Freya tried to hold in the pain and opened her mouth to breathe heavily but that couldn't work to ease the pain one bit.
The searing sensation in her forehead felt like silver being poured directly into her skull, and she could barely think straight through the agony.
She struggled to stand up but fell back immediately, her buttocks hitting the floor harshly. Then she began wriggling on the floor, clutching her head as waves of excruciating pain crashed over her repeatedly.
"Help me... Somebody... Help me please!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and even that hurt her and seemed to add to the pain she was experiencing.
Living in the wilderness for ten years, Freya had felt different kinds of pain, from getting hunted by other powerful rogues to getting preyed on by the ancient Lycans, yet the one she was feeling at the moment was so terrible as if she would actually die from the intensity of the pain.
The crescent mark on her forehead pulsed with an otherworldly glow, growing brighter with each passing second as it carved itself deeper into her skin.
Fearing for her life, she shouted for help again, this time even louder.
"I'm dying! Please, somebody help me!"
Heavy footsteps approached at the entrance of the cell, and a guard came to check on her, opening the door just slightly. He peered through the narrow gap, lines of pure irritation visible on his face.
Since he didn't open the door fully, he couldn't see the glowing crescent mark appearing on her forehead. He only saw her wriggling on the floor in what looked like fake agony.
"Stop the act! You think we're fools? This pathetic display won't get you released any faster." He barked harshly.
"I... I'm not acting! Something is wrong with me!" Freya pleaded desperately, reaching toward the partially opened door.
The guard scoffed and shook his head dismissively.
"Save your breath, rogue. The head of warriors who is going to interrogate you is already on his way, so you better brace yourself up for what's about to befall you. Your little performance here is just making things worse for yourself."
After saying all that with disdain, the guard slammed the door shut, leaving Freya alone with her pain once again.
"No, please I need help..." Freya cried out desperately, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.
The pain intensified to an unbearable level, and she felt her consciousness slipping away. Her vision blurred, and darkness began creeping in from the edges.
"Help... me..." She whispered weakly before losing consciousness completely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
One hour later, Freya was still unconscious on the cold, stone floor. The mysterious crescent mark on her forehead had vanished without a trace, but her body was burning up with fever. Sweat plastered her pale skin despite the cool temperature of the dungeon.
Barely a minute after, the heavy door opened with a creaking sound, and the head of warriors entered the cell, prepared for what he expected to be an interrogation.
Zeta Thor was a burly young man with scars on his face that told stories of countless battles. His presence commanded respect and fear in equal measure.
"Time to wake up, rogue. We have some questions that need..." He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Freya's motionless form on the floor.
The Zeta approached cautiously and went to examine her more closely. When he knelt beside her, he immediately realized she was burning up with fever and completely unconscious. Her breathing was shallow and labored.
"What the hell happened here?" He muttered to himself, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead. The heat radiating from her skin was alarming.
Without hesitation, he quickly mind-linked Alpha Grimfang to inform him of the unexpected situation.
"Alpha, the prisoner is unconscious and burning with fever. She appears to be seriously ill."
The Alpha's irritated response came through the mind-link almost immediately.
"I don't care if she's dying, Thor. Get the answers I need, that's all I care about. Do you understand?"
"She is completely unresponsive, Alpha. I can't interrogate someone who is unconscious." Thor informed him gently.
There was a pause before Alpha Grimfang replied, annoyance lacing his voice.
"Fine. Mind-link the pack's healer to enter the dungeon and treat her. But the moment she's conscious, I want her interrogated."
"Understood, Alpha." Thor replied, relief spreading on his face.
While Zeta Thor worked on contacting the pack's healer, Freya found herself drifting in a trance-like state. Her spirit seemed to float away from her physical body, ascending to a place that defied all earthly description.
She was standing in a white place that resembled the heavens she had heard about in childhood stories. Everything around her glowed with pure, surreal light that didn't hurt her eyes but rather filled her with a strange sense of peace.
She could feel everything around her with heightened clarity, but when she tried to speak, no words would come from her lips.
"Where is this place?"
Then, as if materializing from the light itself, a figure appeared before her.
The Moon Goddess stood tall and radiant, her silver hair flowing like liquid moonlight and her eyes gleaming with ancient wisdom. She wore robes that seemed to be woven from starlight itself, and her presence filled Freya with both awe and inexplicable fear.
"Welcome, my chosen child..." The Moon Goddess spoke, her voice echoing with divine authority.
Freya tried to respond, but still couldn't find her voice.
The Moon Goddess smiled knowingly and continued:
"Do not try to speak, child. Simply listen and understand. Your awakening has begun because you have reached your eighteenth year. The dormant power within you is finally stirring to life."
As she spoke, she began to pace around Freya with graceful, measured steps.
"Freya Nightshade, you have been chosen for something far greater than you could ever imagine. You have a very meaningful purpose to fulfill—a divine purpose that will reshape the supernatural world itself."
Freya's eyes widened as she tried to process this overwhelming revelation. The Moon Goddess stopped directly in front of her, placing a hand that felt both warm and cold on Freya's shoulder.
"There are ancient evils in this world that must be eliminated. Creatures that have defied divine order for far too long. You, my dear child, are destined to be the instrument of their destruction. You are to become..."
Before the Moon Goddess could explain further, she suddenly paused, her head tilting as if listening to something only she could hear.
Back in the physical world, the pack's healer, a young beautiful woman, Moira had arrived and was working diligently to help Freya regain consciousness.
The Moon Goddess sensed this intrusion and her expression grew urgent.
"Our time is shorter than I anticipated. You must return to your physical form now, but know that this is only the beginning. I will contact you again very soon, and then you shall learn the full scope of your destiny."
She leaned closer, her voice becoming more intense.
"Remember this moment, Freya. Remember that you have been chosen for greatness beyond mortal comprehension."
The white realm began to fade around the edges, pulling Freya back toward consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Your true journey is about to begin." That was the last thing she heard before jolting back to life with a sharp gasp, her eyes flying open.
Her heart was racing, and the vivid memory of her encounter with the Moon Goddess was still fresh in her mind.
Moira who had been hovering over her with glowing hands, pulled back with a relieved sigh.
"Thank the goddess, you're awake." She said.
Then Thor stepped forward, his arms crossed over his broad chest.
"What happened to her?" He inquired.
Moira shook her head, looking genuinely puzzled as she examined Freya more thoroughly.
"I cannot analyze the exact cause of her condition. Her symptoms are... unusual. But based on what I can observe, I believe it was due to severe fatigue, extreme stress, and malnutrition. Her body simply couldn't handle the strain any longer." She explained, looking around the damp, cold dungeon with obvious disapproval.
"This lady needs proper rest in a cool, comfortable place to recuperate fully. Keeping her in these conditions will only make her worse."
Freya lay there listening to them discuss her like she wasn't even present, as her mind was still reeling from the encounter she'd had with the Moon Goddess.
"What did it all mean? What was this divine purpose the Moon Goddess spoke of?" She wondered inwardly.
Before anyone could speak again, the door opened and Freya's nostrils were filled with the intoxicating scent she couldn't ignore or resist.
Alpha Grimfang stepped fully inside the cell and he looked down at her with those cold, calculating eyes.
"Nothing but a bother!" He gritted in his mind. Moira and Thor greeted him, bowing their heads respectfully.
"What's your assessment?" Alpha Grimfang demanded sharply.
"She needs rest and proper care, Alpha. This dungeon is no place for recovery." Moira replied.
Alpha Grimfang's jaw tightened with visible annoyance, but he nodded curtly.
"Fine. Release her from the dungeon and take her to one of the guest rooms in the manor. But..." He added sharply, his gaze shifting to Thor;
"Post two guards outside her room. I want her movements monitored constantly."
That order reached Freya's ears clearly, and displeasure flared in her chest like wildfire. Even when showing what might pass for mercy, this Alpha still treated her like a dangerous criminal.
She struggled to sit up, glaring at the imposing man who stood looking down at her with such obvious disdain.
"I'm not some wild animal that needs to be caged..." She thought to herself, wanting to clench her fists but was even too weak to do that.
"I shouldn't have allowed him to drag me into his pack in the first place. This isn't salvation, it is just another form of imprisonment." She told herself bitterly then breathed noisily through her nose as she made a silent vow to herself.
"I need to leave this place, no matter what, by tomorrow."