BETWEEN CHOICES AND TRUTHS

The silence after my burst of power was suffocating. Everyone in the cabin was frozen, staring at me as if I were something they were never meant to see. Celine, my sister, for the first time, looked hesitant, maybe even afraid. Cassian stood by my side, his red eyes glowing with something between curiosity and concern. Theo, on the other hand, looked lost, his golden eyes darting between me and Cassian, as if he was still trying to process what had just happened.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. My hands were still trembling after what had just happened, as if the power inside me was ready to explode again at any moment.

“Sienna,” Cassian broke the silence, his voice low and grave as always. He took a step toward me, but his posture was cautious. “You need to understand what just happened. This can’t be ignored.”

“I don’t know what I did!” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended. “This… isn’t normal. I’m not normal.”

“No, you’re not,” Theo said softly. He took a step closer, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t decipher. “And you never were, Sienna. You’ve always been different. Always special.”

I turned to him, feeling my anger boil beneath the surface. “Now you decide I’m special, Theo? After everything? After you abandoned me for her?” I gestured toward Celine, who remained still, a barely-there smirk on her lips.

Theo hesitated, words seemingly caught in his throat. Before he could say anything, Cassian cut him off, his voice laced with authority.

“Enough.” He stepped forward, positioning himself between Theo and me. “This isn’t about him. This is about her.” He pointed at me, his glowing eyes intense. “If we want her to survive, we need to leave now.”

Celine stepped forward, her expression colder than ever. “Leave? And where exactly do you think you’re taking her, Cassian? You’re just as hunted as she is. Wherever you go, they’ll follow.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Cassian replied, his voice sharp. “She doesn’t need you.”

“Oh, she does,” Celine insisted. “The two of you are the most wanted right now. If she stays with you, she’ll never have peace. She’ll never be safe.”

I closed my eyes, trying to find clarity in the chaos. I knew Celine was partly right. But I also knew her motivations were never as simple as they seemed. Finally, I turned to Cassian.

“Do you have a plan?” I asked directly.

Cassian stared at me for a moment, his gaze steady but hesitant. Then he nodded. “There’s neutral territory, a place where the Council has no power. We can get there, but it won’t be easy.”

“Then let’s go,” I said with more determination than I actually felt. “I’m not going to wait for them to catch me.”

“You can’t trust him!” Theo exclaimed, stepping closer, his eyes burning with jealousy. “Sienna, he’s just using you. Don’t you see that?”

I turned to Theo, my patience wearing thin. “And I’m supposed to trust you, Theo? After everything you’ve done? You chose her, and now you want to tell me what to do?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but I wasn’t willing to hear it. I turned back to Cassian. “If we’re doing this, we do it now.”

“You’re making a mistake,” Theo muttered, but he didn’t try to stop me. He looked lost, as if he had finally realized he no longer had control over me.

“Celine,” I said, my voice firm. “You stay. This isn’t your fight.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my decision. “You really think you can survive out there with him? You’re condemning yourself.”

“Maybe,” I replied, locking eyes with her. “But I’m not following your rules anymore. I’m not going to be a pawn in your game.”

Cassian grabbed my hand, his grip firm but not overbearing. “Let’s go.”

Without looking back, I followed Cassian out of the cabin, leaving Celine and Theo behind. The forest was dark, but the sound of distant footsteps and howls told us we didn’t have much time.

“The neutral territory,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “How long until we get there?”

“Two days, if we’re not intercepted,” Cassian replied, his eyes scanning the forest around us. “They already know where we are. We need to move fast.”

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the weight of responsibility growing with each step. “Do you think we have a chance?”

Cassian stopped for a moment, turning to face me. “With you by my side? More than anyone else would.”

There was something in the way he said it—the steadiness in his voice, the way his eyes glowed under the moonlight. For a moment, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time: hope.

“Then let’s go,” I said, quickening my pace.

As we disappeared into the darkness of the forest, leaving the cabin and the past behind, I knew this was only the beginning. The Council was coming. The danger was real. But for the first time, I was ready to face whatever came next. And this time, I wasn’t alone.