Chapter 4

The last thing I remembered was the whistling wind and the feeling of my body shattering against the cold, dark void. I had welcomed the end with a promise of blood and shadows.  

But death didn't feel like the silence I expected.  

Instead of the cold floor of my prison or the sharp rocks of the cliff, I felt something soft beneath me. My lungs, which had been gasping for a final breath, suddenly filled with air that smelled of pine, rain, and something... primal.  

As I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar place appeared before me. The ceiling above was high, crafted from dark, polished wood and stone. The room was vast, filled with elegant, rustic furniture that radiated power and ancient wealth—far different from the mansion where I was treated like a maid. 

I tried to sit up, bracing for the sharp pain of my fall, but my body felt stronger than ever. My senses were sharp—too sharp. I could hear the heartbeat of someone standing outside the door. I could smell the faint scent of forest earth from miles away.  

I caught my reflection in a large, silver-framed mirror across the room. I looked like myself, yet different. There was a glow to my skin and a fierce, golden spark in my eyes that wasn’t there when I was begging for mercy.  

A sudden memory—or perhaps an instinct—flashed through my mind. I wasn't Saera the servant anymore. I was in a new place. I was someone powerful.  

The door suddenly opened, and my eyes darted toward it.

"Thank goodness you're awake, my child!" the lady said.

I just watched as she sat beside me. I didn't say a word. Because I didn't even know who she was.  

"I know you hate me for planning to marry you off?"

What? I’m getting married?

And where exactly am I?

Am I alive again? In... a different form?  

"But Saera, this is the only way I can hide the fact that you are a witch," continued the woman calling me her daughter.  

'I will come back. I will return as a witch to punish you all.' The words suddenly echoed in my mind.  

"You know how eager the wolves are to claim a witch, because it grants them extra power".  

The wind had heard my whisper. I survived. And not only that—I was reborn as a witch.  

"But Kilian, your future husband, I know he has provided you with protection. Besides, the wolf blood from your father flows through you. They won't know you’re a witch".  

I looked at the "mother" beside me. I saw the worry reflected in her violet eyes.  And for the first time since the people who loved me passed away, it felt as if a soft hand had touched my heart.  

My small whisper to be a witch hadn't just been granted; I was even given a mother who clearly loved me.  

I hugged the lady whose name I still didn't know.

"Saera?" she whispered, hugging me back. "Do you agree to the marriage now?"  

I pulled away from our warm embrace.

"Yes, Mother".  

According to her story, marriage was my only protection in this world. And I needed that, because I didn't want to die again.  

I didn't want to die again without finding my path and getting my revenge.

I looked at her, staring intently. And I didn't know how, but my eyes suddenly turned gold and stayed that way.  

"Child, never let your violet eyes or your violet fire show while you are in your Alpha’s pack," she warned, her voice heavy with caution.  

I simply nodded.

I knew that for the sake of this new identity in my second life, I had to listen, especially since I knew so little about what was happening.  

"Anyway, I’m sending Silas with you."

A beautiful woman stepped forward. She had a powerful, commanding presence. I knew she was strong because I could smell it on her.  

"She is also a wolf. She can be your Gamma, my child, once you become a Luna".  

Silas bowed to me in respect.

"Saera needs to go to the Blood Moon Pack immediately because things are getting chaotic there. Word has spread through the pack that their Luna committed suicide because she hated her Alpha".  

What?! I committed suicide?  

My mother gasped. "You really must hurry, child, the rumors are a great embarrassment".  

I stood up quickly, seeing her deep concern.

"Come, let’s go to my room. I’ve created a portal there leading to the Blood Moon Pack".  

Without a second thought, I followed my mother. Silas was quick to follow, too.  

"Why did you change your mind? Do you really want to get married now? Is this an effect of the poison you drank?" Silas’s rapid-fire questions made me stop in my tracks.  

I looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"What do you mean?" I asked.  

Her frown deepened. She stared at me for a long time before laughing softly and nudging my arm.  

"Don't tell me you really lost your memory because of that poison, Saera," Silas said, still laughing.  

I just stared at her. She must have felt the coldness in my gaze because she stopped laughing. She cleared her throat and turned serious again.  

"I will tell you everything and answer your questions, Lady Saera".  

I raised an eyebrow at her sudden respect.

It wasn't a bad idea to bring her along after all.  It seemed she was close with the original owner of this body, as Silas’s attitude changed when it was just the two of us.  

"Silas, Saera, hurry up!" my mother called out, prompting us to move again.

We walked quickly. But I kept glancing at Silas.

"Are we friends?" I couldn't help but ask.  

Silas looked at me before looking back at the long hallway we were passing through. I didn't miss the smirk on her lips.

"Best friends, Lady Saera," she answered.  

I was the one who smiled now.

My second life hadn't just given me a loving mother; it gave me a friend—something I never had in my first life.  

"In that case, just call me Saera. Drop the 'Lady,'" I said.  

Silas laughed.

"I was just teasing you, Saera. I know you absolutely hate it when I call you 'Lady Saera'."