Chapter 3

I woke up in the middle of the night. The room was pitch black except for the faint blue glow of the flame lamp on the wall.

Lily had fallen asleep, slumped against the edge of my bed. Her lashes were still wet with tears, her face tired but unyielding.

I stayed perfectly still, careful not to wake her, but my thoughts kept spinning. Everything that had happened lately played over and over in my mind.

Clearly, werewolves were way too tough, so killing them was next to impossible. If I wanted to get back to the human world, ordinary suicide methods wouldn't cut it.

And Lily? She always found me at the worst possible moment, throwing herself into saving me like her life depended on it.

Not only did I fail to die, but I also ended up suffering, only to wake up and face Ryan and Eleanor all over again.

This wasn't working. I needed another way out.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed as Lily rolled over and sleepily tucked the blanket around me.

A moment later, her voice brightened with excitement. "Luna, you're awake?"

I gave a small nod, my voice rough as I said, "Lily, if I ever disappear one day, don't be sad. It just means I've finally gone home. Make sure to check the hidden compartment at the bottom of my jewelry box. There's something there for you."

"Luna, what are you saying?" Lily rubbed her eyes, staring at me in confusion. "If you're going home, why wouldn't you take me? You must still be half-asleep. There's no way you'd just vanish, not with me here."

I smiled but didn't argue.

"Maybe I am," I said.

…

At dawn the next day, I changed into a practical fur outfit and slipped out secretly. Of course, Lily stuck to me like a shadow, even though she had no idea what I was really up to.

We ventured deep into the dense forest.

After offering a hefty tribute of gold, fragrant herbs, and moonstones, I finally earned an audience with the legendary oracle priest.

This was my new plan.

It was too bad the oracle priest couldn't see through my origins. He just kept droning on with his prayers.

"Luna, how could you not belong to this world?"

His voice was gentle but firm.

I felt my heart sink, but I clung to one last hope and pressed further. "Do you sense anything extraordinary about me?"

The priest murmured a quiet prayer and smiled kindly. "Luna, you carry yourself with noble grace. Of course, you're extraordinary."

Once again, my hopeful heart plummeted.

On the way back, Lily noticed my gloom and thought I was upset about Ryan. She babbled ridiculous stories, trying to cheer me up. Still, I couldn't muster a laugh.

As we reached the edge of the dense forest, a sudden burst of laughter cut through the air. Lily and I tensed up, our heads snapping toward the sound.

Perched on a high tree branch was an old, bearded sorcerer, tipping back a flask. His tattered felt hat shaded his eyes, but his gaze was clouded yet strangely sharp.

"Who are you?" Lily stepped in front of me, her voice edged with protective fury. "What are you staring at? Show the Luna some respect!"

The old man only laughed harder, ignoring Lily completely as his eyes stayed fixed on me.

"You're walking a path that wasn't meant for you. The chains you're carrying were never yours to bear. You've been here five to six years now, haven't you?"

"Bullshit! We just got here!" Lily snapped back without thinking.

However, my heart was hammering so hard I thought it might explode.

He knew. He could tell.

I fought back a tremble and nodded slowly. "Can you take me home?"

The old man stroked his chin, then hopped down from the tree. "There might be a way."

I caught his meaning right away. "Money isn't a problem."

He laughed. "What kind of man do you think I am?"

He pulled out seven small paper sachets, each filled with silvery powder.

"Seven doses of magic powder. Take one each day. Dissolve it in water and boil it over high heat. By the seventh day, it'll be the full moon. If your heart's truly set on leaving, that's when you'll find the door home."

My hands and feet went weak with excitement, and I nearly dropped the sachets as he handed them to me.

While climbing into the carriage, I slipped more than once. I would've fallen flat on my face if Lily hadn't caught me in time.

Back at the estate, I called for the maid at once and had her bring the small brazier to my room. Not wanting Lily to grow suspicious, I made up an excuse to send her away.

Alone at last, I sat in front of the brazier, gazing into the bowl of water. My heart pounded so hard I could barely catch my breath.

I was finally going home. After all this time, I was finally going home!

Hands trembling, I carefully pulled out the first sachet of magic powder, clenched my teeth, and poured it into the water.