Chapter 5 Echoes of The Past

Elena's POV

Elena?" Jace's voice broke the hush. I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs. I felt the weight of his gaze. If I spoke, the lie would crumble.

I forced my features to calm. "I am Serin," I said, voice soft. Jace looked at me, pain and hope flickering in his gray eyes. I held his stare. I could smell pine and moss on his cloak. The memory of him rose like a tide.

Kian crouched beside me, bow at the ready. He whispered, "We should move." I nodded and stepped back. Jace started forward then paused. His expression cracked. I hurried after Kian into the half-light of dawn.

The forest was quiet now. Sunlight filtered through leaves in long beams. Every root and stone felt familiar. My feet knew this path though my mind felt new. A memory stirred.

I saw us once, side by side, learning to track deer as children. Jace had laughed when I fell in mud. He had helped me up, his hand warm. I could almost feel his touch. The pain of loss sharpened.

Kian led us down a narrow trail. He glanced back. "We head north toward the old oak." I followed, senses alert. My new body felt strong. My heart felt heavy.

We passed a fallen log covered in lichen. I knelt and brushed my fingers over its rough bark. The scent of earth and rain filled me. I closed my eyes and let a memory bloom.

I had stood here before. Jace and I had raced along this log under a blue sky. We had chased rabbits and tumbled together in laughter. My cheeks had hurt from smiling. I felt tears sting my eyes.

I blinked and rose. Kian waited patiently. He did not see my moment. I took a steady breath. I tucked the memory away.

We reached the clearing where the old oak stood tall. Its trunk split by lightning. The ground around it was soft and damp. I remembered kneeling here once to carve our names. My old blade had made deep lines in its bark.

I knelt again and ran my fingers over faded grooves. I could still see the curve of my name, Elena. Next to it, Jace's mark had grown with the tree. I pressed my palm to the grooves. A spike of longing struck me.

Kian's voice startled me. "We should go." He tugged my sleeve. I shook my head. "Just a moment." I brushed earth from the bark. I wanted to leave a mark as Serin but could not bring myself to carve.

Jace stepped into the clearing. He stared at the tree. His eyes grew moist. He turned to me. "You see it too?" he asked. His voice trembled. I forced a nod.

Kian cleared his throat. "We have to reach the watch post by midday." Jace's jaw clenched. He looked torn between duty and this strange comfort.

I rose and brushed my tunic. The forest seemed to hold its breath. Jace turned away from the oak and led the way. I followed, heart pounding.

We walked in silence. The trail narrowed between bracken and thorn. My mind filled with memories I could not share. The weight of my secret pressed on my chest.

Suddenly I heard a soft thud. I looked down and saw a scrap of fabric caught on a thorn. I knelt. The cloth was pale silver. My breath stopped. It was the ribbon I had tied in my hair. The ribbon Jace had given me the day we first trained together.

I picked it up. It was damp with dew and stained with rust. My fingers stung. The ribbon smelled like home. I buried it in my palm.

Behind me Kian stopped. "Are you okay?" I forced a smile. "Yes." I wrapped the ribbon in my other hand and slipped it into my pouch.

Jace stepped beside me. "What do you have?" he asked. I shook my head. "Nothing important." He looked at my face as if searching for truth. I met his eyes and held my breath.

He sighed and turned away. The path climbed uphill. We reached a ridge that overlooked our old lands. Smoke rose from chimneys. Wolves paced near corral fences. The pack's banners fluttered in the breeze.

I felt my chest tighten. I had died here once. Now I stood alive in a borrowed face. The sight felt like a cruel gift. My eyes stung and I blinked back tears.

Kian tapped my shoulder. "We should keep moving before they spot us." I took a deep breath. "Lead on." I skirted the ridge, staying in shadow.

We descended into a valley ringed by pines. At its center a stream wound through gray stones. I knelt and drank. The water was cool and pure. I cupped more in my hands and touched my face. My new cheeks felt strange but warm.

Jace sat on a stone and watched me. His cloak rustled. I met his gaze. He frowned. "You are nothing like any healer I have known." I bit my lip. "My methods may differ." I stood and wiped my mouth.

We followed the stream's edge. The air smelled of fish and wet stone. I remembered wading here once with Jace. We had fished for trout and joked about eating more berries. I had teased him about his lack of skill. He had caught three fish in a row. I had been shocked.

I smiled at the memory. Jace glanced at me. "You smile too easily for someone in hiding." I flushed. "I try to stay positive." He did not press.

The forest opened into a meadow. At its center a ring of standing stones glowed in the morning sun. This was the sacred glade. The place where our pack first bound mates under the moon. My breath caught.

The stones were not as I remembered. One lay toppled. The carvings on another were chipped. Moss crept up its sides. It looked old and broken.

I stepped closer. I ran my hand over the carved runes. They pulsed with faint magic. My blood hummed at the touch. I closed my eyes and heard a faint echo of chanting from long ago.

Jace stood beside me, silent. Kian lingered behind. A bird called overhead. The stones felt hollow. I opened my eyes and saw Jace's face reflect shock.

"What happened here?" he asked. His voice was low. I shook my head. "I don't know." Inside I burned with anger. Someone had defiled this place. Someone had shaken the roots of our pact.

I felt a tremor in the air. I pressed my hand to the nearest stone. Its magic rippled. A chill passed through me. The runes glowed brighter for a heartbeat, then faded.

Jace reached out and touched a chipped rune. "This was our promise," he whispered. "I will protect you." The words cut me to the core.

I knelt to inspect the chipped stone. The crack formed the shape of a wolf's eye. It looked like a silent tear. I traced the line with my finger. My heart lurched as the stone pulsed beneath my touch.

A sudden gust of wind swept through the glade. Leaves swirled and dust rose from the runes. The world grew silent. My hair lifted around my face.

I heard it then-a low hum that came from the earth itself. The runes glowed again. This time the light spread up the stones until the entire circle shone.

Jace stepped back, shielding his eyes. Kian drew an arrow. I rose, breath caught in my throat.

From the circle of light a shape emerged. It solidified into a tall figure robed in silver. Its face was hidden beneath a hood. The air around it crackled with power.

I felt the moon goddess's presence. Awe and fear thundered in my chest. Jace took a step toward the figure. His crown clinked softly.

The figure raised an arm and pointed at me. Its voice rang in my mind like distant thunder. "Echoes awaken," it said. "The past and future collide."

My heart pounded so hard I feared it would break. Jace reached for me, but I stood rooted. The figure's words faded into the wind.

The light dimmed. The figure vanished. The stones went dark. The runes glowed faintly once more, as if breathing.

Jace stared at the empty glade. His eyes found mine. "What did you do?" he asked.

I swallowed. My hands trembled. "Nothing," I whispered. My heart threatened to burst.

Kian whispered, "We should leave." He tugged at Jace's sleeve. Jace hesitated, then nodded.

As we turned to go, I caught one last glimpse of the broken stone eye. It pulsed softly, as if it still held a secret.

And then the forest fell silent once more.

A voice carried on the wind-soft and urgent, uttering my old name:

"Elena... can you hear me?"