The forest felt colder now. Not in temperature, but in spirit—like the trees themselves had begun to hold their breath. I stood by the edge of the Sanctuary cliffs, where the wind carried the scent of distant storms and old secrets. Kane was beside me, arms folded, eyes on the horizon, though I knew his attention was on me.
Malric's warning echoed in my mind like a curse: "You are your mother's daughter. And soon, you'll understand the weight of that."
My fists clenched at my sides. I had always believed my mother, Celyra, died protecting us. A noble, selfless death. But now? Everything about her—about me—was layered in shadows. And the elders knew more than they ever let on.
"I need answers," I said finally, breaking the silence. "And not the half-truths they feed in riddles."
Kane turned to me, his gaze steady. "Then let's get them."
The Sanctuary's inner chamber was lit by the amber glow of ancient lanterns. The scent of burning herbs filled the air, masking something deeper—fear. The kind that clung to stone and bone.
Elder Rivan sat at the center of the chamber, his robes faded, his face a map of age and memory. Around him, other council members watched as I approached, their expressions unreadable.
I didn't wait for permission.
"Tell me about my mother," I demanded. "Tell me the truth."
Rivan's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "You deserve that much."
He gestured to the others, who filed out silently. Only Kane remained at my side.
"Celyra was not just a Seer," Rivan began. "She was Moonveil. Born of the bloodline meant to guard the Gate—but also born during an eclipse. A cursed moon."
My breath caught. "A cursed moon?"
"She carried both light and darkness in her blood. It made her powerful... and unstable. She saw what the Gate could become if left unchecked. She tried to destroy it."
I staggered back. "Destroy it? I thought she sealed it."
"She tried. But no single Moonveil could do it alone. She used an ancient rite—one that bound part of her spirit to an unborn child. You."
My stomach turned. "So I'm not just her daughter... I'm her legacy. Her weapon."
"Her shield," he corrected gently. "But also the key. The Gate responds to you, Elara. That's why Malric wants you. He doesn't need to break the seal—he just needs you to open it."
I felt sick. My hands trembled at my sides. Every step I'd taken, every strange flare of power, every dream—it wasn't just magic. It was inheritance.
Kane stepped forward, his voice firm. "We need to go to the Hollow. If there's anything left of her—anything that can guide Elara—we'll find it there."
Rivan hesitated. "It's dangerous. The Hollow is guarded, and Malric's shadows—"
"I'm done hiding," I said. "If I don't face this now, people will die. Kane and I leave tonight."
The journey through the forest was unlike any before. The air was sharp, alive with something old. The trees whispered warnings in the rustle of their leaves.
Kane and I moved swiftly, though neither of us spoke much. There was a tension between us, not of anger, but of fear. Fear of what we might find. Fear of what I might become.
As we neared the Hollow, the earth itself seemed to pulse. A deep, resonant thrum beneath our feet.
Then they came.
Eyes glinting in the dark. Shapes twisting in unnatural ways. Corrupted wolves—once Sanctuary warriors—now turned into Malric's hollow-eyed soldiers.
"Don't hold back," Kane said, shifting in a blur of motion, his dark fur catching the moonlight.
I followed, my bones snapping and reforming with the now-familiar ache of transformation. But this time, it was different.
I didn't just shift—I ignited.
Silver and blue light flared around my wolf form, my power uncoiling like a whip of flame. I lunged into the fray, slashing, striking, roaring.
But I wasn't in control.
Every blow felt too strong. Every pulse of energy tore deeper into the corrupted wolves—and into the forest. Trees splintered under the force of my magic. My vision blurred, edged in white.
"Elara—pull back!" Kane's voice reached me, but it was distant. I wasn't myself. I was something more. Something monstrous.
Then—I struck him.
Not deep. Not intentional. But my claws caught his shoulder, and he fell with a growl of pain.
The spell shattered.
I shifted back, falling to my knees, gasping. Kane staggered up, holding his shoulder, blood staining his jacket.
"No," I breathed. "Kane—I didn't mean—"
"I know," he said, grimacing. "You weren't fully there."
I stared at my hands, still crackling faintly with light. "What's happening to me?"
"You're waking up," he said softly. "Becoming what your mother made you. But it doesn't have to control you."
I looked at him, feeling tears burn at the corners of my eyes. "What if I can't stop it?"
"Then I'll stop it for you," he said, voice low. "But I don't think I'll need to."
We reached the Hollow by dawn, the first light seeping through the trees as if blessing the ruins with warmth.
The Hollow wasn't a place. It was a memory carved in stone—pillars with moon sigils, moss-covered statues, and at the center, a silver pool still as glass.
I approached the pool and saw my reflection—and then hers.
Celyra.
Young. Beautiful. Eyes like mine, but older in spirit. She didn't speak, but I felt her. Felt her sorrow. Her sacrifice.
And her warning.
You are the key... but only you can choose the door.
I stood, trembling, and Kane took my hand.
"I know now," I whispered. "Why he wants me. What I carry. I'm not just meant to protect the seal. I am the seal."
And somewhere, deep in the forest, I felt Malric stir.
He knew too.
And he was coming for me.