"The Integration Festival," Maya panted as we ran into the forest. "It's our only chance. Everyone will be there. They can't silence us all."
We traveled through the night, following Teresa, who knew these woods. By dawn, exhaustion nearly claimed me, the twins draining my energy as they grew.
"There," Jun pointed as we crested a hill. Below us, the city of Navistal spread out, its central plaza already filling with people for the festival.
"Somewhere down there, our matches are looking for us," Leena said, eyes scanning the crowds.
"If they're still alive," Dahlia whispered.
I straightened, sensing something familiar. "Varkolak's there. I can feel him." The bond, weakened but not broken, pulled me toward the city.
We staggered into Navistal as the festival reached its peak. Colorful banners hung between buildings, and humans and shadow creatures mingled in celebration of their integration. But beneath the festivity, I sensed tension.
"There!" Maya pointed toward the central stage where the Magnus Terra Council sat in their ceremonial robes.
And surrounded by guards, kneeling before them, Varkolak and five other shadow creatures.
"What are they doing?" Teresa gasped.
"Public punishment," Jun said grimly. "For defying the matchings."
Rage and determination surged through me. Without a word, I broke into a run, shadows swirling around me as I pushed through the crowd. People gasped and stepped back, creating a path as I moved.
"Stop!" I screamed as I reached the edge of the stage.
The head councilman paused mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he saw me. "Impossible. You should be?—"
"Locked away?" I climbed onto the stage, my shadows dancing around me. "So you could murder my unborn children?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Behind me, the other women emerged, forming a line at my back.
Varkolak's head snapped up, his dark eyes finding mine. "Aya," he breathed, struggling against his restraints.
"The matching program was manipulated," I announced, my voice carrying across the suddenly silent plaza. "These men—" I gestured to the council members, "—decided which of us could be paired with shadow creatures. They imprisoned those of us who formed bonds they didn't approve."
"Lies!" Elder Niall shouted, rising from his seat.
"Then explain this." Leena stepped forward, throwing a handful of papers onto the council table. "Records we took from your facility. Lists of which humans were 'acceptable' for shadow matches."
"And this." Teresa pulled out a vial. "The drug they've been giving us to weaken our bonds."
The crowd murmured, growing louder as understanding spread.
"They fear what we can become together," I continued, moving toward Varkolak. With a wave of my hand, shadows cut through his bonds. "They fear our children."
He stood, towering beside me, his warmth and strength filling the empty space I'd felt since our separation. His hand found mine, fingers intertwining.
"The DNA matching program was created to find true compatibility between our kinds," Varkolak's deep voice resonated. "Not to serve political agendas."
"I carry his children," I announced, placing our joined hands over my stomach. "Twin shadow-human babies. The first of their kind."
The crowd erupted in shouts—some supportive, others fearful. The council members conferred frantically.
"Order!" The head councilman banged his gavel. "These accusations are serious?—"
"And true," came a new voice. An elderly woman pushed her way to the stage, leaning heavily on a cane. "I designed the original matching algorithm. And I can confirm it was tampered with."
One by one, more people came forward, lab technicians, program administrators, all with pieces of evidence showing how the council had manipulated the matches to maintain their control.
