CHAPTER 0003

CHAPTER 3

Aria

Branches scraped my body as if they were dissatisfied with what I had done. I was on the verge of stripping nude since the dress I was wearing had left blood trails down my arms. The woods were dark, and I anticipated anything to come my way.

“I'm tired," White whispered.

I looked up and saw another shattered moon, this time in two different colors: black and gold. I had no idea what that meant because I had never seen anything like it before. But my curiosity could not override my bleeding heart, with each breath feeling like a dagger to my chest and every movement aggravating the pain.

Shadows could still be heard pursuing me from behind. I couldn't even tell which would kill me at that time.

“They’re near Aria. We need to go quicker," White's words resonated in my mind, instilling pressure.

My innocent wolf was not comfortable, prowling beneath my wounded skin, her melancholy not mixed with wrath. Even when I wanted to give up, she was everything I could not be at the time: determined, tough, and unshakable. Too bad neither of us was favored by fate when our luck ran out.

Twigs splintered beneath my feet as I hurried down a moss-covered slope. The woods had become a tangle of thorns and illusions, with each route taking me further into foreign territory. My power surged irregularly, still raw from the severance. I could feel it spilling out of me like a wound, attracting everything evil that thrived on sadness.

Then—the earth gave way.

I let out a scream as I slid down a camouflaged embankment. My body crashed through vines and tangled roots before colliding with water—cold, furious water that consumed me like a monster.

The torrent roared, draining the air from my lungs and the thoughts out of my mind. My limbs flailed uselessly, dragged by the torrent, and smashed against stone and rubble. The cold was intense, a cruel grasp drawing me into its depths.

As my fingertips sank beneath the surface, I thought, "This is it." Let it end here.

Let the moon forget me. Let White be free. Let the pain dissolve.

Darkness clawed at my mind. My body floated, weightless. The world blurred into silence. I surrendered.

But the river had other plans.

Strong hands seized my shoulders. A clear, feminine, demanding voice cut through the fog in my mind.

"Thank goodness I found you first; wow, look at you wounded yet glowing, just like the prophecy said," she continued.

The world snapped back.

As I was dragged to the river, I coughed violently, and water flowed from my throat. Mud caked my fingers. I struggled for oxygen like a baby, gasping in the frigid air. The moon shined dimly through the clouds, illuminating a figure standing above me.

A woman with a bead around her head and clothes.

Not just any woman—her aura vibrated with raw, untamed power. Her eyes were mismatched: one violet, one silver. Her long black hair stuck to her face, wet like mine, though I sensed she hadn’t fallen into the river. She wore a black robe embroidered with inscriptions I could not recognize and bones I did not want to examine.

"You have awakened something dreadful," she murmured, crouching next to me. “That kind of magic hasn’t touched these lands in centuries.”

I shuddered, pushing myself up with what little strength I had. “Who…who are you?” I managed to ask.

The woman bent her head and examined me as if I were a jigsaw puzzle with too many missing pieces.

"This is the last witch standing. And you, small Luna, have disrupted the peace I had established for myself, yet everything is good."

She sighed. "I had to find you the moment the moon sent us a sign because you are what many people have been waiting for. It is a shame you got a jerk for a mate."

I blinked at her in confusion. “You know about—”

“I know everything the river tells me. And it was shouting your name before you even got in."

I tried to rise with what little energy I had, but my legs crumpled. Without hesitation, the witch grabbed me and put her arm over my shoulder.

"We can discuss after your lungs stop attempting to suffocate you. Let us leave before something less kind than me smells your fragrance," she said as we began walking.

We walked—or she half-dragged me—through a little trail of glowing mushrooms and dismal thickets. Her presence appeared to alleviate the unnatural coolness, yet the unease in the air continued.

We arrived at a cabin buried deep in the forest, surrounded by moss and ancient magic. Smoke curled from the chimney, and little shimmering wards pulsed around the doorway.

“Home,” she muttered. “Not much, but it’s safe.”

Inside, the warmth hit me like a wall. The fire ignited on its own as she helped me onto a little bed near the fireplace. Dried plants hung from the ceilings. Skulls adorned the shelves—wolf, deer, and one I did not dare to inquire about.

"Drink this," she urged, passing me a steaming cup of something horrible. “It’ll keep your soul from fraying.”

I sipped and coughed. “What is this?”

“Mostly healing. Slightly disgusting. But it works.”

We sat silently for a minute, the fire casting flickering shadows on the walls. Finally, I looked up.

“Thank you… for saving me.”

The witch rolled her eyes. “Don’t thank me yet. You’ve brought death’s scent to my doorstep. The bond you broke resonated throughout the world. Even the dead have woken up, but your abilities are—."

“I had no choice. He betrayed me,” I explained

"No, you had a choice," she remarked sternly. “And you chose to break fate.”

"He shattered it first," I said softly, my voice breaking. “He chose power over me.”

The witch’s expression softened slightly. “Yes… but power has its price. And the creature you summoned—Eryx, which feeds on broken bonds—is now watching you. Waiting.”

White stirred restlessly in my mind.

“She’s right,” she growled. “I felt him when the blade cut. A hunger like we’ve never known.”

The witch leaned closer, her voice low. “You severed a soul-deep tie. You broke the Moon's will. That doesn’t just go away. Eryx will hunt that wound until he feasts or is destroyed."

I stared at the flames, my fingers curling around the cup.

“Then I’ll destroy him first.”

The witch laughed softly. "Brave words for someone who almost drowned in a river. But... perhaps there’s hope. You’re powerful, Aria. More than you know. And you’re not entirely alone anymore.”

I met her eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Catherine,” she said. “Banished witch. Shadowkeeper. River’s daughter.”

I nodded slowly. “Then I guess we’re both outcasts.”

I smiled grimly. "Let us show the world what misfits are capable of."

Outside, the wind howled again. But this time, I didn’t flinch.

The storm was coming. And this time, I’d be ready.