Chapter 5 5

Selene woke to the sharp sting of cold on her skin, the ground beneath her unnaturally hard and unforgiving. She inhaled deeply, gasping for air, her lungs burning as if she'd been holding her breath for an eternity. The scent of blood and earth lingered in the air, the remnants of the battle still thick around her.

Her hands shook as she pushed herself to sit, dizziness clouding her vision. She had to fight the urge to vomit as the overwhelming sense of darkness pressed in on her, squeezing her heart. The magic from the priest-something ancient and vile-was still coiling through her veins like venom.

"Selene?" Andrew's voice cut through the fog of her mind.

She turned her head slowly, finding him kneeling beside her, his face etched with worry. He looked as if he'd been through hell-his clothes were torn, and there was blood on his hands, but it wasn't his own.

"You're alive," he murmured, his hand brushing against her cheek. His touch was warm, grounding her.

"I-I don't feel right," Selene confessed, her voice shaky. She winced as a wave of nausea rolled through her. "It's still inside me... that magic."

Andrew's expression darkened, and he cursed under his breath. "I know. The Blood Priests use dark magic-corruptive magic. It's not something that's easily shaken off." He paused, his gaze searching hers. "But we need to get you back to the cabin, to heal. The longer it stays inside, the worse it will get."

Selene nodded weakly, grateful for his presence. "But what about the others?"

"We held them off," Andy answered from behind her. She hadn't even realized he was there, but when she turned, she saw him standing at the edge of the clearing, his eyes flicking to the dead bodies of the priests scattered across the ground. "There's more coming, though. This isn't over."

Selene's chest tightened. "What do you mean? Why would they come for me?"

Andrew's grip on her arm tightened. "Because you're the key, Selene. The last of the Solari bloodline. You're connected to the divine, and they want that power for themselves."

"The god beneath the moon?" Selene whispered, her voice trembling as the realization hit her like a thunderbolt. "They want to use me to bring him back."

Andy's face darkened. "Yes. And if they succeed, no one will be safe. Not even the gods themselves."

The walk back to the cabin was a blur of confusion and pain. Selene's body felt heavy, every step a struggle. She could barely focus as the darkness inside her pulsed, wrapping around her heart like an iron chain. Her wolf, Luna, was still silent, trapped beneath the weight of the curse that had been cast upon her.

As they reached the cabin, Andrew and Andy helped her inside. The warmth of the fire seemed to mock her-too bright, too normal, as if it had no place in the storm brewing inside her.

"Sit," Andrew instructed, guiding her to a chair by the fire. "We need to get that magic out of you before it consumes you from the inside."

Selene nodded, but her mind felt distant. The weight of the world had settled on her shoulders, and she didn't know if she had the strength to carry it. She was just one person. One wolf. One girl who had never asked for any of this.

But the weight of her heritage, of the bloodline she couldn't escape, was crushing.

"I can't do this," she whispered, her voice raw. "I don't have the power to stop them. I can't even control my own wolf."

Andrew crouched in front of her, his gaze soft but firm. "You can. You're not alone in this. You have us. We'll help you fight."

"We're family now," Andy added, his voice quieter than usual. "And we don't let family fall."

But Selene could feel it-the darkness gnawing at the edges of her mind, pulling her under. It wasn't just the Blood Priests she had to worry about. It was the god they were summoning. His power was ancient, and if she wasn't careful, it would consume her too.

Night fell, and with it came the quiet. The brothers had gone to prepare defenses, but Selene sat alone by the fire, staring into the flickering flames. She had tried to meditate, to call on Luna again, but the connection felt frayed, distant. The wolf was locked away, caged in a way that no amount of willpower could free her from.

The door creaked open, and Andy stepped inside, his gaze sharp. He paused when he saw her, the concern in his eyes deepening.

"Still no luck?" he asked, his voice gentle as he approached her.

Selene shook her head. "I don't know what to do. It's like... like there's a wall between me and her. Between us."

Andy knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's the magic. It's suppressing your bond with Luna, pushing her down into the shadows. But that doesn't mean she's gone."

"You really think I can pull her out of there?" Selene asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

"I know you can," Andy said with a quiet confidence that made her stomach flutter, but there was also a deep sadness in his eyes, as if he understood the cost of what she was about to face. "We all have our demons, Selene. And we all have our wolves."

She met his gaze, feeling the weight of his words settle in her chest. We all have our demons. It was true. She had always been running from something, even before she knew the truth of who she was. And now, she had to face the biggest demon of them all-the one inside her.

"I'll try," she said, her voice shaky but determined.

The hours passed, and as the moon rose higher in the sky, Selene sat in silence, her hands resting on her lap. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried again. This time, she focused entirely on her connection to Luna. She imagined the wolf inside her, wild and free, running through the woods.

She called out to her again.

Luna... come to me.

For a long moment, nothing happened. But then-just when Selene thought she had failed again-she felt it. A shift. A stirring deep within her soul. A powerful force rising from the depths.

Her eyes snapped open, her silver irises glowing brightly. The bond with her wolf surged, fierce and primal, and for the first time since the battle, she felt whole.

Luna? Selene whispered inside her mind.

I'm here, the wolf's voice was soft, but full of strength. Always here.

With Luna's presence beside her, Selene felt the power within her surge, filling her chest with warmth and clarity. She wasn't alone.

The fire crackled as a soft wind blew through the open door. And Selene knew, in that moment, that she would fight- not just for herself, but for her family, for her pack, and for the world that was about to be torn apart.

As Selene's connection to Luna solidified, she could feel the strength returning to her limbs. The oppressive weight of the magic that had plagued her mind began to lift, and with each passing second, she felt more herself. The bond between them was strong now, untamed, and together they were a force to be reckoned with.

She stood slowly, her body still aching from the strain of the battle, but the fire inside her was lit again. Luna, she whispered through the bond, her mind full of determination. We're going to fight this. Together.

We will, Luna responded, her voice clear in Selene's mind. No darkness is too strong for us to face.

Andrew and Andy returned from preparing the defenses, their faces grim but hopeful when they saw Selene standing, her stance strong. The darkness within her hadn't completely vanished, but the light of her own power was now undeniable.

"You've done it," Andrew said, his voice filled with relief. "You've reconnected with Luna."

"I didn't do it alone," Selene said, her voice steady despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Luna was always here, waiting. I just needed to listen."

Andy gave a soft smile, his gaze lingering on her. "And now we can face whatever comes next."

But the moment of calm didn't last long. The air around them grew heavier, and a distant rumble of thunder echoed through the valley. The storm wasn't over-not by a long shot.

"We're not alone," Andrew muttered, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkened landscape outside the cabin. "They're coming."

Selene felt the same unease rising within her. There was something wrong in the air-a sense of impending doom that she couldn't shake. Her connection to Luna hummed with tension, the wolf's instincts alert.

"Who's coming?" she asked, her voice quiet but urgent.

"The Blood Priests," Andy said, his tone darkening. "They won't stop until they have you. They'll do anything to unlock the power within your blood."

A cold shiver ran down Selene's spine. She knew they wouldn't stop. The Blood Priests were relentless, consumed by their hunger for power. But now, she had something they didn't expect: the power of the Solari bloodline. The god beneath the moon was real, and they would do anything to claim her as their vessel.

"I won't let them use me," Selene declared, her voice fierce. "I won't be a pawn in their game."

Andrew stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We won't let them take you. We fight together."

"We'll need a plan," Andy added, his voice sharper now, all traces of gentleness gone. "They're not just after you-they're after everything. If they succeed in bringing the god back, no one will be safe. The world as we know it will change."

Selene's heart pounded in her chest as the weight of his words sank in. She had never imagined the stakes were this high. She had always known there was something special about her bloodline, but she never realized the magnitude of the power she held. Now, she had to make a choice: run and hide, or fight for the future.

"I'm not running," she said, her voice a low growl of determination. "I'll fight."

Andrew's eyes softened, his hand still resting on her shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone. We'll stand with you, Selene. You're not just the key to this battle-you're our family now."

Andy stepped forward, his expression hard but resolute. "And we'll protect you with our lives."

The bond between them solidified in that moment-a bond of trust, of shared purpose. They were more than allies; they were family, bound together by blood and by fate.

"We'll need to take the fight to them," Andrew said, his voice low. "But we can't do it here. This place is too exposed. We need to get to the heart of their power, where they're weakest."

"And where is that?" Selene asked.

"There's an ancient temple in the mountains, hidden deep within the forest," Andy answered. "It's where they perform their darkest rituals. If we can get there first, we might have a chance to stop them."

Selene's eyes hardened. "Then we go there. Now."

Andrew's jaw clenched. "It won't be easy. The Blood Priests are powerful, and they've already started summoning their forces. But we don't have a choice. We either stop them, or we lose everything."

The brothers' resolve was unshakable, and Selene could feel her own strength growing with every passing moment. Her wolf was with her now, and together, they could take on anything.

"We'll go together," she said, her voice firm. "We'll stop them."

With that, the plan was set in motion. The trio gathered their weapons and supplies, preparing for the journey ahead. The storm outside had begun to grow, lightning flashing across the sky like a warning, but Selene felt a sense of purpose, of clarity, that she hadn't had before. She wasn't just fighting for herself. She was fighting for everything she had come to love-and for the future of the world.

The trek to the temple was grueling. The landscape became more treacherous as they ascended into the mountains, the storm growing fiercer with every step. The wind howled around them, and the trees seemed to bend and twist as if the earth itself was trying to stop them. The air felt thick with magic, dark and oppressive, and Selene's heart raced as the familiar sense of unease grew stronger.

"We're getting close," Andrew said, his voice low, as if trying to pierce through the storm.

Selene nodded, her senses on high alert. She could feel the Blood Priests' presence drawing nearer, the pull of their dark magic like a weight on her chest.

"Do you think we'll be able to stop them?" Selene asked, her voice barely audible over the wind.

"I don't know," Andy admitted, his voice laced with uncertainty. "But we have to try. If we don't, everything will fall."

The cabin, the safety they had known, was now far behind them. The battle that awaited them in the mountains was going to be their hardest yet, and there was no turning back.

As they reached the temple's entrance, an eerie silence fell over the group. The winds had died, the storm's fury seemingly focused on this single point. The temple loomed before them, its dark stone covered in strange symbols that glowed faintly in the moonlight.

"Here we go," Andrew muttered.

Selene took a deep breath, the weight of the coming battle pressing down on her, but her resolve was unshakable.

"We're ready," she said, her voice filled with determination.

Together, they stepped into the temple, where darkness awaited, and the final battle for the future of the world would unfold.