to leave my body, because I found myself struggling to force the beams of silver light out of myself. But with just the few silver shards that Karina's body had reabsorbed, her presence had strengthened, and I saw her stir. That gave me hope, and more vigour to continue.

"ANNA STOP!" Rino begged me but I didn't listen. This wasn't enough for Karina. At this rate she wouldn't make it. I didn't care what happened to me. I couldn't let Karina die!

Heart...

A memory of Zuerien's voice flashed in my mind and lowered my head. I knew that if he was here, he wouldn't want me to put my life at risk. I knew my decision would worry and pain him deeply but I was desperate. I couldn't just stand here and do nothing as I sucked the life out of my own sister. I couldn't just let her die.

Zuerien...I'm so sorry...

Repeating those words again and again in my mind, I tried hard to return Karina's life-force to her.

A life for a life, I thought to myself as I tried to return the energy I had just extracted from her.

But no matter how hard I concentrated on returning all the silver energy back to her, it refused to surface. I couldn't will it out of me. It was like my body was subconsciously drawing it all in and locking it up inside, refusing to let go. Soon I felt my mind begin to dim, my vision blackening with exhaustion but I kept concentrating on willing the power out to save Karina.

Suddenly I felt someone grab me by the shoulders and shake me hard. My eyes focused with difficultly to find Rino looking down at me panicked.

"ANNA STOP IT!" he cried desperately, "Stop what you're doing! Please!"

But Karina... I thought in my mind and he shook his head.

"Karina will be alright. Please stop this! Don't give away anymore of your life-force!" he begged me, "At this rate...at this rate you'll-!"

I saw tears fill his eyes as my vision began to fail me.

"No! You're going to live Anna!" Rino cried out, "There is no way I will let you die here. I made a promise to protect you, and I will keep it even if it kills me"

"You are my liege. And I will protect you with my life"

The strength of his resolve astounded me, the weight in his words too heavy to be ignored. Why did they sound like an age old proclamation? Why did this feel like an ancient promise?

His words forced me to stay in possession of my consciousness as he hurriedly got to his feet again. Something akin to realization suddenly flashed in his features and he looked at me wide-eyed. And then, without losing another moment, he pulled something out of his pocket and threw it to Karina with all his might.

"RINAA!" he called out to her desperately and I gasped when I saw what it was.

It was the chain that was studded with all the crystals he had collected - the mysterious crystals which Megan had given me, and which radiated the presence of Rino's Luna.

I had no idea why he had thrown it to Karina, but even as the object soared, something told me that it had been the right thing to do. I watched with bated breath as the chain he had thrown flew through the air towards the barrier and to my utmost shock and relief, it passed through the border unhindered and landed on Karina's torso, sprawled on the ground.

As soon as it did, I heard Rino gasp and very next second, all the flux of power from me to her stopped abruptly. I had only managed to transfer a few of those silver beams of light back to Karina and yet, suddenly her aura strengthened. I didn't know how but I felt her life-force being strengthened and relief flooded my body.

"She's absorbing them!" Rino cried out, "Those crystals- they're disappearing into her body!"

What...?!

I strained my eyes to see what was happening and in the distance, I saw Karina stir. She was waking up and her presence was strengthening drastically.

But that aura...the aura of the Luna Ethereal...had disappeared from around her.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, I felt a powerful heaviness wash over me and my body slumped further onto the concrete underneath me. Exhaustion washed over me like a tidal wave and my eyelids began to fall shut as consciousness started to slip out of me.

"She's okay! Anna! Rina is alrigh-"

Rino stopped talking abruptly and I heard him suck in a sharp breath before he cried out alarmed, "ANNA!"

I felt his arms go around my shoulders, holding my body up as I struggled to stay awake.

"ANNA! NO! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Rino cried out frantically, "PLEASE NO! ANNA! ANNA!"

I wanted to reply but I felt absolutely drained. My body felt heavy, too heavy, as though gravity had doubled over me. Something in my chest hurt, and Rino's terrified cries were only aggravating that pain.

Rino...

"ANNA! PLEASE HANG ON!" Rino called to me desperately.

I wanted to, but against my will my senses began to dim and I knew I wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

Rino...please...take care of Karina, I mindlinked him with the seemingly last of my strength.

"NO! PLEASE NO! ANNA!" Rino cried out, shaking me, "PLEASE STAY AWAKE! STAY AWAKE!"

I wanted so desperately to reassure him, to tell him that I'd be okay, but my body refused to cooperate with me.

"HELP!" he called panicked, "WOLFAA! WOLFA HELP! PLEASE HELP!"

I no longer had the energy to reply, even via mindlink. I wanted to apologize for making him worry, but even though I was at the verge of passing out, hearing Zuerien's name felt soothing to my spirit.

"ANNA NOO!" Rino screamed, "PLEASE NO! ANNA! ANNAAA-!"

HEAAART!

A new surge of power exploded inside of me as my mate's strong voice suddenly bombarded my mind.

Zuerien-!

HEART! STAY AWAKE! STAY AWAKE!

My body reacted to the command in his voice involuntarily, forcing my mind to stay in possession of my consciousness. My eyelids fluttered open and I saw relief flash across Rino's distressed face.

"ANNA!" he cried out, holding me up against himself, "Anna please hang in there!"

HEART! HANG ON!

Their voices urged me to stay strong and not give in to the fatigue. I was struggling to even breathe, but I forced myself to do so.

Anna...

A soft voice filled my mind and I gasped, my eyes shooting to my sister's frame. I found her now slowly trying to sit up. Her face was still pale but she looked alright. She gripped the crystal studded chain in one hand- and from what I could see only a few remained on it- while the other hand she lifted slowly, extending it towards me and my heart ached to hold her in my arms.

Anna...

Karina...! I too tried to reach out my hand towards her in a vain attempt to try and grasp her hand.

But just as I did, through my blurred vision I saw something black flash behind Karina. A wave of anxiety washed over me as a dark figure suddenly appeared next to my sister, now looming over her on the other side of the wall. I sucked in a sharp, panicked breath as the figure, which I now realized was a supernatural shadow, raised its hand towards Karina and its palm began to glow forming an orb of dark power within it.

NO!

Karina too noticed the person next to her and let out an alarmed cry. Rino's gaze immediately shot to where mine was occupied and I felt his body immediately tense, his eyes going wide in alarm.

Karina was still too weak move away! Rino immediately threw his hand out towards the territorial barrier and thick sharp spears of ice shot out of the ground on the werewolf side towards Karina's attacker. But alas the barrier wouldn't let them through and the ice spears crashed against it and shattered.

"OH NO!" Rino exclaimed as dread filled my mind.

Within seconds, the little sphere of energy was fully formed, gleaming in shades of deep blue, green and black in the shadow's hand and both I and Rino lurched forward in panic as it drew its arm back maliciously. I knew right away that orb of power was meant to hurt Karina- no! To...kill her! And my heart felt like it was being torn apart at that thought.

In one frantic attempt to protect herself, Karina's hand shot out towards the dark Shadow as he swiftly went in for the kill.

In that moment, familiar heat suddenly surged through me like electricity, making my eyes sting, my mark tingle and my skin burn. Immense anger and the desire to protect tore through my veins like crimson blood. And it was at that very minute that, to our utmost disbelief, red hot flames suddenly exploded out of my sister's outstretched hand and burst towards the dark Shadow.

For a moment I couldn't even believe what I was seeing!

Those flames just came out of...Karina's hand!

Rino gasped looking thunderstruck, and I too watched petrified as the Shadow let out a shrill scream of alarm as it was engulfed in the scorching heat and blinding light of the flames that had emerged from Karina's hand.

The Shadow momentarily stumbled away from her in shock, and despite my state of bafflement, a flicker of hope bubbled up inside of me that that may be enough to deter the shadow and make it go away. But alas Karina's bout of flames was short-lived and soon disappeared into thin air. And now infuriated, the shadow turned back to her, letting out a harsh grunt.

I sucked in a sharp breath as Karina's face went pale and she tried to scramble away but she was too weak. In a flash the Shadow was upon her once more, the magical orb in its hand glowing darkly in promise of disaster. Rino screamed for the Shadow to stop, and as fear and anger raged within me, I felt the heat in my body soar to its zenith.

And just as the Shadow brought the destructive orb down on my sister and Rino let out a terrified bellow, my lips parted and I cried out along with him.

"NOOO!"

The territorial barrier suddenly flashed blindingly bright once again and the next thing we knew the shadow's destructive orb of power- which was but a centimeter away from with my sister - abruptly shattered into a hundred fragments and disappeared into thin air.

Baffled, the shadow took a startled step away from Karina, its head whipping towards me and Rino, and I watched wide-eyed as the very next second the shadow screamed in agony and collapsed onto the ground.

What...?!

The shadow continued to scream in an inhumane voice, writhing in pain. As it did, its pitch black body began to change color, flashing between normal human skin and back to Shadow form several times, and its shrill unearthly voice also turned into that of a man's.

Karina scrambled away from it alarmed, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Wha-what?" Rino gasped out and the two of us watched flabbergasted as the now incapacitated Shadower struggled to get away from the border while trying to retain its shadow form.

Rino's gaze then shot to me, unfathomable shock painting his features in a pale hue. But before he had even uttered a word, something far more unimaginable transpired.

Right there before our eyes, just like that dark shadow's sphere of power had abruptly shattered and fallen apart, Rino and I watched in absolute disbelief as a large segment of the powerful translucent territorial border suddenly exploded, shattering into a million pieces right before our eyes.

Oh my god!

Blinding light flooded the area, making me squeeze my eyes shut involuntarily. But the energy dissipated by the explosion of the barrier was so powerful that it sent us all hurtling away from the border.

As we were thrown through the air, I heard Rino cry out my name before he grabbed hold of me, encasing me in his arms and covering me with his own body. Flung across the cement path, Rino and I crashed violently into several of the concrete walls in the abandoned buildings behind us, completely breaking through many of them before we finally came to a halt against one.

Small pieces of stone and rubble continued to pour down onto us as I groaned and lifted my head a few seconds later, coughing and gasping. For a moment all I could see was dust and concrete, but as my vision cleared, so did the initial numbness from the shock of the impact.

My head throbbed and my entire body ached with every little movement I made. Part of me just wanted to lie down and pass out right there but gritting my teeth, I forced myself to get up. Weakly struggling up to my elbows, I turned my head to look at Rino next to me.

He wasn't moving.

My eyes immediately widened in alarm as I looked at him. Unlike me who had suffered but minor cuts and bruises, Rino had been the one who had taken the maximum brunt of that sickening impact, and having shielded me through most of the trauma and collision, he had now lost consciousness.

Terror gripped my heart as I saw blood pooling around his head. His body too was badly injured in multiple places.

"N-NO! Rino!" I gasped out in horror as I desperately searched for a pulse and I felt a flicker of relief when I found one. His heart was still beating.

Struggling to sit up, I cupped Rino's face with both my hands, "Rino! Rino!" I called out to him, lightly tapping his cheek, "Bud! Can you hear me?! Rino!"

My eyes filled with tears which streamed down my dirty cheeks and onto his face. The sight of my dearest friend in such a bad state yet again made agonizing pain grip my heart.

"NO! Please! Rino! Rino!" I cried, terrified.

I couldn't bare to see him like this! I called out to him desperately, too frightened to even think of what could happen if he didn't wake up. But as I looked over him in despair, I suddenly noticed that some his injuries were disappearing.

I blinked in shock, unsure whether my eyes were playing tricks on me. But with every passing second, I realized that his injuries were indeed healing at an alarming speed. I wiped my eyes to clear my vision and saw that his bruised and battered skin was now mending itself at lightening speed, and his every wound- be it a deep laceration or a small scratch- had soon faded away into nothingness. Within seconds all his injuries had vanished as if they had never even been there, and although he didn't immediately regain consciousness, he now looked perfectly alright.

Tremendous relief flowed through me and I thanked the heavens and hugged Rino tightly. I called his name a few more times but he still didn't regain consciousness. Still I knew deep inside that he would be okay now and it was a great comfort to me.

My mind then immediately went to my sister. Setting Rino's head down, I struggled up to my feet and I dragged my aching body towards the edge of the wall that had collapsed in front of us to, blocking my view of the border.

Once there, my gaze shot to the place where my sister had been lying before. She was no longer there, nor was that dark shadow. I knew that they too must have been propelled far away from the border because of the blast and distress flooded my veins at the thought of what may have happened to Karina.

"KARINA!" I cried out, staggering back towards the border.

I held onto the pillars and broken walls around me for support, searching the Shadow side in the distance to try and find where she was, but just as I had taken a few steps forward my feet gave in underneath me once more and I tumbled onto the ground. I awaited the hard painful impact but it never came as I fell into a pair of strong unfamiliar arms.

"Suzzanah?!" I heard a familiar voice cry out in confusion and surprise tore through me.

"General...Reginald?" I breathed out, having recognized his voice even though my eyes were still closed.

"God, what happened to you?! Are you alright?" I heard him ask me, "And what on earth are you doing here?"

I forced my eyelids open to find General Reginald looking down at me shocked, and his eyes widened even further in disbelief as I focused my gaze on him. In all honestly, I was just shocked at his being here but I couldn't find the strength to ask him what he was doing here and how he had found me.

My lips parted to form some semblance of response, but I was so exhausted that I couldn't even tell whether I was still awake or dreaming, which also kept me from feeling relieved at his being here.

General Reginald's gaze then shot towards the border, his pupils dilating as he took in the scene, "My God...", he breathed out in disbelief before crying out urgently, "MARCO! WE NEED THAT MAZE IN AREA 101! NOW!"

A second later the gaping hole in the border was quickly filled in with a shield that radiated a familiar aura- Marco's Absolute Maze, I realized.

Was Marco here too? Or had the General just mindlinked him?

I looked back at General Reginald to find him now staring down at me, an unknown emotion swirling in his eyes. His gaze flitted to the wound on my leg and his jaw clenched.

"General...?" I breathed out questioningly as determination lit up his dark eyes.

"I need to get you out of here", he said before quickly lifting me into his arms as he stood.

But Karina!

I tried to protest as I turned my gaze back to the border to search for my sister, my head throbbed, making it harder to concentrate. But the minute my eyes found the Shadow Side, I saw several dark figures now looming near the border.

Shadowers!

Oh no!

My heart rate spiked in alarm and the General sucked in a sharp breath before hurriedly slinking behind a nearby wall with me in his arms, hiding us from their view.

Karina!

I struggled in the General's arms, trying to search for Karina in the midst of all the shadows. What if those Shadow People were here to hurt her too?! NO!

"Shh, hold still. They mustn't see you!" the General told me sharply.

"But- Karina!" I gasped out making his head jerk towards me in shock.

"You saw Karina here?" he asked me urgently and I nodded, pointing towards the border.

"There", I gasped out and his body tensed.

With his back still firmly pressed against the wall, he now slowly peeked over its edge to look at what was happening at the Border. I too peaked over his shoulder to trying to catch a glimpse of my sister. By now the Shadow Side was in an uproar, and the Border was swarmed with people, some human-like and some hazy dark figures. Just the sight of them made my heart rate spike.

But as I searched, amidst the crowd, at last I found Karina. She seemed to be unconscious and was now in the arms of a tall, unfamiliar man with brown hair.

"Over there!" I whispered to General Reginald and he nodded quietly, his expression grim as he watched.

The sight of her unmoving body made my chest clench in pain. I couldn't tear my gaze away from her.

Karina...please be okay. Please! Please be okay!

The more I observed, the more I realized that it didn't look like the Shadow people who were by the Border now meant to harm Karina, like that other Shadower did earlier. On the contrary they seemed to be trying to treat her injuries.

With every second that passed by with me watching her being tended to, I felt a strange sense of relief building up inside of me. And soon my heart was completely reassured that Karina was going to be okay. Just like it had with Rino. I couldn't explain how or why, but I could feel it inside of me. She was going to be okay.

How strange...

I watched as people crowded around her, all appearing shocked and uncertain but seconds later, the brown haired man lifted her up and began carrying her away. A group of Shadowers surrounded him as though protecting the two, while some others stood by the border, their stances alert and guarded as they keenly searched our side of the Border for the cause of the barrier having shattered.

But how on earth did it shatter? I wondered at the back of my mind, the memory of it sending chills tearing down my spine.

"We can't get to her now. There are too many Shadowers there", General Reginald told me sounding aggravated as he surveyed the area tensely with sharp eyes, "Goddamn it! This is going to make things so much harder to retrieve her!"

Oh no...

His words made dread well up within me and my heart ached at the sight of my sister being taken farther and farther away from me. She had been so close, and yet, I hadn't been able to reach her.

But amidst all my sadness, a part of me was also also relieved in a way that she was being taken away from me, because earlier it had seemed like I was literally sucking the life out of her. I didn't know what had happened, and it pained me to no end to think that being around me had suddenly become hazardous for my sister. It almost made me doubt whether she would actually be safer away from me, then with me.

But at least for now her life-force seemed to have been restored. And it had happened right after Rino had thrown those crystals to her earlier, or rather, right after her body had absorbed some of them.

What on earth could those crystals be?

The only person who could have the answer to that questions was Megan- the person from whom all these crystals apparently originated.

From the distance, I could no longer see where the rest of those crystals had gone or what had become of them. Had Karina's body absorbed them all? I didn't know, but I was certain that they had managed to help Karina somehow, and that was enough for me.

Karina...please be okay...

Anna...

My breath caught, my spirits rising when I heard her voice in my head. Soft as it was, it had a undeniable strength to it which reassured me that she would be okay.

Anna...I'm okay...

I'm okay...

I could tell she wanted to say more, but neither of us had any energy to do so. Although I was still immensely worried for her, deep down I instinctively knew that she would be alright. Somehow, I just knew that she would, and that gave me comfort.

But as I watched Karina being carried away, one thing I noticed very distinctly, was the aura...that I could no longer sense. The aura of the Luna Ethereal that had been emanating from her earlier, had now disappeared.

What in the world...is going on...?

"Hold on", the General told me quietly, "I'm getting you out of here"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I looked at him, "Wait!" I panted fatigued, "Rino is here!"

"Rino?!" General Reginald asked bewildered and I nodded tiredly.

"He's there, behind that wall", I replied, pointing, "He's...unconscious"

The General quickly walked to where I had pointed and sure enough Rino was still there. He hadn't regained consciousness yet.

The General set me down before lowering himself next to Rino. He checked his pulse before looking over him, "He doesn't look injured", he said frowning in uncertainty.

"He healed", I replied making his eyes return to mine. There was something very meaningful in his gaze as he looked at me, but then his eyes hardened.

His eyes suddenly glazed over in mindlink for a brief moment before he turned back to me.

"Come on", he said, pulling me up and lifting me into his arms again before I could even comprehend what was happening. He then quickly turned away, hurriedly walking towards the woods.

"What?! But Rino-!" I cried out baffled.

"I've mindlinked my men these coordinates to come get him immediately", he replied as he looked around tensely, making sure no one saw us, "I can't carry the both of you together and I need to get you away from here this instant"

"Please don't leave him here! You can carry him instead. I can walk!" I reasoned but he shook his head.

"Not with that injury", he told me sternly, his brown eyes taking on a nearly amber shade.

"Please General!" I found myself saying, "Turn back! Don't leave Rino here!"

"Be practical Suzzanah. This is not the time to let yourself run away with your feelings", he replied, "This is a dire situation and our prime objective should be to preserve the chain of command. You are the Queen, and therefore my first priority is to get you to safety. Rino will have to wait"

I stared up at him, shocked at his indifference. He sounded like a machine, doing what he had been programmed to do, not once letting even the slightest of emotion influence his decisions.

This was the real General Reginald. He was a warrior. The Delta wolf to the Former Alpha King. He had been in situations like this before, and in them, his prime concern was to first safeguard the King and Queen.

His actions was governed purely by logic. His brain had assessed the situation and weighed all the odds and his years of training as a warrior and Delta wolf were screaming at him to protect. And the person he had chosen to protect was me.

I was the logical choice.

The Queen.

Higher up in the 'chain of command'.

I could see his logic. But I couldn't come to terms with it. My heart wouldn't let me. I couldn't leave Rino behind, especially not in the state he was in. It didn't feel right, because if we did...I had a terrible feeling in my gut that something bad would happen to him. Something really bad.

Rino...

"General Reginald, please turn back! Don't leave Rino here!" I panted desperately with great effort but he refused to budge and continued onward.

Frustration built up inside of me, but I found myself unable to fight. My lips parted in protest of the General's decision again, but with every little flicker of movement, I felt my strength drain and exhaustion wash over me. My mark was tingling, almost painfully, and my body having lost all its energy now slumped, feeling unnaturally heavy, as though it were trying to accommodate an excess of something.

There was also a strange discomfort in my chest, which made me want to squirm uneasily. I breathed heavily, feeling thirsty for air and my vision started to darken despite me trying as hard as I could to stay in possession of my senses.

What's happening to me...?

At that moment, I found myself desperately yearning for my mate. I was tired and scared and just wanted to see him. I had blocked him out earlier unconsciously, for fear of him feeling my pain through, and then forgotten to lift the block. He must be so worried! And yet he had somehow managed to get through to me earlier.

But right now, I just wanted him here with me so desperately. I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that something was wrong. A dark sense of foreboding that just wouldn't go away.

Like something bad was going to happen.

So I tried as hard as I could to stay in possession of my consciousness, even though I could barely even keep my eyes open. It was then that I noticed that the General was walking towards the woods.

I jolted in fright and immediately gripped the General's arm, shaking my head, "No!" I gasped out making him look down at me questioningly.

"No", I repeated, "Not...not the woods. There...rogues!"

His eyes widened, "Rogues?" he said frowning and I nodded.

His eyes immediately darkened in anger, jaw clenching as he looked towards the woods. I could feel rage and disapproval radiating off him. He then tightened his grip around me before looking at me.

"Don't worry. It'll be alright. I'm here now so I'll take care of them if we come across any", he told me, but somehow, after everything that had happened especially with Rino getting injured, I couldn't be reassured as easily.

"There are too many", I told him as he walked towards the woods.

"The only way I can get you out of here is through the woods", he reasoned, "The woods are the only way in or out of here. This is a highly restricted area, strictly forbidden even to a lot of Supernaturals. How on earth did you even get here?"

I didn't know how to reply. What could I tell him? The mist brought me here?

I tried hard to find the right words to reply, but exhaustion and anxiety were taking a toll on my mind. I was too worried about going back into the woods, and it was messing up my thought process completely.

I closed my eyes, desperately longing for my mate. How I wish he was here!

Zuerien...please-

"HEART!"

It couldn't be-!

My eyes shot open and the General's went wide as he stopped in his tracks, turning around shocked. For a minute I couldn't even believe what I had heard but then, to my utmost joy and like an answer to my prayers, I found my mate, followed by a group of men, racing towards us through the woods.

He's really here!

I had no idea how he had even found me, but my heart leapt at the sight of him, my relief knowing no bounds.

"Zuerien!" General Reginald exclaimed surprised as I stretched my arm out towards my mate.

He was by my side in a flash and cupping my cheek worriedly, "Suzzanah! Oh my god! Are you alright?!" he asked frantically looking over me.

My eyes instantly turned misty and I nodded weakly, reaching out for him. Zuerien immediately took me from the General and embraced me tightly, peppering starved kisses on my forehead and hair. The minute I was in his arms, I felt reassured again, and the feeling amazed me. No amount of protection could compare to how safe I felt with him, so I hugged back as tightly as I could, almost afraid that he would disappear.

Quickly composing himself, Zuerien looked at the General, "Did any Shadowers get through?" he asked him lowly, his voice borderline murderous and filled with barely contained rage.

"No", the General replied, "I didn't see anyone from either side cross over. But regardless, a thorough search is imperative. We can't take any chances with those Shadowers. I've already informed Marco about the matter. I believe he's setting up several mazes in and around this area to secure it against any Shadowers who may have gotten onto our land, if they did, and trap them within a confined space"

"Take over", Zuerien ordered.

"Right!" he said with a curt nod and turned to the warriors who had accompanied Zuerien.

They all looked absolutely shocked and panicked, probably about the barrier having shattered earlier but the General immediately started giving out specific orders to them following which the majority of them rushed towards the border, and others to secure the rest of the area while the remaining formed a protective circle around us. And the once deserted place was now bustling with frantic and frenzied activity.

Zuerien kissed my forehead for a long moment and then I heard him exhale heavily, his relief blatantly evident. And yet again, I felt guilt rise up from deep within me for having worried him so.

"Thank god I found you. I was so worried about you", he breathed out as he got down on one knee, with me still in his arms, "When you suddenly blocked me out earlier I nearly lost my mind"

He wiped my face and neck with his hand, looking over me anxiously, "You're covered in rubble and dust. What the hell happened?! Are you really okay, my heart?" he asked, his eyes desperate for confirmation, "Did those rogues hurt you?"

"I'm okay", I replied tiredly, "Zuerien...I'm so...sorry-"

"Shh, its okay", he said hugging me again and kissing my temple, "I'm here now, everything's going to be okay. I'm so relieved I found you. John and I were so extremely worried about you"

I could only imagine how startled Alpha Penson must have been on hearing that Rino and I had disappeared. I wanted to mindlink him to tell him I was alright but long-distance mindlink was too cumbersome for me at the moment.

Zuerien looked over me again and again carefully, a frown marring his features. I could instantly tell something about me was bothering him, and when our gazes met, his eyes held mine for a long moment. His brow furrowed and he looked at me closer, uncertainty painting his features.

He then looked up at General Reginald questioningly, who gave him a subtle nod of confirmation. I frowned, wondering if something was wrong and I wanted to ask him about it, because although I felt completely drained, I too could sense that something had changed about me. But I couldn't quite tell what it was.

And before I could attempt to ask Zuerien anything about it, his gaze zeroed in on my injured leg. His eyes instantly flashed a deep black, flecks of gold shining through the obsidian as anger and worry radiated off of him, flowing through me simultaneously, catching me by surprise at how strongly I felt them.

"Your leg!" he exclaimed, anxiously examining my injury, "The wound is bleeding! Someone get me a clean cloth to bandage this up!"

"Yes Alpha!" I heard two or three people reply immediately and I placed a trembling hand on his chest.

"I'm okay...really", I reassured him, "But Zuerien, listen", I said urgently, "Rino...Rino is here"

Shock, confusion and concern immediately flashed across his features, "Rino is here?" he cried out, "Where? Where is he?!"

"He's by that building over there, unconscious", General Reginald replied.

"Unconscious? Is he alright?" Zuerien asked worriedly and the General nodded.

"He has no external injuries, his aura is strong and his heart rate and breathing seemed stable", the General replied, making me exhale in relief.

"Then why did he pass out?" Zuerien asked.

"I believe he suffered some significant head trauma which knocked him out", the General replied grimly, "But by the time I found Suzzanah and him just a few minutes ago, his injuries were already completely healed. His body may have lost consciousness from the sudden impact to his head, but I'm certain he'll be alright, which is why I was going to get Suzzanah out of here first. I've already told some of your men here to go secure him"

Zuerien immediately looked at the warrior wolf closest to us, "Make sure the men who've gone to fetch Rino are careful with him! Have them bring him here and if he has any more injuries, we'll tend to them immediately. Also, have some of the healers back at the hotel teleport to Area 102 and wait for us. Tell them we'll meet them there in a few minutes"

"Understood Alpha", he replied and rushed off to carry out their orders.

In the meantime someone had acquired some clean linen and water which Zuerien immediately took from them and began to patch up my injured leg.

"Let me", the General offered when doing so proved to be difficult for Zuerien with me still in his arms, and Zuerien nodded.

"Be careful! Don't hurt my mate!" he told the General to which the older man just smiled as he got to work.

"Does it look bad?"

"No. The wound isn't too deep. The healers should be able to take care of this easily enough", the General reassured.

I tried not to wince in pain as my wound was being tended to. As it is Zuerien was already plenty worried, the concern predominant in his mismatched eyes. I could tell he had a thousand questions but judging by my fatigued state, he chose not to ask them as as he hugged me close again.

I buried my face in his chest, biting back a whimper as I clung to him for dear life, afraid that he'd suddenly disappear. His scent and warmth comforted my spirit. My mark was still tingling and the discomfort in my chest persisted, but since Zuerien had gotten here I could feel it lessening slowly. I was so overwhelmingly relieved by his being here that I could have cried. My body too felt heavy with exhaustion now as I let myself relax in his arms.

But this exhaustion felt somewhat different from the one I had been feeling for the past few days following my losing a fragment of my soul. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was about it, but I no longer felt as incomplete as I did before. My tiredness seemed to be the result of over-exertion and not an inbuilt weakness like earlier. And I found that I could even sense the feelings and emotions of others much more powerfully now.

"When did you get here?" I heard Zuerien ask him while he did up my make-shift bandages.

"Just a few minutes ago", the General replied.

"How bad is the status here?"

"Pretty bad", the General replied, his tone grave, "Karina was here"

"What?!" Zuerien cried out bewildered and I turned my head to look at the two of them.

The General nodded and Zuerien asked urgently, "Where is she now?"

"She was removed from the area by the ShadowGuard but a few minutes ago", the General replied, "This incident is going to make retrieving her tomorrow ten times harder. Everyone is going to be on high alert after the barrier shattering like this"

"What exactly happened here?" Zuerien demanded, "What led to the barrier shattering?"

"I wasn't here to witness that", the General said, "When I arrived there wasn't a Werewolf Guard in sight even though Area 101 is supposed to be one of the well guarded zones of Dublin City. The Border on our side was completely unmanned and I still can't mindlink any of the men who were stationed here this morning"

"Have the men been found?"

"No", he replied gravely and I felt my chest tighten with worry.

Where could all our guards have disappeared to?

"What are you doing here though?" Zuerien asked the General.

"Jervis Street where my patrol group was assigned for today isn't far from here", the General replied, "Earlier today we got reports that none of the patrol members who had been sent here to Area 101 and the surrounding woods were responding to mindlink. Neither were the men posted here for today's BorderGuard duties. So I set out with some men of mine to check the area out. When we were in the woods close to here I sensed the barrier shatter and immediately came to check things out. That's when I found Suzzanah staggering out of a dilapidated building nearby, but our side of the Border was otherwise deserted"

"Was the Shadow Border similarly unmanned?" Zuerien questioned.

"Yes it was", he replied, "When I got here there wasn't a single Shadower around but just a minute after Marco had reinforced the barrier a large number of Shadow Guards showed up to man the border"

"There was...one...before", I breathed out with effort making both men look at me immediately.

Apart from Karina, there was also one Shadower here before the barrier shattered, I mindlinked them, finding it a little easier to do than talking, But the energy from the barrier shattering threw us all faraway from the border

"You mean you were close to the border when the barrier blew up?" Zuerien asked me worriedly and I nodded wearily.

We were thrown all the way back to the abandoned buildings back there, I said, Rino shielded me from the impact and that's how he lost consciousness.

Zuerien's features twisted in pain and terror and I could clearly see the battle in his mismatched eyes as he tried to control his turbulent emotions.

"How did the barrier break?" he asked me.

I...don't know, I breathed out, It happened so suddenly that none of us even saw it coming. The Shadower on Karina's side was about to try and hurt her. Her was using some kind of...magical orb

"Magic?"

Zuerien and the General exchanged tense looks before their eyes hardened.

"Shadow Sorcerer", the General said and Zuerien nodded. He looked back at me, "And you said he was trying to hurt Karina?"

I nodded, He was trying to attack her with that orb when...she used some form of attack on him. But suddenly...the territorial barrier flashed brightly and the orb in his hand shattered. The next thing we knew, the shadow was on the ground, screaming in pain

Both men's eyes widened in alarm as I continued, I don't know what happened to him. But just a few seconds after he collapsed, the barrier shattered. I don't know what happened to that shadow after that

The General continued to stare into space alarmed as Zuerien looked at him.

"Could that Shadower's magical orb have triggered the barrier to explode?" Zuerien asked and the General shook his head.

"Territorial barriers are too strong to be affected by small-scale magic like that", the General replied.

"How big was the shattered segment?"

"Quite big, it spanned about 5 to 7 feet in radius", the General replied, "It took Marco a few minutes to accurately locate the exact area where the barrier had shattered but he has managed to successfully restore it"

Zuerien frowned, "Marco's Absolute Mazes would never shatter like that", he said confidently, "So I'm assuming the one that shattered just now was a magic-based barrier and not a maze"

"You're right", the General replied, "The one that shattered wasn't one of Marco's mazes. It was a magical shield created by Members of the League of Magic. But even so it is practically unheard of for barriers as strong as these to even wane, let alone be destroyed the way it was. Especially because Lord Abé, Lord Heinrich and Lady Yolanda just restrengthened these barriers in the past two days"

Both men fell into a confused and thoughtful silence when a sudden holler sounded.

"Alpha!"

Zuerien and General Reginald looked towards the sound of that cry and I heard several footsteps coming our way.

"We've retrieved Master Perez!" someone said.

Rino!

I turned my head to look at him and immediately felt a heavy dizzy spell wash over me. Through my hazy vision I saw Rino being lowered onto the ground next to us.

"How is he?" Zuerien asked, worry evident in his voice as he looked over Rino's comatose form.

"He is unhurt, Alpha", someone behind us replied, "But he won't regain consciousness no matter how much we try to wake him up"

Concern tore through me as I looked at Rino. I reached out to touch his hand. It was warm. I couldn't sense any pain or discomfort radiating from him either. He simply looked to be in deep slumber. But then why wouldn't he wake up?

Bud, are you okay? I wondered anxiously as I fought the heavy giddiness.

"I noticed by the impact sight that he had lost some amount of blood", the General said, "But thankfully nothing too significant"

"Then why won't he wake up? Could he have any internal injuries or bleeding?" Zuerien asked.

"We won't know until the healers detect the problem", the General said austerely.

"We need to get Rino to the healers immediately then", Zuerien said urgently, "And you too heart"

I barely heard what he was saying and murmured a soft reply.

"Also, we searched the entire premises but none of our BorderGuard members have been found anywhere", someone reported, "Nor are they replying to mindlink. We are worried something's happened to them"

"How many men are missing in total?"

"15 from the BorderGuard and 5 belonging to the patrol group, Alpha"

"Alright. Then 15 of you stay to secure the border", Zuerien instructed, "Have no interactions with the ShadowGuard whatsoever. The rest of you divide yourselves into groups of four or five and begin searching the woods spanning Area 101, for the missing men, immediately. Also, simultaneously keep your eyes out for any Supernatural Shadows. Alpha Ashford has already dispatched backup and they'll be here soon to help with the search. Make as thorough a search as you can, don't overlook a single detail. Remember to keep your mind-links accessible at all times and report back every 15 minutes or so to either me or General Reginald, am I clear?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Zuerien, I'll remain here with these men to oversee the proceedings here", I heard General Reginald say, "You should take Suzzanah and Rino and get to the healers immediately"

"Alright. I'll leave this to you then", Zuerien said and stood up with me in his arms, "The BorderGuard HQ should be sending in members of the League of Magic to help out here too. Stay in correspondence with them and when they arrive, make sure to have them also scout out the area for intruders, if any"

"Understood"

As Zuerien began to instruct some men to carry Rino and go with him, my dizziness peaked to a point that I could almost not hear anything anymore. Even Zuerien's voice sounded like a distant echo. My senses began to dim drastically and I could feel my body loosing warmth fast.

"Heart!"

Suddenly I heard Zuerien's panicked cry but when I turned to look at him, all I saw was black.

"HEART! SUZZANAH!"

I'm...okay, I replied or rather thought I replied via mindlink, but I couldn't be sure as my consciousness began to fail me.

"Her body temperature is dropping fast!" I heard Zuerien's faraway voice shout frantically, as he wrapped his arms around me. His body felt hot against mine and I involuntarily curled into his warmth.

Heart! Heart, stay with me! I heard Zuerien cry out via mindlink.

Mmm, I replied weakly.

My chest still felt tight and ached slightly, the heaviness in my body growing. My entire body felt tingly and I could feel my skin prickling. Something strange was happening to me, that much I could tell, but what it was I didn't know.

Suzzanah!

I'm...here..., I managed to reply and soon I could feel myself being moved.

My head came to rest against a firm surface from the other side of which I could hear and feel a powerful and fast thudding against my ear.

Zuerien's heart, I realized. Its powerful and persistent beating was strangely soothing to my mind.

Heart, hang on baby, I heard Zuerien's voice tell me but I couldn't reply.

It was like the heaviness I now bore within me was lulling me to sleep. It was as though my body needed my mind to give up on consciousness for a little while, even though I didn't want to.

There were too many things that were going wrong. Too much that was amiss. Too much I wanted to say and too many questions to which I wanted answers.

I was worried about Karina, about Rino, and about the missing werewolves. I could also faintly feel several other people trying to mindlink me- Alpha Penson, Cole and Marco being a few of them- and I wanted to reassure them that I was alright, but I was too tired to respond.

And in my inner conflict, my mind gave in to my body's thirst for rest, and still listening to my mate's worried cries, I felt myself go under. The aches and pains in my body soon numbed, my troubled thoughts faded, and leaning into Zuerien's chest, I gave in to a restless state of oblivion.

And although I didn't want to lose consciousness, there was still small part of me was grateful for it, thinking that at least in this state of limbo, I could perhaps have a few seconds of peace and quiet.

I should have known though, that for those such as myself, there was no peace even in the land of dreams. And that despite everything that had transpired today, the real chaos...had only just begun.

****

Random Question of the Day: Which character of Unconditionally should have their own separate book?

A/N

Hey guys,

Sorry, as usual, for the long wait, and for the comparatively shorter chapter (although it was still 10,000 words lolol). A lot of important sequences are transpiring in the current chapters and I didn't want to include too many of them in the same chapter so that's why its short.

Regardless, I'd love to know your thoughts on it, so let's get on with:

PACK TALKS:

1. Karina's finally made an appearance. And she possessed the aura of the Luna Ethereal! Thoughts?

2. The silver energy transfer started all over again today, and was stopped when the mysterious crystals that seem to have originated from Megan were thrown by Rino and absorbed by Karina! What's going on?!

3. What was up with the creepy shadow who showed up out of nowhere? Why was he trying to hurt Karina?

4. Karina can use flames? What?! Thoughts?

5. And what on earth happened to that Shadower in the end?!

6. The territorial barrier broke and now Rino has fallen unconscious. What's going to happen to him?

7. Reginald told Zuerien that a lot of patrol wolves have gone missing. What could have happened?!

8. How many of you were scared that someone would die in this chapter? *evil smile*

All this and more in the chapters to come.

Finally, did you like this chapter?

If you did please do VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE.

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Until next time,

All my love,

May