MORE POWERS

MAYA

"You did it, my dear," Orlando said the moment I opened my eyes.

I blinked against the sharp, blinding glare of the afternoon sun, my mind feeling hazy and disoriented. My limbs felt heavy, yet an electric, vibrating warmth was humming beneath my skin. I pushed myself up from the cold earth, shifting back into my human form and wrapping my dark cloak tightly around my trembling shoulders.

I looked down at the earth beneath my feet, then over at the old caretaker who was standing above me with a wide, proud smile etched across his wrinkled face.

"Oh, the five days have already gone?" I asked, my voice dry and raspy, barely above a whisper. It felt like I had only closed my eyes for a few brief minutes to rest my tired soul.

Orlando nodded slowly, his clouded eyes shining with a strange, ancient reverence. "Yes, child. Five full days and nights have passed while your soul walked the deep spiritual realm over your buried bones. You did not feel the passage of time, and that shows the Goddess of the Moon is truly on your side."

He took a slow step closer, his raspy voice dropping to a serious, heavy tone. "A lot of babies do not make it back from that trance, Philomena. Many souls get lost in the void and never return to their physical bodies."

I froze. A sudden wave of cold shock washed over my entire body, freezing the blood in my veins. My jaw dropped as I stared at the old man in total disbelief.

"You... you allowed me to take a journey that could take my own life?" I yelled, my voice shaking with sudden, boiling fury. "You knew I could die in that trance, and you didn't say a word to warn me?!"

I backed away from him, my hands instinctively clenching into tight fists. I was furious. My trust in Mr. Orlando shattered into a thousand jagged pieces right then and there. I had trusted him with my life, believing he was a mentor sent by the ancestors to guide me. But he had put me in deadly peril without my consent. I felt betrayed, angry, and deeply unsafe standing in his presence.

"How could you do that to me?!" I screamed, tears of rage burning behind my eyes. "I could have died! Edward would have been left all alone in that palace with Maria!"

Orlando didn't flinch. He remained completely calm, his posture upright as he leaned on his wooden staff, watching my emotional outburst with deep patience.

"Listen to me, child," Orlando said quietly, his voice cutting through my panic like a sharp blade. "It is not my place to discourage you from saving yourself from an enemy. You came to me seeking the ultimate strength to break your chains. I only opened the door that your destiny demanded. If I had filled your heart with fear, your doubt would have killed you during the ritual. And besides... Maria is a bloody enemy. You needed this trial, or she would have slaughtered you and Alpha Edward without breaking a sweat."

He took a deep breath, letting his words settle in the quiet air between us. My chest heaved as I fought to control my rapid breathing, processing his harsh words. As much as I hated his secretive methods, a dark voice inside my head knew he was right. Maria was a ruthless monster. Softness and caution would never win this war.

"She came," Orlando added suddenly, changing the subject.

I snapped my head up, my heart skipping a beat. "Maria?"

"Yes," Orlando confirmed, pointing his withered hand toward my marble tombstone. "Maria actually came for the tomb chaining on the seventh day, just as she promised. She brought her guards, her dark priest, and heavy iron chains forged in black silver."

I ran over to my tombstone, my heart pounding in my chest. Sure enough, thick, heavy iron chains were wrapped tightly around the marble slab, secured with massive iron padlocks. Dark, dried blood and strange runes were painted across the stone.

"She did all there is to be done," Orlando explained, walking up behind me. "She chanted her dark spells, poured her blood, and locked the chains with all her hatred. But it all failed."

I turned to look at him, confused. "It failed? But the chains are right here..."

"She is not aware that it failed," Orlando chuckled softly, a dark glint in his eye. "To her eyes, it all looked successful. In fact, spiritually, it was successful for a normal tomb. But because you slept over your bones for five days prior and absorbed every single drop of your past life's spiritual magic into your wolf form, the tomb is completely empty of your soul energy now. She chained a hollow rock. Those chains will not have a single effect on you, your mind, or your telekinesis."

A breath of overwhelming relief escaped my lips. I looked down at my hands. I could feel the magic pulsing through my veins—stronger, sharper, and far more violent than before. I was no longer just Maya, the helpless girl pushed around by everyone. I was Philomena reborn, fully armed with the ancient power of my ancestral bloodline.

"So I am ready," I said, a dark smile touching my lips for the first time in days. "I can go back and crush her."

Orlando's face darkened instantly, wiping the proud smile right off his lips. He looked at me with a grave, troubling expression that sent a sudden shiver down my spine.

"There is one more thing you must know, child," Orlando said, his low voice trembling with genuine concern. "While you were in your trance and gaining your ancestral strength... Maria was not sitting idle either."

My smile faded instantly. "What do you mean?"

"Maria also acquired more power for herself," Orlando revealed, looking me dead in the eye. "She visited the dark covens in the eastern mountains while you were away. She performed a blood sacrifice and bound herself to a dark spirit. She has gained immense, forbidden magic—enough power to match you spell for spell, strength for strength."

The quiet graveyard seemed to grow even colder as his words hung heavy in the misty air. My heart tightened in my chest. The easy victory I had envisioned was gone. Maria was no longer just a cruel, scheming Luna—she was now a fully empowered monster ready for a magical war.

"She is waiting for you at the palace, Philomena," Orlando warned softly, resting his hand on my shoulder. "She thinks you are weakened because of the tomb chaining. Use her arrogance against her, but do not underestimate her new strength. Go back to your Alpha, and prepare for the battle of your life."