Chapter 10: Blade of Betrayal
700words
"You came," Harris's voice came from behind me.
I turned to see him walking toward me with an ancient wooden box, "I said I would."
"Ready to begin?" he asked, placing the wooden box on the stump.
"Depends on what you're teaching me," I answered, staying vigilant.
Harris opened the wooden box and took out an ancient dagger—the blade was silver, covered in runes, with a handle made of ebony inlaid with a blood-red gem.
"This is the Shadow Blade," he explained, "a weapon used by the first generation of Shadow Hearts. It can guide your abilities, enhance your control."
I hesitantly took the dagger, immediately feeling energy flowing from the blade into my arm. Silver light flowed along the blade, resonating with the energy inside me.
"It... recognizes me," I said in surprise.
Harris nodded, "This dagger is connected to the Shadow Heart bloodline. It will become an extension of your abilities."
For the next few hours, Harris taught me how to channel my abilities through the dagger. Unlike Derek's training that focused on control, Harris's teaching emphasized flow and acceptance.
"Don't resist the energy," he instructed, "let it flow through you, release it through the dagger. Imagine it as part of your body, like an arm or leg."
I closed my eyes, feeling the energy flowing within me. When I opened my eyes, silver light surrounded the dagger, extending into an energy blade twice the length of the actual blade.
"Good," Harris said approvingly, "now, try to influence your surroundings."
I swung the dagger, the energy blade cutting through the air, leaving a silver mark on the tree trunk in front of me. The trunk had no physical damage, but I could feel some energy being released.
"What is this?" I asked, looking at the flickering silver light on the trunk.
"You've marked it," Harris explained, "now you can sense it, no matter the distance. This is the Shadow Heart's tracking ability."
The training continued, and I learned how to use the dagger to enhance my healing abilities, create energy barriers, and even briefly borrow abilities from supernatural creatures I'd touched.
"The final lesson, and the most important," Harris said, his voice becoming serious, "the power of blood."
He took out a small glass vial from the wooden box, containing a deep red liquid.
"What is this?" I asked warily.
"Alpha blood," Harris answered, "voluntarily provided. I need you to try to connect with it."
I hesitantly took the vial, "Why?"
"Because in the Blood Moon ritual, you need to understand the power of blood. If Deucalion successfully captures you, you must know how to resist his control."
This explanation sounded reasonable, but I still felt uneasy. I opened the vial and dropped a bit of blood onto the dagger's blade.
Immediately, powerful energy surged into my body. I felt a wild force, a primal desire that almost overwhelmed my consciousness. The red gem on the dagger began to glow, resonating with the blood.
"Control it," Harris commanded, "don't let it control you."
I clenched my teeth, struggling to stay conscious. I felt my eyes grow hot, red appearing at the edges of my vision. This was the Alpha's power flowing through me.
"I... can't," I gasped, feeling myself losing control.
"You can," Harris insisted, "find the balance point. You are neither human nor werewolf. You are the bridge between them."
I focused, imagining the energy not as a foreign invader but as a force I could guide. Slowly, the red began to merge with my own silver energy, creating a new balance.
When I opened my eyes again, the world looked different. I could see the texture of every leaf, smell every forest scent, hear distant heartbeats.
"These are Alpha senses," I said in amazement.
Harris nodded, his expression satisfied, "You did it. You didn't just borrow the ability, you created balance. This is the true power of the Shadow Heart."
