The growl that escaped him was deep and involuntary, a sound born of jealousy and confusion along with possessiveness.
"No... I don’t know," Shura said again, almost as if speaking to himself. "But I have this feeling... I have to be here."
Zion exhaled sharply, clenching his fists. He was frustrated. Anxious. And worse, he could feel it too. A strange restlessness gnawing at his chest, rising in sync with Shura’s unease. Whatever this was, it wasn’t just about Addison anymore. Something else was calling them here, and neither of them knew what it was.
Zion wanted to press on, to move past the forest and follow wherever his feet might lead, but something stopped him. It was as if an invisible force held him back, allowing him to retreat but not advance.
"There’s... a barrier?"
He glanced around, seeing nothing unusual at first. But when he tried to take another step forward, he hit something, something solid yet unseen. The air shimmered. A ripple spread out before him, like a mirror reflecting the forest surroundings, only now, distorted. It wavered like water disturbed by a stone.
"What the hell...?"
Zion stared as the ripple expanded outward in concentric circles, distorting the space like a pond reacting to a falling droplet. His heart began to pound.
This wasn’t normal. It felt wrong. Someone, or something, was hidden inside.
’Could it be Addison?’ No... something told him it wasn’t her. Yet, something was in there. He could feel it. The same pull that once only affected Shura, guided by pure instinct, now gripped Zion too.
The moment he stood before the barrier, it called to him. Something deep and primal stirred within, restless, as though some unseen presence was reaching for him, drawing him closer.
"Shura, looks like we can’t move forward from here..." Zion muttered, eyes scanning their surroundings. If there was a barrier here, chances were high that the entire area was sealed off. No matter where they tried to enter, they’d likely run into the same obstacle. For now, it would be smarter to observe and track any movement around the perimeter and look for a possible loophole or temporary opening they could exploit.
But Shura had other ideas.
"No... I have to get inside," it growled, its voice laced with determination. It paced restlessly, muscles tensed, ready to force its way through if necessary.
"Are you out of your damn mind?" Zion snapped, his frustration boiling over. "If we force our way in, the guards patrolling the area will know instantly. And that’s assuming we can even break through! If we fail, we’ll only set off alarms, then what?"
He took a breath, trying to rein in his anger before continuing.
"Look, buddy... I feel it too. Every part of me is screaming to get inside and find some answers. But we have to be smart about this. Do you understand me?"
Zion exhaled heavily, trying to channel his anxiety into reason. He knew Shura, stubborn, impulsive, and dangerously driven. Once Shura locked onto something, it went full throttle, consequences be damned. And with its emotions already unstable, Zion feared it could go feral at any moment.
If that happened, they wouldn’t just get thrown out of the Royal Palace; they could lose their one shot at getting close to their mate, or even uncovering the truth hidden inside. So no matter how badly they both wanted it... they had to keep their heads clear.
"Then what’s the plan?" Shura asked impatiently, its voice echoing from deep within Zion’s mind, waiting for direction, barely holding still.
"I’m still working on it," Zion replied, eyes scanning the area.
"You’re so useless!" Shura growled, its voice sharp with irritation. It was clearly reaching its limit; waiting wasn’t its strength. The longer the silence stretched, the more anxious and restless it became, its heart pounding louder with every passing second.
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