Beyond

BEYOND  

“Help!” Korra screamed, her voice bubbled as the water filled her mouth. Her limbs went numb as the cold bit through her bones. The moon blurred above, fractured by the rippling surface.

From the bank, the men smirked as they watched her struggle.

“She will crawl out,” one of them said.

“She’s not that weak,” muttered another.

But she didn’t because the seconds stretched, then minutes, and no movement or sound came from the stream.

Halven’s smirk faltered. “Pull her out,” he snapped, as panic crept into his voice.

They all waded into the stream, dragging her limp body onto the muddy shore. Her hair clung to her face, her lips turned pale, and her half-open eyes saw nothing.

“Shit,” one whispered. “She is not breathing.”

“Do something!” another barked.

Halven knelt, pounding on her chest, his hands trembling. “Come on, come on!” He breathed air into her mouth, but nothing happened.

“She is dead,” one finally said, his voice shaking. “She’s dead, Halven!”

Halven’s face twisted. “No…no, she’s…” He stopped, staring at her still body, at the faint trickle of blood from her nose. Suddenly, he felt a great sense of fear take him.

“If the Alpha finds out…”

“Run!” Halven shouted, and they all bolted. They fled into the forest, their legs barely touching the ground as they ran.

*************

For a long time, nothing moved. The stream murmured quietly beside her, carrying away fragments of her breath. 

Then everything went quiet. Korra could feel her spirit animal floating, suspended in a haze.

She could see her body below, stiff, pale, numb. The pain was gone, even the fear felt far away.

Am I… dead?

No sound came, no heartbeat, and no breath. Only silence and the faint shimmer of light growing above her.

A figure stepped out of it, tall, radiant, and cloaked in silver. Her hair flowed in the moonlight, and her eyes glowed with the soft warmth of dawn. The very air trembled around her.

“Selene…” Korra breathed; her voice didn’t echo, but Selene smiled as though she had heard.

“You know my name,” the goddess said, her voice a melody of water and wind. “Few mortals remember it.”

Korra’s throat tightened. “Am I… gone?”

Selene’s gaze softened, and she reached out, her fingers brushing against Korra’s cheek. It felt warm, like home, like her mother. “Not yet, little wolf, your story is not finished.”

Tears floated upward from Korra’s eyes, dissolving into silver mist. “They tried to kill me.”

“I know.” Selene’s tone was both sorrowful and stern. “But remember this—no blade, no river, no Alpha decides your fate. You are mine, and mine do not die this easily.”

“But I’m weak,” Korra whispered. “Everyone says it. Even he…”

Selene’s eyes brightened, fierce now. “Strength is not always loud. Sometimes it hides beneath silence, waiting for the right storm. You will rise again, you will make them see what they tried to destroy.”

Korra’s body began to glow faintly, her chest lifting as if with breath.

“Go back,” Selene whispered. “Go back to the pain, to the cold. Live.”

The goddess placed her palm against Korra’s heart and pushed.

The water rushed back with a violent jolt. Air slammed into her lungs, and her eyes flew open.

She was coughing, choking, and heaving up water as her body convulsed on the muddy bank. The world swayed and spun around her.

************

Korra woke to the smell of herbs and firewood. Her chest hurt, and every breath she took felt sharp and shallow. When she tried to move, pain seared through her ribs. The ceiling above her was whitewashed stone; the flickering light of a lantern painted shadows across it.

“She’s awake,” someone whispered.

Loran appeared beside her, smiling nervously. “Easy,” he said softly. “You almost drowned.”

Her lips trembled. “The stream…”

“You were found by the east ridge. Half the patrol thought you were dead.” His gaze darkened. “Who did this?”

Her throat closed. The memory came rushing back, the hands, the water, the laughter. “I… I don’t know.”

He hesitated but didn’t press further. “You need rest. Alpha Kael sent me to stay by you until you wake.”

Her eyes flickered. “Kael?”

Loran nodded. “He wanted to come, but… things are complicated.”

Korra turned her face away, blinking hard. He cares… but he can’t come.

*************

When Loran returned to the Alpha’s house that night, Kael was waiting by the door. His shoulders were tense, his hands clenched. “Tell me.”

“She will live,” Loran said quietly. “They nearly killed her, Kael. Her survival is nothing short of a miracle.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Who?”

“They wore masks, but this wasn’t random. They knew what they were doing.”

Kael didn’t wait. He stormed toward his father’s office, his face was masked with fury.

Rhyker looked up from his desk. He was as rigid as ever. “I assume this is about the girl.”

“She almost died!” Kael slammed his fist on the table. “You told them to test her, not drown her!”

Rhyker’s gaze was unshaken. “I told them to push her. Perhaps she wasn’t strong enough.”

Kael’s breath came ragged. “Call it off, Father. Enough of this madness!”

Rhyker leaned back, his expression cool. “On one condition.”

Kael’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“You will stay away from her. You will not see her. You will not think of her as your mate. Do that, and she lives.”

Kael’s heart twisted painfully. “You are asking me to abandon her.”

“I’m asking you to protect your future…and hers. The pack will never accept her, Kael. If you care for her, let her go.”

Both men remained silent for some minutes. Kael’s wolf clawed inside his chest, growling in protest, but reason warred with his rage. He saw her face in his mind, the pale stillness of her body by the stream, the faint flutter of her breath.

If his defiance meant her death… he couldn’t risk it.

His voice broke as he spoke. “Fine. I will stay away, just keep her safe.”

Rhyker nodded once. “Good. I will see that she is moved from the omega quarters.”

Kael hesitated. “Then move her to the pack house with the youths. At least there, she won’t be cornered.”

Rhyker’s eyes narrowed. “No.”

Kael stepped forward. “Then I won’t keep my word.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Father and son, once again on the brink of war.

Finally, Rhyker exhaled slowly. “Very well. The pack house, but remember your promise.”

Kael turned away, his face shadowed. “I always do.”