Hellbound Heart

"Little did they know that the dark magic had managed to revive only her heart. The heart did not die, even when the body had rotted away. The forbidden spell and the demonic influence kept it alive for many years. It is also believed that as long as the half-blood demon whose blood had been used in that spell is alive, the heart will not die." The man's voice was filled with meaning as he looked in her direction, as though willing her to understand the point behind his words.

Elle's eyes could only widen in shock. Not only was it the last pure werewolf's heart, but it had also been infused with forbidden magic?! She could not believe what she was hearing. It was too fantastical to be true. And yet, she found herself not feeling that doubt and disbelief she expected to feel.

"So, my heart is alive ... all because of the dark magic performed together with the effects of a half-demon's blood?" she asked, trying to wrap her head around the concept. "And as long as that half-demon is alive, my heart won't die?"

Elle was silent for a moment after the masked man nodded.

"The...the half-demon, is it...Sebastian?" she could not help the pauses as she was barely able to get those words out of her mouth. She had long since guessed the direction of the thoughts that this man wanted her to move towards. She was unwilling and had tried stalling as long as she could but ultimately, she still arrived back to this question.

He nodded gravely. "I believe so," he said. "There are only two half-demons in this world, and Sebastian was the one with a connection to Alyssa between the two."

The man who Elle believes may or may not be the real Elijah shifted, crossing his long legs. "You were not randomly picked, Izabelle," he said firmly. "Ezekiel gave the heart to you for a reason. Not everyone can be compatible with Alyssa's heart. The only ones who can withstand a werewolf heart induced with demonic blood and forbidden spells are the descendants of the fae."

Elle's lips parted. "Descendants of the fae? What does that even mean?" she asked, struggling to understand. She was already having problems keeping up with what was told to her about half-demons and forbidden spells. Now there were even faes involved?!

"Fae are another race of supernatural beings, descended from the goddesses and angels themselves, and your ancestry is apparently traced back to them. That's what makes you special, my dear princess."

Elle felt a mix of confusion and disbelief as she shook her head. Everything was all too fantastical to be true. But then again, she had already learned that werewolves and half-demons existed, so why not add fae into the mix as well?

Still, the idea that she had fae ancestry was something that she had never even considered before or even dared to ever imagine. It was just too much to take in! And yet, she did not even feel like laughing.

What in the world... how could she even process all this information? Is this even true? Should she not be showing signs of information overload? She questioned herself despite her mind and heart and guts seemingly already believing everything.

"Your powers and abilities are obviously not something a normal werewolf would possess, Izabelle," he said. "It's your mother's lineage that gave you the blood of a fae. And yes, faes are already extinct in this world. None of the purebloods exist anymore, save for their non-pure descendants like you."

"So you're saying there are still more people like me?" Knowing that she had fae blood running through her veins was amazing enough. However, now, this man was telling her that there might be others out there who were like her?!

"Anyone who is aiming for the heart within you should be just like you, another descendant. These fae descendants always die from heart-related matters before reaching 30. None of them have survived longer than that. Some even die as young as when they were born. And these fae descendants can't live with any other heart other than a pure werewolf's heart."

"Why?" her voice was weak. The thought of Iryz's pale and seemingly lifeless face flashed through her mind. Her heart ached just picturing that image.

"No reason known until now so far. So everyone just believes it's one of those matters that aren't meant to be explained or perhaps just another law of nature or magic."

"But... I was a normal human before. I swear I've never felt any indication of being a descendant of some supernatural being."

"It's because fae descendants aren't supposed to be special. They're just like any normal humans. In fact, they're as good as cursed because they can't live long. But you are different. You've awakened your power yourself. You are one of a kind and that's why..."

As he took that pause, Elle felt the atmosphere around him suddenly shift. She could feel her body freeze up in fear. And just like that, her instincts were screaming at her to run, to get as far away from this man as possible. But before she could even take a step, he spoke again, his voice echoing through the room.

"You are wanted, Izabelle," he added, sending violent shivers running down Elle's spine. She wanted to run but her feet seemed to be glued to the floor.

She had to get out of here. She had to leave before it was too late! Finally her feet were willing to cooperate with what her mind had been screaming for some time now. She ran towards the ancient steel door and pushed with all her might, but it would not budge.

The man's voice cut through the silence once more. "Don't waste your time, Princess Izabelle. That door will never open no matter how you try. And we are not done yet," he said, his words dripping with malice. "Also, it's time for me to answer your very first question, Princess. Don't you want to hear it?"

With her heart pounding violently in her chest, she slowly turned to face him. Her eyes narrowed as she braced herself for whatever twisted truths he was about to reveal.