They called it cursed.
A place where the moon never moved, where time bent like broken glass, and where those who entered never returned.
But Aria had nothing left to lose—and everything to gain.
Dressed in the ceremonial cloak of her mother's bloodline, the last daughter of the lost moon stepped into the woods that devoured warriors. Behind her, the pack watched in silence. Some whispered prayers. Others simply bowed.
No one followed.
Because this was a journey only she could make.
The moment her foot touched the first root, the forest shifted. The air thickened. The light dimmed. The trees were bone-white and twisted, their leaves a strange shimmer of black and violet. Fog clung to the ground like mourning veils.
But Aria didn't falter.
Her mark burned faintly on her shoulder, the only warmth in this lifeless place.
She walked for what felt like hours—maybe days. The forest played tricks. Sometimes she heard her alpha's voice whisper her name. Other times, she heard screams. Memories. Fears. Lies.
But then, something shifted.
A pool of silver water lay ahead, glowing in the eternal dusk.
She stepped closer—and gasped.
In its reflection, she saw him.
Her alpha.
Kneeling. Chained. Trapped in some shadowy realm.
His eyes met hers through the water—wide with disbelief. Pain. Hope.
Then the vision vanished.
And the forest spoke.
> "To reach the one you love, you must pass three trials," a voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere.
Aria turned, fists clenched. "What trials?"
> "The Trial of Heart. The Trial of Blood. And the Trial of Truth."
"Then I'll face them all," she whispered. "Whatever it takes to bring him back."
The forest opened into a clearing—quiet and peaceful. At its center stood a cottage. Smoke curled from the chimney. A fire crackled inside.
Aria stepped in.
And froze.
He was there.
Her alpha.
Alive. Smiling. Reaching for her.
She ran into his arms, sobbing. "I thought I lost you—"
He silenced her with a kiss. "You didn't. We're free now, Aria. We can live. Here. Together."
Everything felt right.
Warm.
Safe.
But something was wrong.
She looked at him again. His eyes were the wrong shade. His scent—faint. Fading.
"No…" she whispered, stepping back. "You're not him."
He tilted his head. "Why won't you stay? Isn't this what you wanted?"
Tears streamed down her face. "I didn't come here for an illusion. I came to save him. Even if I never get him back, I won't accept a lie."
The false alpha screamed, the illusion shattering into ash.
The trees whispered: You have passed the Trial of Heart.
The clearing faded. Shadows curled around Aria like tendrils, dragging her into darkness.
Then—
Light.
She stood in the middle of a battlefield. Not the one she'd fought on. This one was older—ancient. Wolf banners torn and burning. Screams echoing in the distance.
And at the center of it all…
A woman stood with a blade in her hand, her silver hair drenched in blood.
Aria's breath caught.
Her mother.
Not the gentle, broken figure in old paintings. This woman was fierce. Regal. Drenched in power.
The moment their eyes met, time stopped.
"You are not ready," her mother said, stepping forward. "You seek to save the alpha. But do you even understand what you carry in your blood?"
"I know enough," Aria answered, voice steady. "I know I'm the last of our line."
"No," her mother snapped. "You are more than that. You are the key. The curse-breaker. And to wield that power—you must give something up."
The battlefield shimmered.
A blade appeared before Aria.
Beside it: a heart. Beating. Familiar.
It was her wolf—the wild, beautiful part of her that had protected her all her life. Her instincts. Her strength.
> "Sacrifice your wolf… and you will gain power enough to tear through death itself."
The choice shattered her.
Without her wolf, she would be… half. Disconnected. Mortal.
But without her alpha, she was already broken.
Hands trembling, she reached for the blade.
Then stopped.
"No," she whispered. "My wolf is me. I won't trade one half of my soul to save the other."
The forest trembled.
The heart vanished.
The blade turned to dust.
And her mother smiled—for the first time.
> "You have passed the Trial of Blood."
Then she faded, her voice lingering in the wind.
> "The last trial awaits you, my daughter. The Trial of Truth."