The forest was cold.
The moon hung low and red, watching us like an eye that never blinked. The trees moved in the wind, whispering secrets to each other, and the leaves made soft sounds under our feet. I walked beside Lena, but my heart was somewhere else — still back in that temple, breaking into a thousand pieces.
I could still hear Jason's voice in my head.
> "It's true, Aria… but I was never going to hurt you."
Those words played again and again like a song I didn't want to remember. I told myself to stop thinking about him, but the more I tried, the more my chest ached.
Lena held my hand and said softly, "Let's go, Aria. It's not safe here."
Her hand felt warm. Mine felt cold.
"But why would he do this to me?" I whispered. My voice cracked halfway. "Why would Jason lie to me? I was a fool for trusting him too early I didn't even know him.
Lena didn't answer for a long time. She just sighed and wiped her cheek as if she wanted to hide her own tears. "Clean your tears, Aria. You're stronger than this," she said gently.
Stronger.
I didn't feel strong. I felt empty.
The night around us was heavy. The sky looked darker than before. Every sound — the rustling of the trees, the chirping of crickets — felt louder, sharper, and scarier. It was like the forest knew something terrible was coming.
Lena quietly picked up her phone and spoke into it. "Everything is done. Come pick us up."
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
I turned my head. "Who was that?"
Lena quickly smiled, her eyes avoiding mine. "Just my driver."
But something in her tone made me uneasy. Still, I said nothing. I was too tired to question anything anymore.
We kept walking. My feet sank into the wet ground, and then suddenly, I slipped. My knees hit the mud hard, and cold water splashed on my legs.
"Ow," I muttered, trying to stand up.
Lena quickly bent down and helped me up. "Here," she said, pulling out a small bottle from her coat pocket. "Drink this. It'll give you strength."
I looked at the bottle. The liquid inside was pale blue and glowing faintly under the moonlight. I hesitated.
"Go on," Lena said softly. "It's just herbs. You need it."
I took a small sip. It was bitter and sharp, burning slightly as it went down my throat. I coughed. "It tastes weird."
Lena smiled faintly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll feel better soon."
We kept walking. The trees looked taller now, their shadows long and dark like claws on the ground. My steps started slowing down. My heartbeat felt heavy.
"It hurts," I whispered. "Because somehow… I still trust him. I hate myself for it, Lena. I hate that I still care and somehow after feeling betrayed by him part of me still trusts him I don't know what's going on Lena I don't even understand myself.
Lena touched my arm gently. "Don't trust him, Aria. He's dangerous. Don't worry — I'm here for you. You'll get your answers soon."
But her hand on my arm felt colder than before.
The forest grew quiet. Too quiet. Not even the crickets sang. It was like the world had stopped breathing.
Then — footsteps.
Lena froze. "Hide," she whispered sharply.
We crouched behind a tree. The sound of footsteps came closer — slow, steady, heavy. I tried to look but Lena pushed my shoulder down gently.
My legs felt weak. My hands started shaking. My breath came in short gasps. Something was wrong. I could feel it.
"Lena…" I whispered. "What's happening to me?"
She turned toward me. For a moment, I thought I saw tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Aria."
"W-What do you mean?"
Before I could move, she pulled out a silver needle from her sleeve and grabbed my arm. I struggled weakly, but my body wouldn't listen. She pressed it into my skin and injected something cold.
Pain shot through my veins like fire.
"Lena!" I screamed, pushing her away weakly. "What did you do?!"
Her voice broke. "There was wolfsbane in the drink… I didn't have a choice."
I stared at her in disbelief. My whole body started trembling. My chest burned, my vision blurred, and my heart raced like it wanted to escape my body.
"Why…?" I whispered.
Lena's lips quivered. "I had to. I can't fight him, Aria. I'm sorry he said he would kill me if I didn't do it I had to find away to get you away from Jason I am really sorry aria.
I fell to my knees in the mud. My fingers dug into the cold earth as tears fell down my cheeks. My head felt heavy, spinning. The trees around me looked like they were moving.
And then — a voice. Deep, smooth, familiar.
"Good job, Lena. You've done your part."
My heart stopped. I looked up slowly. Through the darkness, I saw a tall man step out from behind the trees.
My voice trembled. "U-Uncle Leon?" the man that banished my from my pack about a month ago?? what else would he want with me what had I done to him this time?
He smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile. It was cold. Cruel. His eyes glowed faintly red under the moonlight.
"Not your uncle anymore, dear," he said softly. "I'm your destiny."
Destiny. The word made my stomach twist.
I tried to crawl backward, but my body refused to move. My blood felt heavy. My heartbeat sounded far away.
"Why…?" I whispered again, my voice weak. "Why are you doing this?"
He bent down in front of me, his smile growing darker. "Because your blood is the key, Aria. The Moonstone in your veins will free us all."
His voice was the last thing I heard as he leaned closer, whispering against my ear:
> "Your blood is the key, Moonstone."
My body gave up. My vision turned black. I could still feel the cold rain falling on my face, still hear Lena sobbing softly beside me.
And then — nothing.
Only darkness.
Only silence.