The Alpha's Mark

Kael opened the door to Valex and Odesse’s bed chamber. The door slid smoothly as he peeked inside and walked towards Valex, who was seated beside Odesse, caressing her hair and looking at her weakly. Odesse lay still and straight on the bed, dressed, but looking lifeless. Black blood flowed continuously down her cheeks, slowly pooling on a cloth nearby, stained dark.

"Your Highness," Kael said, but Valex did not reply. His eyes remained focused on Odesse’s face as he watched her carefully. Kael moved closer and touched Valex’s shoulder. "Sire," he said gently.

Valex flinched and glanced at Kael’s hand on his shoulder, then looked up. His eyes were tired, and his shoulders weary. Kael, concerned, said, "Pardon me, Your Highness, but I believe you should rest. You have been in this position for an hour now."

Valex looked at Odesse and then back at Kael with a weak smile. "I can’t leave her. I have to be here until she wakes up and comes back to me."

Kael stood quietly, watching Valex continuously caress Odesse’s forehead. The look in Valex’s eyes was that of a man who would die if anything happened to his wife. Kael shifted slightly and spoke again. "Sire, the blood is still flowing from her eyes. I can watch over her while you rest. You just returned from a long journey, and you need to take care of yourself."

Valex smiled weakly, understanding Kael’s concern but shaking his head. "I appreciate your worry, Kael," he replied, tilting his head slightly, "but if anything happens to her, then I won’t ever be able to rest."

Kael remained silent as Valex turned back to Odesse, his eyes widening in horror. He moved quickly, holding her gently in his arms. "Your Highness, what has happened?" Kael asked, his voice filled with concern. He looked at Odesse and gasped; the blood had stopped flowing.

Valex stood up hurriedly and shouted in a commanding yet pleading tone, "Get the physician now! Immediately!" Kael stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Valex carefully lifted Odesse as he sat down beside her. "My love, please wake up. I beg you," he cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. His voice became heavy with despair, and he felt his leg go numb while his hands shook. A king who had killed many on the battlefield without flinching now found himself utterly helpless at the sight of his dying wife. He leaned down to touch her forehead. "Odesse, my love, please, I beg you, come back. We will find another way." Tears continued to stream down his face, showing no signs of stopping.

...

Odesse lay on the ground, a glistening dome covering her body, while a ball of light hovered within the dome around her. She opened her eyes slowly and weakly, squinting at the brightness surrounding her. Struggling to lift herself up, she found her hands limp. "What happened?" she murmured, and suddenly, a flash of memory struck her.

"CHILD, NO!" The light flickered, and as she opened her eyes, the shadow appeared, evoking intense horror. Odesse’s eyes widened, and just then, a bright light shield materialized in front of her. The force of the light pushed her back against the wall where Valex was held captive. The shadow recoiled in pain as it made contact with the light, its presence vaporizing as it retreated.

Odesse rubbed her eyes and cried out, "What did you do, you fool?" Tears dropped to the ground as she lamented, "I really am useless; I couldn’t just keep my eyes shut." She looked around, her gaze landing on the dome surrounding her, and then met Valex’s eyes. His head hung low, his body weak and slumped on the cold floor. "My king, my king, can you hear me?" she asked anxiously.

Valex turned his head slowly, the sound of bones creaking as he moved. He managed a weak smile, mouthing, "My queen." Though no sound came, Odesse understood him, and she smiled warmly in response. "I am really sorry. I will get you out of here, I promise."

She sat up straight and touched the dome gently. It felt like hard glass, but she could tell that pressing harder would break it. "Moon spirit, do you hear my voice?" she called, looking at the light that hovered around her. The light stopped in front of her, vibrating slightly, before a voice radiated from it. Unlike the calmness of ocean waves, the voice was as stern as a storming comet. "You foolish child, why did you open your eyes when told not to?"

Odesse looked down, filled with guilt. "I am really sorry, moon spirit. I thought it was Valex who cried out for help." The voice responded, "Had I not told you not to open your eyes, but to trust me completely?"

Odesse fell silent, her heart heavy. The spirit continued, "You mortals are as weak as you make yourselves." Embarrassed, Odesse folded her legs slowly, her shoulders slumped and her neck reddening. The spirit explained, "The soul eater managed to make contact with your soul." Odesse’s eyes widened in horror as she was left speechless.

"Why the shock?" the spirit said, slightly irritated. "I warned you never to open your eyes." Odesse scratched her neck, and the spirit continued, "It did not fully make contact with your soul; it only glimpsed a part of it. I was able to release a light force from within you to protect you and send it away for a while. Since it made contact with the light, you have been unconscious for some minutes. It must have healed itself, and it will be returning soon."

Odesse looked down, tears streaming down her face as she wiped them away. "Thank you. I do not know what I would have done without you." The spirit hovered over her and replied, "Thanking me is of no use, child. It is my duty to protect you, even from your foolish mistakes. If I do not protect you and you die such a shameful death as this, then I am useless to you."

"What is this dome for?" Odesse asked, glancing at the protective barrier.

"This dome is created from my light to shield you until I had finished blinding your soul." the spirit explained.

Odesse furrowed her brow in confusion. "Blinding my soul? What do you mean?"

"Soul blinding is something moon spirits can perform on a human, but it only occurs on rare occasions like this. I should have done it from the very beginning, but it takes time. When you fell unconscious, I decided to perform it on you," the spirit clarified.

Odesse raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, what exactly is soul blinding?"

The spirit settled on Odesse’s lap. "Soul blinding closes the soul’s doors to monsters, preventing them from seeing or making contact with your soul. This allows you to walk freely; even if a shadow looks into your eyes, it won’t be able to see your soul."

Odesse nodded appreciatively, saying, "Thank you very much."

The spirit replied, "Do not thank me, child. It will come back soon. I can feel its presence. I will enter into you now and remove the dome. I want you to be ready. You will have to go stand beside your husband and touch the chains that bound him. So prepare yourself, for that thing will come with sheer force this time."

Odesse’s face showed no fear or anxiety. Instead, it was firm and resolute as she declared, "Even if I die, I will die after saving Valex and everyone else."

The light entered her, and the dome disassembled. Odesse stood up, feeling a strength she had never known surging through her as she positioned herself. The spirit’s voice echoed from within her, "Are you ready, child?"

Odesse nodded, determination in her eyes. "Yes, I am."

The darkness returned, but Odesse’s eyes were able to see perfectly in it. Suddenly, she heard a screeching sound. As she looked down, she saw it—a shadow moving as if it were smiling on water, facing upwards. Its eyes were large and red, and its mouth was open wide, filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Odesse clenched her fists as the shadow approached her with fast motion. It rose from the ground and moved toward her slowly, saying, "You are finally awake, queen. Are you not going to protect your eyes?"

The spirit’s voice echoed in Odesse’s skull: "Do not fear. Walk towards Valex and touch his chains, child." Odesse closed her eyes and imagined Valex’s voice: "My love, I believe in you. You can do anything." She opened her eyes and walked toward the weak, broken Valex, bending down to touch the chain. Just then, the shadow appeared in front of her, causing Odesse to step back in fear. The shadow laughed, its long tongue sticking out as it taunted, "I still smell your fear."

Odesse breathed slowly and replied, "You cannot get into my head, you foul monster." The shadow moved closer, circling around her. "There is something inside of you," it hissed. "It is very powerful, but why can I not smell your soul anymore?" It grinned wider, saying, "Too bad. I really loved the smell of it." The spirit urged, "You have to touch that chain, child. Do not listen to it any longer."

Odesse glared at the shadow and said, "How weak are you that your only tactic is verbal manipulation? It shows just how pathetic you are." She took a step forward toward the chain, gazing at Valex, whose body was leaking blood. "I will get you out of here, my king," she vowed. Just as she reached to touch the chain, a familiar voice called out, "Odesse, my darling daughter."

Odesse paused, her mouth opening in shock. She turned her head slightly and saw her mother. Her mother walked forward with a warm, homely smile. "My child, why do you hurt yourself? Just give it up already." Odesse turned to face the figure that resembled her mother. The woman touched her face warmly, saying, "Just go home, child. You cannot do this."

Odesse’s eyebrows furrowed as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Mother..." she paused, then her expression turned stern. "You foul beast! How dare you impersonate my mother? You are not my mother!" Odesse raised her hands, which shone as brightly as morning light, and touched the shadows’ hand. It screeched in pain as it struggled to return to its original form and retreated from Odesse.

The moon spirit’s voice echoed louder. "Now, child!" The shadow dashed at Odesse with full force, but she touched the chains. A brilliant light spread through the forest, illuminating her body. Her skin became as pale as the moon, her eyes turned solid white, and her hair hovered around her. The shadow screeched, searching for darkness to lurk in.

The chains began to glow, and Valex’s head tilted backward as he looked up, Odesse voice echoed as she hovered in the air, a mixture of her and the moon spirit. "The curse shall be broken, and everyone involved shall be destroyed. Blood for blood! The only way you can be saved is if you return to the roots from which you came, but if I make contact with you, death shall call your name, Malrik!"