I could hear the clock ticking louder than usual, probably an illusion born from my desperate wish to escape this school as quickly as possible. The last day of my final year. The last exam, finally. I had finished it half an hour ago, but Mrs. Morra insisted we all stay until the very end, so we could leave together, apparently enjoying each other's company one last time—her words, not mine. I had never found my place here, or anywhere else in fact, never felt I belonged. Maybe that had always been my fate. If only my father was still with us… maybe everything would have been different.
The annoying chime of the bell finally rang through the classroom, and I didn't waste another second before standing up with my exam sheet in hand. I threw my backpack over my shoulder and approached Mrs. Morra to hand in the paper that would hold my final grade for the year.
"Thank you, Amira. I'm sure this exam will be as good as all the others you've taken. I wish you success in the future; I see a bright path ahead of you." She smiled at me and gave a small wink, the kind she always reserved for me, as if she understood me more than anyone else…strange woman, really.
"Thank you. I've always appreciated your encouragement," I said, preparing to leave.
"Good luck, Amira. Remember: some paths are written in the stars, even if we don't want to follow them."
I walked out of the classroom with quick steps, her words echoing in my mind. She always had the right things to say and looked at me more like a daughter than a student, as if she had known me for years. I pushed those thoughts aside for now.
The long corridor of the school greeted me with the same oppressive silence. The walls were covered with old posters, and the scent of chalk and dust hadn't changed at all. I stepped faster toward the exit, but for a moment, I thought I heard something… a faint echo, like the light tapping of footsteps behind me. I turned sharply. No one. Just the yellow light of the flickering fluorescents. I rolled my eyes and continued. My imagination had always been too active.
The air outside hit me like a wave of freedom, cold and refreshing, exactly what I needed. I started walking home, a path I knew by heart, but that evening it felt different. The sky was too dark for a summer afternoon. The clouds moved heavily, and the forest at the edge of the neighborhood stretched its shadows toward me.
My hand instinctively touched the small silver pendant I always wore—the last thing I had from my father. It felt warm, warmer than usual. I paused for a moment, frowning. Maybe it was just my skin… or maybe not.
The sensation of being watched grew stronger. I looked up and, for a second, I swore I saw two yellow lights staring at me from behind the tree trunks. I blinked, and they were gone.
"Imagination, Amira. Just imagination," I whispered under my breath.
Yet the feeling didn't leave me. The pendant pulsed again, almost like a warning. My steps quickened, but the forest seemed to move against me, the shadows stretching like claws.
As I neared the gate to my house, a shiver ran down my spine. A shadow detached itself from the darkness, rising right in front of me. It was neither human nor animal.
A whispered voice, almost like an echo, drifted through the air:
—Amira… you have been chosen.
My heart skipped a beat. I touchet the pendant that flared, blindingly bright, burning my chest. An unknown power coursed through me, and I realized that my ordinary life had ended forever.
I hurried inside, closing the door behind me. The familiar scent of home enveloped me—wood polish, old books, and a hint of herbs from my grandmother's kitchen.
"Amira, is that you, dear?" my grandmother's voice called from the living room.
"Yes, grandma. I'm home," I replied, setting my backpack down. She appeared in the doorway, smiling warmly but with a hint of concern in her eyes.
"You look tired. How was your last exam?" she asked, gently brushing a strand of hair from my face.
"Long, but I'm done now," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.
She nodded, then gave me a knowing look. "Tomorrow… well, you know it will change everything."
I nodded, my heart tightening at her words. I had just turned eighteen, and tomorrow was the day of the ritual—the day I would meet my wolf, the one that would become a part of me, and receive the seal that it is going to bound me to my fated mate, just like all the others my age.
I walked over to the kitchen table and glanced at the calendar. Tomorrow's date stared back at me, red and circled. My stomach fluttered with anticipation and fear. It was the day that would end my normal life forever.
For now, though, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The night stretched ahead, long and quiet, but I knew sleep would not come easily. Shadows of the forest lingered in my mind, and the pendant's warmth thrummed against my chest, a reminder that tomorrow, nothing would ever be the same.
And I wasn't ready—yet I knew there was no turning back.