Chapter 13

The darkness that once enveloped her fades, leaving Alex in a hollow space between consciousness and the unknown. Her senses are dulled, but her thoughts race like wildfire, fear and confusion threatening to swallow her whole. The world around her feels distant, yet the weight of everything presses on her chest. She’s not sure how much time has passed. Days? Hours? It doesn’t matter. All that matters is the gnawing emptiness within her—the sense of not knowing who she is anymore. A monster? A victim? Or something else entirely?

Her body is sore, each movement like dragging a dead weight behind her. But it’s the silence that makes her feel trapped. No voices. No comforting presence. Not even Regina. Alex pushes through the fog in her mind, her pulse quickening as she sits up in the unfamiliar space. The damp smell of her surroundings hits her senses, and she looks around, realizing she’s in some kind of cave.

So this is where they put me… I guess it’s fitting. She thinks bitterly. Trembling hands reach up to test the chains around her wrists. She winces as she feels the torn fabric of her clothes, the remnants of her transformation hanging loosely on her frame, barely covering her skin.

“Great,” she mutters under her breath, “Guess I’ll have to wait until someone comes to see me. If anyone does at all.”

She steps toward the cold wall, her chains rattling softly with each movement. The stillness of the place is oppressive, and she can’t shake the thought that this might be her life now—trapped in the dark, isolated from the world.

As moments pass, the air shifts, and a sudden unease prickles her skin. She pauses, every muscle tensing as she senses something ominous in the atmosphere.

What the hell was that? She asks aloud, but her voice echoes off the walls, swallowed by the cavern.

Hours seem to stretch on, and her hunger grows. They have to feed me, right? They wouldn’t just let me starve. She mumbles to herself, the uncertainty gnawing at her stomach.

Then, a noise—footsteps—reaches her ears from the cave entrance. She squints, her vision blinded by a sudden flood of light.

“Who’s there?” she calls, her voice hoarse from the isolation.

The figure steps closer, and her heart sinks when she recognizes him. It’s the same tall man with blond hair and piercing blue eyes—the man who had been with Emma when she confronted Regina.

“I know you probably don’t want me here right now,” the man begins, his voice tense. “But we need your help.”

“Why should I help you?” Alex sneers, skepticism heavy in her voice.

“Because I’m your father.” He tries to say with a chuckle.

Alex laughs bitterly, shaking her head. “Hah, nice try. That makes me want to help you less.”

He sighs, frustration creeping into his voice. “Fine. Emma said you would come help us—”

“No,” Alex interrupts, her anger flaring. “Why on earth would I help the person I trusted most, the one who stabbed me in the back?”

The man looks uncomfortable, but he presses on. “Listen, we didn’t plan on locking you down here forever. We were just… scared for you. If you help us, we promise not to lock you up again.”

Alex glances down at the chains around her wrists, the torn clothes from her transformation clinging to her. “Fine,” she mutters reluctantly. “I don’t have much of a choice.”

The man—David, as he finally introduces himself—unlocks her chains and hands her a set of fresh clothes. As she changes, her mind races, but the bitter truth settles in: she’s too deep in this mess to turn back now.

“By the way,” Alex says, turning to David, “I’m not calling you ‘father.’ That’s not gonna happen.”

David looks at her with a mix of disappointment and stubbornness. “I’m your father, Alex. You are my blood.”

Alex stays silent for a beat. “Fine, Goldilocks. Tell me what’s going on.”

David’s expression darkens. “Gold sent some soul-sucking creature after Regina. We’re trying to send it back to the Enchanted Forest. Although, honestly, I think we should let it kill her… but my grandson disagrees.”

Alex raises an eyebrow, unable to hold back her frustration. “Well, what do you expect? Not everyone wants to kill Regina. Ever thought that maybe life’s better here for some of us?”

David stares at her like she’s grown two heads. “It doesn’t matter if life is better here for some. This isn’t where we belong.”

“Well, Goldilocks,” Alex retorts with a smirk, “life doesn’t always go how you want it to.”

David doesn’t respond, instead walking away in silence. Alex shrugs. One point to me, zero to my ‘parents.’

They arrive at Town Hall, where Regina, Emma, and the pixie woman stand gathered around a large hat.

“So, what’s the plan, ladies?” Alex calls out, causing them to look up at her in surprise.

“We’re trying to send the Wraith through the hat,” the pixie explains.

Emma steps forward, handing Alex a broom that’s lit on fire. “Here, use this to defend yourself against the creature.”

Alex looks at Emma, bewildered. “You have to be joking.”

“Well,” Emma says, her tone dripping with sarcasm, “unless you can turn into that beast again, I suggest you shut up and take the broom.”

Alex is about to respond when a deathly roar echoes from the hallway. A dark figure bursts through the doors.

“Oh shit!” Alex curses, her blood running cold as the creature’s shape comes into view.

David swings his broom at the creature, and Alex joins him. “Begone, you heathen!” she yells, trying to strike the monster.

It swings back, knocking both David and Alex aside with ease. The creature turns toward Regina and Emma, but Snow quickly lights the railings on fire to block its path.

“Okay, now you’ve really made me mad,” Alex mutters under her breath, trying to summon the transformation.

She closes her eyes, focusing on the moment with Regina and the mob. She feels something inside her—a fierce burning urge to fight back. Her arms begin to change, claws extending as her body shifts.

“Hey!” she shouts, drawing the creature’s attention. “How about taking someone your own size?”

She runs at it, leaping into the air and transforming mid-flight. Her claws sink into the demon’s flesh, catching it off guard. It shrieks in pain, and the others stand frozen, shocked by the sudden shift in power.

“Regina, now’s the time for that portal!” the pixie yells.

“I’m trying!” Regina responds, her voice frantic.

The creature tries to claw at Alex’s sides, and she winces, but refuses to let go. “Fuck, that hurts,” she grits through her teeth.

It slams her against the wall, knocking the breath out of her. Blood spills from her side, but she doesn’t have time to recover. The creature charges toward Regina again, but Snow bats it away.

With one final push, Alex forces herself to her feet and sees that the portal is opening. But the creature is barreling toward them. Using the last of her strength, Alex launches herself at the beast, claws sinking into its back as they both tumble into the portal.

The last thing she hears is Regina, and surprisingly, Emma, shouting her name.

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Dear Readers sorry for the delay my schedule has been hectic but I have gotten a break so I will try for another update this week. 🙂