I woke slowly. My eyes fluttered open, and everything felt heavy. My arms and legs felt like they were filled with lead. I tried to move, but even the smallest motion made my body ache. My clothes were wet with mud, and scratches on my arms stung sharply, reminding me of the forest.
I tried to breathe. My chest felt tight, and my heart pounded painfully. Lena… my friend… my only friend? She gave me to him. She had betrayed me. The thought made tears fill my eyes, blurring the room around me.
I swallowed hard and tried to steady my shaking hands. Panic was rising like fire in my chest. I was alone. Completely alone. My throat tightened, and I could barely whisper, "Lena… why?"
But there was no answer. Only silence.
---
The door opened slowly, and a shadow moved across the floor. My stomach twisted. I couldn't move fast enough. My body felt useless.
He stepped into the light. Alpha Leon. His presence was cold, sharp, and commanding, filling the room with menace. He didn't rush. He didn't need to. Just being there was enough to make my stomach flip.
He looked at me like I was something small, something unimportant — but dangerous. "So… the Moonstone finally wakes," he said softly, his voice smooth and cruel. "Do you know how important you are? How much everyone will want from you?"
I froze. My chest tightened so much that I felt like I couldn't breathe. Fear crawled over my skin, sharp and cold. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But my legs wouldn't move. I was trapped.
---
Anger and heartbreak fought for control inside me. I remembered Lena's words, pretending she was protecting me. She hadn't protected me. She had handed me to him. Betrayal wrapped around my heart like ice. I hated myself for trusting her but I guess I have the habit of trusting the wrong people and making the same mistakes over and over again.
And then… Jason. I thought of him, of the way he made me feel safe, the way he had promised he would never hurt me. But he wasn't here. He couldn't save me. My heart ached for him, and that ache mixed with anger and fear into something too big to hold.
Every small sound made me flinch. Even Leon's calm voice, so soft, was a threat. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but my mouth felt dry, useless.
---
Tears ran down my cheeks. I tried to fight them back, but they came anyway. My shoulders shook, my hands trembled, and my chest burned.
"I don't want to die," I whispered to myself, barely audible. "I won't let him take me. But how?"
Leon circled the room slowly, never taking his eyes off me. He didn't rush. He didn't yell. But his words sliced through the silence.
"Your blood is… precious, Moonstone. You have a role to play in the prophecy. Every drop, every heartbeat… it matters. They will need you."
I shook my head. My tears fell faster so you where the one behind all those letters.? what else do you want from me?? you banished me and now you want me back for a red moon curse I know nothing about I guess it pleases you to see me suffer to see me cry"No. No! I don't care about your prophecy. I won't let you use me." I won't let you win I guess you might be thinking that you ruined my life the moment you banished me that it was the worst experience of my life but guess what?? my life has been ruined from the time I was born so I have nothing else to lose
He smiled faintly, almost amused. "Resistance… always beautiful. But it will not save you."
---
I sank to the floor, trying to hide myself in my mud-stained clothes. My legs refused to hold me, my arms felt like broken sticks. My chest was tight. My vision blurred as I whispered Jason's name. "Jason… I wish you were here."
My voice was broken, soft, almost swallowed by the room. But no one answered.
I felt small, tiny, and helpless. The walls seemed closer, the shadows deeper. Every sound of the wind outside made me flinch. The room felt alive with danger. My own heartbeat sounded deafening.
---
And then… my eyes caught something.
A small shape, partially hidden under a rug in the corner of the room. It glinted faintly in the dim light. I crawled toward it, trembling. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped it before I could grab it.
It was cold and hard. A key.
My fingers closed around it, the metal biting into my palm. I didn't know what it opened. I didn't know if it would save me or trap me even further. But hope — tiny, fragile, trembling hope — stirred in my chest.
I clutched the key, holding it to my chest as tears streamed down my face. The forest outside was silent, waiting, as if it, too, held its breath.
And I realized — I had nothing but myself and this tiny, fragile piece of hope. It was all I had to fight with.