7 CHAPTER 6

The Present, two months ago...

Glancing around the forest, I narrow my eyes and listen for any sound, crouching down with a snarl I wait for the final attack from my opponent and I'm not disappointed.

An arrow flies past my ear and misses me by an inch, and I turn left to see another heading my way and quickly evaded it. Spotting the arrogant shifter hiding behind the tree, I smirk and dug my hands into the soil beneath my feet.

A rumble began to shake the earth, and before he could react large roots jolted out from the ground and imprisoned the shape-shifter in an oval cage of twisted wood and vines with an intricate knot enclosed at the top.

Rising to my feet I cross my arms over my chest and slowly walked forward, a smug smile lighting up my face when I'm met with an irritated glare of defeat from the shifter. "I win," I state proudly, a chuckle slipping out of my lips.

"Yeah, I can see that." He snorts, a bored look settling on his face. "Redraw your powers."

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, I glance at my fingernails and pout. "Where's my please?"

"You want me to beg?" He scoffs in disbelief, and the expression on his face became pretty comical.

"Obviously," I replied, one shoulder raised. "You're the one who unnecessarily challenged me to a duel."

"That's because you've been acting so arrogant and out of character lately that you needed to be put in your place!"

"Ooh, I see. Did your small ego get hurt because you got rejected?" I ask mockingly, a flash of what occurred between the both of us last night coming to the forefront of my mind.

It's been a whole week since I woke up from a month-long coma with only a few memories of my past life, an effect gotten from a slightly intentional transmigration exchange between me and my host.

Waking up, one would think the first sight you'd see is the sight of your family by your bedside awaiting the moment you wake up from your coma with hopeful eyes. Unfortunately for me, I woke to feel this ingrate's lips on mine.

Eyes wide, he glanced around the forest fearfully to ensure no one stood within hearing distance and flushed red.

Hands clenched, he tried to fight off his embarrassment with a stutter. "N-n-no, of course not. Last night didn't affect me in any way!" He snaps his anger, which is just a clear indication that it did. "That kiss last night was a bet I made with my friends, nothing else."

"Ahh," I feign understanding, smirking in mockery. "Whatever you say, but that doesn't stop the fact that you have to beg me for your freedom now that you've lost and your finally aware of your place."

Gripping the roots caging him he tried to break them apart with his strength but they wouldn't budge, sticking out a hip I watch in boredom as he tirelessly and uselessly worked hard to free himself from my cage.

Letting out a grunt of frustration, he turns to me and reluctantly concedes with gritted teeth. "Please, let me out."

Giggling coquettishly, I took several steps forward with a sway to my hips knowing he watched me intensely and lightly tapped one of the roots with a finger. Immediately, they withdrew back into the earth like slippery snakes.

"Was that so hard?" I ask mockingly, whirling on my feet, prepared to return home.

"Aurora White!"

The startling yell of that name caused me to stumble in my step, my heart clenching painfully as a part of my soul responded to the call.

Hissing, my hand grips my head when I'm suddenly blinded by flashing images, each zap of memory causing a ringing pain in my mind. I'm assaulted by images of a young girl with a happy childhood, her soft voice echoing in my mind continuously.

Groaning aloud, I tried to fight off the images swarming my mind but it was of no use. The sheer power of my host's memories coming out to seem a lot more powerful than I estimated, hands grabbed my shoulders tightly in worry when my groans turned into cries. Tears rolling down my face as I visibly shake while crouching down.

"What's wrong, Aurora what is it?"

That bloody name again, it's making things worst.

"H-help." I moan pleadingly before being sucked into the floating consciousness of my host body by a powerful force, my rein of control now lost.

Floating aimlessly in a dark space in my mind, I roll my eyes to the back of my head with a groan.

This is just damn irritating.