THE SHATTERING OF ILLUSIONS

POV Seraphina

The silence in the courtyard was deafening. You could hear a pin drop, amidst the sound of heavy breathing and terrified heartbeats.

Everyone was staring at me, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe, fear, and utter disbelief. They were looking at a ghost, a monster, and a goddess all wrapped in one.

Valeria, who was still sprawled on the floor from the shockwave I sent, scrambled backward on her hands and knees, her face twisted into a mask of pure hatred and panic.

"Guards! What are you waiting for?!" she shrieked, her voice cracking hysterically. "Kill her! Tear her apart! She is a demon! She came back from the dead to destroy us! Do it now, or I will have all of you executed!"

Hearing her commands, a group of the pack’s elite warriors exchanged hesitant glances. They were scared of me, yes, but they were also trained to obey. With a roar, five of the largest, strongest warriors unsheathed their swords and charged toward me.

"Die, witch!"

They moved fast, swinging their blades with lethal intent. But to me, they might as well have been moving in slow motion.

I didn't even draw a weapon. I didn't even flinch.

BOOM!!

With a simple wave of my hand, I released a burst of pure spiritual energy.

It was like an invisible bomb had detonated right in front of them. The five warriors were instantly thrown backward as if hit by a speeding truck. Their bodies flew through the air, crashing into the stone pillars and the decorated tables, landing in heaps, completely knocked out cold.

Silence reigned again, but this time, it was heavier.

The crowd gasped, stepping back even further. Even Kaelen, who stood frozen on the stage, looked at me with eyes that were slowly realizing the terrifying truth.

The woman he had called weak, useless, and pathetic... was now stronger than his entire army combined.

"You..." Kaelen stammered, his voice trembling. He took a step forward, his mind clearly struggling to process everything. "Where... where did you get this power? How is this possible? You were nothing!"

I let out a cold, short laugh. The sound echoed, beautiful yet terrifying.

"I was nothing because you were too blind to see the truth, Kaelen," I said, my voice ringing clearly across the field. "You were blinded by greed and lust. You let a witch cast a spell on you, making you believe that garbage was gold, and gold was garbage."

I turned my sharp gaze directly onto Valeria, who was now trembling violently.

"And you, Valeria... your little game is over."

I took a step toward her, and she flinched as if I had hit her.

"You used dark magic to hide my beauty, to suppress my power, and to make yourself look like a queen. But magic like that... it has a price, doesn't it? It feeds on your life force, and it shatters the moment it meets pure, divine power."

I raised my hand, channeling the silver light of the Moon Goddess into my palm.

"ENOUGH HIDING!" I commanded loudly. "SHOW THEM YOUR TRUE FACE!"

I shot a beam of pure, cleansing light directly at her.

"NOOOOOO!! DON'T!!" Valeria screamed, trying to cover her face, but it was too late.

The light hit her, and instantly, the illusion shattered like glass hitting concrete.

Gasps of horror erupted from the entire crowd.

The beautiful, glowing skin began to wrinkle and sag. The shiny hair turned gray and brittle. The youthful face melted away, revealing the face of a woman who looked decades older, hideous, with sunken eyes and rotting teeth. The magic that kept her beautiful was gone, revealing the ugly, withered hag underneath.

"My face! My beautiful face!" Valeria wailed, covering her face in shame and agony. "You ruined me! You monster!"

Kaelen looked down at her, and for the first time, I saw real disgust in his eyes. Not the fake disgust he showed me before, but true revulsion. He realized now that he had been played for a fool. He had killed his children, betrayed his mate, and destroyed his honor... all for a dried-up old witch wearing a mask.

"You..." Kaelen growled, looking at Valeria with rage. "You lied to me! You tricked me all this time!"

"Don't blame her, Kaelen," I interrupted coldly, drawing his attention back to me. "She only showed you what you wanted to see. You were the one who was stupid enough to believe it. You were the one who chose to murder your own bloodline just to satisfy your ego."

I walked closer to him, stopping just inches away. I could smell the fear coming off him.

"But do you think this is all? Do you think I came back just to expose her?"

I smirked, a dark, knowing smile.

"I have more gifts for you."

I raised my hand high above my head, and in the air, magical screens appeared, floating like holograms. They were filled with documents, receipts, and recorded voices.

"Look closely, everyone!" I announced to the crowd. "Look at what your 'beloved' Alpha has done!"

The images started playing.

I showed them the proof of their conspiracy. I showed them the contracts where they sold my children to the Black Moon organization. I showed them the records of how they poisoned the pack's funds, how they killed innocent people to keep their power, and how they planned to sell the entire territory to the dark forces for eternal youth.

"HE KILLED HIS OWN BABIES!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice amplified by magic. "HE KILLED LEO AND LUNA! HE THREW THEM AWAY BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THEY WERE WEAK! AND NOW HE WANTS TO SELL THIS LAND TO DEVILS!"

The crowd erupted.

First it was whispers, then it became shouts, then it became a roar of anger.

"TRAITOR!"

"KILL HIM!"

"HE DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE ALPHA!"

"WE WANT JUSTICE! JUSTICE FOR THE CHILDREN!"

Kaelen turned pale, then red, then purple with rage and humiliation. He had lost control. The people he ruled were now turning against him. He looked at me, and in his eyes, I saw the final snap of sanity.

"SHUT UP!! SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!" He roared, his voice turning bestial. "SHE IS THE LIAR! SHE IS THE ENEMY! I WILL KILL HER! I WILL RIP HER APART WITH MY OWN HANDS!"

His body began to grow, fur bursting out of his skin, bones cracking and shifting.

He was transforming.

Alpha Kaelen was releasing his full power, going into his berserker state, ready to kill me to save himself.

"Come at me," I whispered, narrowing my eyes. "Show me the wolf that killed my babies. Let me put him down for good."

 

(To be continued...)