Atlas POV
Mia was up bright and early, her eyes gleaming with determination as she stood ready to go to the gym and then assist Bryn in any way possible. She exuded an aura of fearlessness, much like the golden glow emanating from Inara's tips last night. As she dressed, her hair was tied back, but I secretly preferred it cascading down, framing her face.
"It's easier for me to work out and train with my hair tied back," she explained as if reading my mind with a smile before leaving the room. When we arrived at the gym, Flint was already there, a familiar grin on his face.

"Ready for the famous Flint workout," Flint said with a mischievous grin, his eyes locking onto mine. Mia chuckled. "Mia, Bryn spent most of the night researching the relics," Flint continued, "and she's devised a plan. Once you're finished here, she wants to have a conversation with you. Atlas, I've been instructed to test the endurance of Mia's powers when shared with you. Today, we'll see how long you can train and work out before exhaustion sets in."
I stretched my muscles, preparing for the intense session ahead. "Sounds like you'll have a busy day," Mia remarked, looking at me.
"It might not take up the entire day," Flint clarified, "Bryn mentioned that she might be able to initiate the process of you harnessing the powers trapped within the relics. She also suggested that Atlas be present when it happens."
"I wouldn't want her to face that alone anyway," I assured them.
"First, let's start with the treadmill," he instructed, pointing towards the machine. Taking my place on the treadmill, I focused my attention on Mia, who had grabbed a yoga mat and retreated to a quiet corner of the gym. Flint joined me on another treadmill, urging me to begin running. Throughout the entire workout, my eyes never left Mia, captivated by her every movement.
Time seemed to slip away unnoticed as I became completely engrossed in watching her gracefully transition into different yoga poses. The soft hum of the treadmill filled the air as I failed to notice Flint's interruption. He had paused his own run to increase the speed on my machine.

"Clearly, her powers not only supercharge your lycan form, but they do the same for your human form," Flint remarked, breaking my focus.
Confused, I asked, "How? We've only been running for a few minutes."
Flint chuckled and pointed to the clock. My eyes widened in surprise as I realized that an entire hour had passed without me even breaking a sweat. Slowing the treadmill, I stepped off, feeling a mix of astonishment and accomplishment.
"I guess Mia is quite the distraction for you," Flint laughed as she left the gym to shower, leaving me alone with him. He instructed me to move to the bench press and lift weights. To both his and my own surprise, I discovered newfound strength, easily handling the heavy weights.

"Damn, I'm pretty sure you could lift a car even in human form," Flint exclaimed, impressed. We continued our workout, spending a little more time in the gym before parting ways to shower.
Entering the room, I noticed Mia's absence. Knowing she must be busy helping Bryn, even a few moments without her felt empty. Hurriedly, I cleaned up and left the room. I loved how effortlessly I could track her by her unique scent. Following her aroma, I found her in the room Bryn had occupied. Mia was resting on a comfortable couch while Bryn spoke with her.
As I approached, Mia shifted to make room for me. "Looks like you and Flint had some fun in the gym," she remarked playfully.
Smiling, I replied, "We did. Your powers have also enhanced my abilities in human form."
“Bryn is ready to start the process," Mia explained. "We need to do it in the room I found with the relics."
"That room trapped you the last time Mia, is it safe for you to be going into it?" I asked, my eyes moving towards Bryn searching her face for reassurance.
"It is safe now," Bryn assured me. "I have removed the spell that trapped the white wolves. Although Mia will need to stay in the room until her body calms from accepting the power, I am unsure of how long it will take."
“This is going to be a process that overwhelms her, and as her mate, you will feel that she is under stress. But as her mate, as I explained, you can also calm her." Bryn explained.
"I am actually not needed for this process," Bryn continued . "You can do it for me, Atlas, the power in the relics already senses her," Bryn said.
"Mia simply needs to cut her hand and touch the relic with her blood," Bryn continued, her words resonating with a sense of ancient knowledge.
"By taking in this power," Bryn explained, her voice filled with hope, "she may also take in some memories of the original four."
"That will provide Mia, as well as all of us, a better understanding of her power and how to help her," Bryn explained.
"Your Lycan will be able to sense when Mia has calmed," Bryn assured me. "I suggest only doing one Relic at a time," Bryn advised, her voice carrying a note of caution.
"Unless Mia learns anything from the memories," Bryn added.
"All I can tell you is that even though this process will be overwhelming for Mia, it will not harm her," Bryn promised us.
"This power was always meant to be a part of Mia," Bryn said.
"I do believe it was her destiny to gain it this way," Bryn concluded.
"I understand," I said to both Mia and Bryn, my voice filled with determination
"I'm afraid and excited," Mia whispered."But with you, Atlas, I also know I am safe."
Bryn followed us to the entrance of the room, and then left as we entered the hidden room. I finally took everything in, the room enveloping me with its sense of history. The air was heavy with the lingering presence of dark magic, and I could almost taste the fear and pain that Thora's victims had endured within these walls.
Mia stood beside me, her eyes mirroring the weight of what she had read in the diaries. I pulled her into my arms, holding her close, reassurance flowing through my words. "I promise you, Mia, I will never treat you as your ancestor's mate was treated. Even if someone were to manipulate my mind, I would fight it with all my strength. I will never hurt you, and I won't let anyone else harm you."
She smiled softly, her eyes filled with trust. "Thank you, Atlas. I believe in you. Together, we are an unstoppable force. Nothing can harm us." Stepping away for a moment, she began to undress, a perplexing gesture that momentarily confused me. "The best way for me to find calm is if you hold me skin to skin," she reminded me. Understanding her need, I nodded, undressing myself in response.
Then, she picked up a knife that Bryn had left in the room and deliberately cut her hand. Moving swiftly, she reached for the first relic, her cut still fresh, causing the ancient object to instantly glow upon contact with her blood. A dark mist emanated from the relic, enveloping Mia before dissipating into thin air. In that moment, her purple eyes seemed to radiate with an otherworldly light, and she stood motionless.
"Mia," I called out, growing concerned by her silence. A single tear escaped her eye, but she remained silent, her mind seemingly elsewhere. Acting on instinct, I pulled her back into my arms, her body tense, her thoughts distant. Perhaps, as Bryn had suggested, she was experiencing fragments of the original White Wolf's memories. Carrying her to the bed, I laid down with her, holding her tightly in my embrace. Gradually, her body relaxed against mine, but she remained silent, lost in her own mind.
"I can feel the power in our mate," Brutus whispered to me, his voice filled with awe. As I held Mia in my arms, I sensed her gradually emerging from the trance. She stirred against me, her lips meeting mine in a tender kiss before rising to her feet.
"Atlas, I must embrace the remaining power now," she declared. "But fear not, I now understand that it is safe. Bryn was right it is my destiny to harness this power. However, we must channel it together. These relics hold not only hold memories but our memories from another time. We were meant to save this world together, as the original bearers. It is not just me who must offer blood to unlock their true potential we both must do so. Our blood must intertwine."
Her words resonated deep within me, and I placed my trust in her unwaveringly. Taking the knife, she grazed it against my hand, then her own, before firmly clasping our hands together. Our mingled blood pulsated, and we touched each relic in unison. In that moment, the room erupted in a blinding light, engulfing us entirely. I felt an overwhelming surge of power surging through every fiber of my being, intertwining with Mia's.
Suddenly, everything shifted. The surroundings transformed, transporting us to the place I had always dreamed of—a sacred space inhabited by Mia’s white wolf. But this time, the white wolf stood beside me in Lycan form, as if a long-forgotten memory was unfolding before our eyes—a memory from a different life, a different time.