Chapter 163: _Price Of Survival

Words : 1024 Updated : Oct 2nd, 2025

Chapter 163: _Price Of Survival "Look at all this destruction." "Where is she? She has to pay!" "Did she even survive?" Those were some of the words that filtered into my head as I slowly opened my eyes, the suffocating smell of dust, ash, and smoke filling my nostrils until I was forced to cough. There was a splitting pain on my head, forcing me to grunt as I slowly crawled before I managed to sit, my legs curled. Everything was now nothing but rubble. The event building, once standing proudly in the pack as one of the grandest and largest buildings, was now nothing but a pile of rocks, ash, and fire that burned fiercely around me. ’Odessa, thank the goddess!’ Sirena spoke up with relief in my head as I dimmed my eyes, trying to use my hands to shield my face from the heat of the flames. I gritted my teeth, my eyes watering as I responded. ’All this destruction... I caused it?’ There was a pause in my mind, forcing me to hold my breath with anticipation. Even without her answering, I already had a good guess. ’You only did what was necessary to survive, Odessa.’ Sirena mumbled in my mind, causing me to scoff outwardly. Necessary? I scanned my gaze around and soon started getting a clear picture of my surroundings. Underneath the rubble, I could make out the silhouette of people. All dead, some of them even having missing body parts, blood smeared on some rocks. "How many people did I have to kill to ’survive’, Sirena?" I asked, my lips trembling as my eyes stung with tears. "All this destruction. I—" "I hear a voice over there!" A deep voice tore through the silence of the perimeter, forcing me to hold my breath as I swallowed the rest of my words. I withdrew my hands from the ash-laden ground and brought them to my body, realizing that not only was it covered in ash and soot, but I was naked. The voices of people became louder, some crying and lamenting about being hurt or about the dead they lost, while others sounded agitated and angry. My clothes had burned off completely in the explosion. Suddenly, I heard the sound of heavy boots crunching on rocks and rubble and held my breath, slowly turning my head. There were flames in that direction, which seemed to part slightly as a large silhouette made its way through them. I dimmed my eyes, but then my mouth fell in shock when I saw who it was. "K– Kaelos..." He had a stoic expression on his face as he stared directly at me, but I saw his eyes soften and his shoulders relax when our eyes met. That caused relief to surge through me as I gritted my teeth and struggled to get up. His black cape, attached to his suit, was mostly burnt, what was left of it blowing into the night wind alongside his shoulder-length black hair. He looked majestic, like a prince charming right out of my dreams. Until his gaze became cold, snatching whatever hope had been bubbling inside me. "Kaelos?" I called weakly, managing to get on my feet with my arms covering my exposed chest. But then my body strained, causing me to gasp in pain as I fell back to my knees. I knelt there for what felt like an eternity as I raised my head and stared at Kaelos. He stood there, just a few meters away, but the distance in his eyes made me feel like he was miles away. "Kaelos, p– please..." My voice came out in a croak, my eyes stinging with tears that streamed down my face. Was this really happening? Have I lost him forever? For a crime that I didn’t commit? ’Even though I didn’t cheat on him... I still caused this devastation.’ I thought to myself, shaking my head. ’I killed an unknown number of people. Werewolves, humans, probably witches.’ Lucinda was right. I’m a scum of the earth. An abomination meant to only bring destruction and chaos. I closed my eyes, fear causing me to shiver harder than any cold wind. However, I froze when I felt warm fingers caressing my face. It was brief, drying my tears in one gentle movement and forcing me to raise my head again, my lips trembling as I stared at Kaelos. He was in front of me now and took off his suit, ripping off the cape. He wrapped the suit around my frail figure, his strong hands touching my skin ever so tenderly that for a second I thought there was hope. Only a second... Until he swept me off the ground and into his arms, pressing my body close to his chest before he proceeded to walk out of the site of the destruction. "There she is!" A female voice yelled out in a panic when Kaelos emerged with me out of the flames. I opened my eyes and saw a crowd of people around the destruction, with ambulances and pack soldiers already everywhere. I held my breath, my heart beating faster, when I spotted Lucinda in front of the crowd. ’The bitch survived...’ Sirena growled in my mind as I glared at Lucinda. Her once pristine white robe was now stained with dust and ash, and her hair was messy. There were several burn marks around her body as well, but she seemed to be focusing her magic on healing them. However, her injuries didn’t stop her from walking toward Kaelos while pointing at me. "You! Bringer of chaos!" She sneered, her words riling up the people around as they all yelled out and began throwing curses and insults, pouring their frustrations on me. "That event building has been in this pack for seven decades!" Gamma Zane yelled out with rage-filled eyes from one end. "We should burn her just like she tried burning us all!" A different person added. Just when the murmuring and yelling were getting overwhelming, a voice boomed through it all, instantly bringing silence. "ENOUGH!"

Chapter 163: _Price Of Survival

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