Chapter 3 Moonlit Rebirth

Elena's POV

I felt weightless as the world went dark. My bones trembled and my heart slowed until it felt like a soft whisper. There was no pain then only a quiet hush that wrapped around me like a gentle cloak. I drifted in endless night and I thought I was gone forever.

Then a light shone in the void. It was pale and cool as moonlight on fresh snow. It grew brighter until I felt warmth in my chest. I opened my eyes and saw silver fingers of light weaving through the darkness.

A voice spoke without sound. It filled me like a tide of gentle wind. "Rise, chosen daughter," it said. "Your sacrifice binds you to the moon." I did not know who spoke but I felt her power swirl around me.

Soft shapes formed in the glow. I saw a woman only made of light. Her hair flowed like liquid silver. Her eyes were pools of starlight. She reached for me and I held out my hand.

Her touch was like rain on dry earth. I felt my bones knit and my wounds close. Strength pulsed through me. I felt new breath fill my lungs. The light grew until it was all around me.

Suddenly I was falling again. This time the ground came soft and warm. I landed on moss so green it hurt my eyes. I gasped and rose on shaking legs. My arms felt different. My face felt strange. I touched my cheek and felt high cheekbones I did not know.

I fell to my knees by a pool of water. I stared down at my reflection. The face that looked back was not mine. Cheeks were smooth and strong. Hair was dark and long. Eyes were green like new leaves. I blinked and my own green eyes glittered back at me.

My heart pounded in surprise and wonder. "This body," I whispered. "It is new." I reached out and the water rippled. My reflection blurred and then steadied. I saw a silver brand on my wrist. It glowed softly with memory.

A gust of wind stirred the trees around me. Silver petals drifted down like rain. I caught one on my palm. It dissolved in my sweat like moonlight on water. I felt a whisper in my mind again.

"Remember who you were," the voice said. "Remember what you lost." A rush of memories came like a river breaking its dam. I saw Jace's storm gray eyes full of guilt. I felt the weight of my blade in my hand. I smelled sweat and pine.

Pain came next. A sharp jab beneath my ribs. I stumbled back and pressed my hand to my side. The pain eased but a memory burned bright in my mind. I recalled falling into the pit. I saw wolves with red eyes snarling at me. I heard Jace's cry of fear.

Tears stung my eyes. I sank to the moss and closed them. I focused on the voice that had given me this gift. "Why am I here?" I asked without sound.

The moon goddess glowed around me. "Your story is not done," she said. "A new path awaits." I shivered with hope and fear. I did not know what came next or where I would go.

I stood and brushed my new robes. They were soft and pale and fell to my ankles. The moonlight made them glow. I felt a power in my veins I had never known. It pulsed like a hidden river.

I knelt by the pool and cupped water in my hands. It sparkled like stars. I drank. The water was cool and sweet. It filled me with a sense of promise and beginning.

I looked up and saw a path winding through silver birch trees. The path glowed faintly under the moon. I felt the pull of it in my bones. I took a trembling step forward.

The woods were alive with sound. Crickets sang and owls called. The moon hung low like a shining guard. My footsteps were soft on the moss and leaves. I felt new eyes on me.

A pair of glowing shapes watched from the trees. Wolves they must be. Their fur was pale as mist and their eyes held curiosity. One stepped forward and padded to my side. It nudged my hand with its snout.

I smiled at the wolf. It raised its head and howled. The sound was deep and full of welcome. I knelt and stroked its soft fur. It nuzzled me as if I were home.

Behind me the path ended at a clearing. Stones lay in a circle beneath the open sky. I remembered this place. It was the sacred glade where I had first loved Jace. Here I had made my vow.

I pressed my palm to the nearest stone. The air hummed under my palm. The moonlight seemed to listen. I whispered his name. "Jace." The wind stilled and the trees leaned in.

I knelt on the cool stones and closed my eyes. I felt the echo of my old life in my bones. The moon goddess's power held me steady. I knew at last what must come next.

I would return to the pack that had cast me aside. I would walk among them as a stranger. My heart burned with questions. Would Jace remember? Would they know me?

A sudden crack split the night air. My eyes flew open. The stones beneath me glowed like embers. A circle of light rose from each one until the glade was bathed in a silver blaze.

From the light shapes formed. Faces of wolves long gone. They howled as one. Their voices filled the night with longing and farewell. My heart ached with their song.

Their forms flickered and then vanished. The stones dimmed to moonlit gray. The circle stood quiet as if nothing had happened. I pressed my hand to my chest and felt my heart racing.

I looked at the path that led back to the pack lands. It was not far. I could hear totem drums in the distance. The sound was slow and steady like a heartbeat.

I rose and brushed the moss from my robes. My new body felt strong and sure. I took a deep breath and smelled pine, earth, and campfires. My journey had begun.

A shape emerged from between the trees. A wolf stood tall on its hind legs. Its cloak was dark as starless night. Its eyes locked on mine and I froze.

The wolf lowered its hood to reveal a face I knew in my soul but could not name. A crown of silver circled its brow. My breath caught in my throat.

Its voice was soft but firm. "Child of the moon," it said. "The pack waits, but the world does not." It stepped back and the moonlight followed it.

I rose to follow. My heart pounded. My mind raced with hope and fear. I took one step forward and then another.

Behind me the stones of the glade whispered with fading light. The moon hung low and silver in the sky. My new life shone before me.

I did not know what trials lay ahead. I did not know if I could face the ones I loved without breaking. Yet I felt the moon goddess's promise in my veins.

I would rise again. I would claim my fate. I would walk a path of shadows and light.

And then I saw him at the edge of the clearing. He stood tall beneath the trees. His cloak was dark and his hair was black as midnight. His storm gray eyes searched the moonlit glade.

My breath froze in my lungs. My heart thundered against my ribs. The world fell silent.

Jace was waiting for me.