Breaking Through the Subterranean Tunnel

ELARA’S POV

Dust hung in the air, I stood still, frozen. I stood still, my breath catching as I stared at the wall of rubble and stone, where a doorway should be. My heartbeat wasn’t stable anymore, the beat was four times as usual, the smell of dusty air hit the back of my throat, dry, I pushed my saliva into my throat, trying to wet it.

The thoughts of being stuck here got me widening my eyes, my mouth parted as disbelief of being stuck here flickered my mind, my shoulder felt heavy, like someone carrying an invisible stone, i clenched my jaws, my neck was in deep pain, there was always light at the end of this tunnel, how come it’s dark, all my hope was thrown into the darkness.

This tunnel is our only escape route.

Back when it wasn’t blocked by stones and dust, it was just a narrow gap behind Theron’s chamber, big enough to contain three kids at the same time. Darius and I would always run through here every day, playing games, most times he’d take my snacks while running through here. He’d always take me through this tunnel with a torch lamp, I would always clutch the gems of his clothes at night while passing through here, I was always scared of the dark.

We’d come out by the creek at times, and pretend we were running away from a city to start a new life, he’d always take me out to snow through this tunnel.

Now it’s blocked with stones.

I turned back to Arden and the other prisoners, no one said a word, they just stared at me, waiting for me to say the next thing or take another route, panic took over me for a while, how do I tell them that we are stuck here and there’s no other route aside from this? Arden looked at me, nodding his hair in a motion that says he trusts me and knows I’d have a way out, I was disappointed at myself.

How do we leave here? How do I save them?

A young maid, around the age of fourteen or fifteen stepped forward, towards me with chapped lips and shaking hands, she was looking so pale like she’d been a prisoner for over a decade. “Lady Elara,” her voice barely there. “What do we do now?”

I held her shaky hands to calm her down, opened my mouth, but no word came out. I looked at the other maidens, their eyes fixed on me.

Then we heard a noise from the tunnel- dang..dang. Heavy-armored boots striking like stones on the floor, not running nor hesitant, the noise from their walk was furious.

Each step hit hard, more like the person was trying to bring down the tunnel, the echo bounced off the damp walls, rolling to us, their furious movements stirred dust up from the floor, choking the air and then us.

Then I heard Darius' voice; “Search every passage, kill everyone except Elara!” The words came in with command.

The air became cold, three maidens rushed to my back, holding my dress tightly, Arden and the others ran to the wall, trying to break down the stones, all effort was a waste.

I clenched my fist so hard that my fingers began trembling, palm to palm, my nails digging crescents into my skin, my knuckles shook.

I failed again, I promised myself that I’d rewrite my family’s fate, I was concerned about rejecting Darius and forgot my brother.

Is he going to die again? Should I accept being Darius Luna?

The thought of my brother or these girls dying because of me sent shivers down my spine. I looked at my little brother who was trying to take down the stone; “I’m sorry I can’t save us.” He came closer to me, held my hands carefully like I’d break” We won’t die.”

Those words made me strong again, I looked at the stones thinking of what to do, then I heard a voice within me speaking, thinking it was my thoughts I shut it off.

I went to the stone,my hand slammed against it, my fingers scraped over every crack, searching for any loose piece, something that would help us break the stone. I dug my claws into it until it split, my palms went raw from the friction. I traced the stones, my hands shaking, I begged quietly for the stones to crumble but nothing happened.

Darius and the guard searched every route except this one, I could feel them closing in, the sound from the boots made my chest beat faster, I got lost in my thoughts.

With me were fifteen maidens I rescued from the cell, fifteen eyes on me, expecting me to perform some miracles, I turned to Arden, he sat on the floor, with all hope lost, his hands were bloody from the wall, the young girl at my back clenched my hems tightly.

I began to feel dizzy, my body became heavy like I was carrying a heavy weight, blue black swirled in my eyes, I fell on the floor, rolling in pain, fighting something I don’t know. I felt like I was being possessed by something, then I heard them, different names different voices, whispers that ain’t mine, screams from within that isn’t mine, I could hear cries of blood, then I saw different eyes, gold, silver, wolf bright, red, blue, all starring at me, i clenched my body in panic, different eyes stared back at me in the dark. They weren’t in the tunnel, they were inside of me, then I heard a light voice that calmed me a little, the voice was soft and low.

“Claws, teeth, will, that is how you’d survive use them.” The voice kept going “ You were never meant to beg the stone, you have the power to break it, call on me and I’d assist. Blood of the old Noctytra line, break the stone or be buried by it. Did you get a second chance to die again?”

Then I felt something within me, strong, powerful, more than what I felt some minutes ago while saving Arden. I felt something burning inside of me, I stood from the floor, my eyes were a mixture of gold and silver, my claws came out, I had already transformed into my wolf, it felt like I was carrying the blood of all our ancestors, Arden and the maiden shifted back trying to understand my form.

My form was of a massive shadow, bigger than all wolves in the territory, I was shifting between shapes very fast to track or define my form.

At first the lean, scarred wolf of my grandmother who died in the mines showed, then I took the form of my silver coated guardian who shielded me in the wood the day I was born, the next second I took the form of a pale, blind elder who sang to pulps at night, I felt the wolf of everyone in my bloodline assembling inside of me, every wolf took a part of me and formed.

Then came gold, it flickered at my spine then ran down like lighting, my heart paused for a while as the lightning went round, from my shoulders, down to my eye, then circling my eyes, then the ring black turned blue.

It was at this point I realized I wasn’t just any wolf, I was Noctyra, the sum of every wolf that has existed, the gold on my fur represented the moon goddess.

I stepped forward to the stone, and everyone drew back. I took a deep breath, letting my wolf take over my body. I ordered my wolf to break the stone, and then I lifted my palm to face it.