"Help! Somebody!" I screamed, coughing hard as the smoke clawed into my lungs.
But no one came.
The fire had spread too fast, swallowing the walls, the roof, everything I had. The heat pushed against me until my skin stung. My chest heaved, desperate for air.
I stumbled toward the window, but the flames licked at the frame before I could climb through. My eyes watered so badly I could barely see.
"Tessa!" I cried, though I knew she wasn't near. She lived in the other quarters. Even if she heard me, it was too late.
My knees hit the floor hard, the wood burning beneath me. The smoke was too heavy now, filling my lungs no matter how much I pressed my sleeve to my face. Each breath was harder than the last. My strength drained fast, leaving me shaking and weak, and all I could hear was the roar of the flames eating everything I had.
Then, cutting through the crackle, came something else. It was a laugh, it was low, mocking and cruel.
I forced my head up, my eyes stinging from the haze. Through the smoke, I saw Damon standing just outside the window. His eyes locked on mine, his grin stretched wide. He didn't move. He didn't try to help. He just watched.
"You…" I croaked, but another wave of smoke filled my throat. I fell forward, coughing until my chest ached. My vision blurred.
I was dying.
"Why?" I whispered, though my voice was lost in the flames. My arms gave out, and I collapsed to the floor.
The fire roared louder, filling my ears until I couldn't hear anything else. My body felt heavy, like it was sinking. I wanted to fight, to crawl, but my limbs didn't move anymore. My eyelids shut against my will.
And then… silence.
I couldn't sense the fire or the pain, i just froze. I opened my eyes and froze.
I wasn't in my room anymore. I wasn't in the fire. I was standing in an endless field of soft light. The ground was smooth, glowing faintly. Above me, the moon hung huge and bright, filling the sky.
My breath caught. I felt no pain now, no smoke in my lungs, only peace. But fear still twisted inside me. "Am I… dead?" I whispered.
A voice answered, calm and warm. "Not yet, child."
I spun around. A woman stood before me, tall and graceful, her silver hair glowing like the moon itself. Her eyes shone like stars, steady and kind. She wore a simple white gown that rippled even though there was no wind.
I knew instantly who she was.
"Moon Goddess," I breathed, my voice shaking.
She smiled faintly. "Yes."
I dropped to my knees without thinking. "I..I'm sorry. I failed. I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't even survive.."
"Stand," she said gently, and somehow my body obeyed even though my legs trembled.
Her eyes softened as she looked at me. "You suffered tonight. You felt betrayal, rejection, pain and now, death. But your story does not end here, Lila."
Tears stung my eyes. "Why me? Why did you mark me with Kael, only for him to reject me? Why let me be humiliated?"
She reached out, her hand brushing against my cheek. Her touch was warm, calming. "Fate is not simple. Kael's rejection was his choice, not my mistake. But you…" She paused. "You have more to do. You were not meant to die tonight."
I shook my head. "I can't go back. The fire.."
"You cannot return to this moment," she said firmly. "But I can give you another chance, a second life. You will awaken two years earlier, before this pain began. With every memory you hold now."
I blinked, my mouth falling open. "Two years earlier?"
"Yes," she said. "A chance to change the path, to make different choices. To protect yourself and to decide what future you will claim."
My chest tightened. My mind spun. Two years ago, I was still sixteen. I hadn't been marked. I hadn't been dragged through shame. I still had time.
"But… why me?" I whispered again.
"Because you are stronger than you believe," the Goddess said. "Because your heart, though wounded, still seeks truth and because this pack's future depends on the choices you will make."
I swallowed hard. "If I do this… will Kael still?"
Her gaze grew serious. "Your bond with him remains. That is fate but what happens between you… that is for you both to shape."
I lowered my head, my thoughts racing. Part of me wanted to refuse, part of me me wanted to give up. But another part,small, stubborn, burning refused to die here, refused to be crushed again.
"I'll do it," I said quietly, my voice shaking but firm. "Give me the chance. I'll change everything."
The Goddess smiled softly, placing her hand over my chest. "Then rise, child of the Moon. Live again."
A sudden warmth spread through me, flooding every vein, every breath. The light around me grew brighter, until I had to shut my eyes.
When I opened them again, I was gasping, not from the fire or the smoke but from my old room.
I was lying on my old bed smaller, worn, but whole. My room looked different. It wasn't burned or ruined, but as it had been years ago.
I sat up fast, my heart hammering. My hands were smooth, younger. I scrambled to the mirror across the room, staring at my reflection. My face was less sharp, my body smaller. I looked… sixteen again.
"No way," I whispered. My voice sounded lighter too, younger.
I grabbed my arm, pinching hard. Pain flared, i had confirmed that this wasn't a dream.
I stumbled back, pressing my hands to my head. All the memories were still there. The rejection, the fire. Damon's smile. The Goddess's voice.
"I'm back," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Two years earlier."
I laughed, then cried, then laughed again, the sound shaky and strange. "This is real. She gave me another chance."
The door suddenly knocked, startling me.
"Lila!" Tessa's voice called from outside. "Are you up? You're going to be late!"
Tessa. My best friend, she was alive and safe, laughing like she always did back then. My throat tightened.
"I'll be right there!" I shouted back, trying to keep my voice steady.
Her footsteps moved away, and I sat back on the bed, shaking my head.
This time I wouldn't be weak. This time I wouldn't let Kael humiliate me. I wouldn't let Damon trick me. I wouldn't let my life burn down.
I clenched my fists, whispering to myself. "This time… I'll change everything."
The door b
urst open before I could move.
And there he was, Kael himself, standing in my doorway, his eyes fixed on me.