Chapter 10-Next Trial

       My eyes still heavy. My body weak. But the sound of the drum woke me.  

Boom. Boom. Boom. Pack call. Trial call.  

I sat up slowly. My heart heavy. I knew what it meant. The next trial. No rest. No begging. No mercy.  

The maid rushed in. She tied cloth around me. She whispered, “Be strong, Luna.”  

Luna? The word almost made me laugh. They call me Luna, but they spit behind me.  

I stepped outside. The air sharp. The sun hot. The yard full. Wolves everywhere. Their eyes followed me. Their whispers cut me.  

“She will die today.”  

“She fainted last time.”  

“She is cursed.”  

“She is not Luna.”  

I held my chest. I breathed deep. I forced my legs to move.  

The fossils sat high, the elders, eyes old and sharp. No smile. No pity. Just judgment.  

Damien stood by the side. His face hard. His eyes on me. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. But I felt his anger pressing me down.  

Elder Rowan raised his hand. “Second trial begins. Let the girl prove herself.”  

The ground shook. The gate opened. From inside came two wolves. Big. Dark. Teeth sharp. Eyes red. Not human. Not weak. Trained to kill.  

My breath caught. My legs almost gave. How could I fight that? My body still sore, still broken inside.  

Then the mark on my neck burned. Hot. Alive. Like fire in my blood.  

The wolves growled loud. They circled me. The crowd cheered. They wanted me to fall. They wanted my blood.  

One jumped. I rolled aside. Dust rose. My arm burned. My chest heavy. I wasn’t strong enough.  

The second one charged. I stumbled back. My legs shook.  

Voices from the crowd.  

“See? She is weak.”  

“She won’t last one minute.”  

“She is fake.”  

Tears pressed my eyes. Fear choked me. Then a flash in my mind. Moonlight. Bright. White. A whisper.  

“You are chosen. Fight.”  

I screamed. I charged. My fist landed on the wolf’s face. It staggered. I almost froze in shock. How did I get that strength?  

The other one bit my arm. Pain tore me. I shouted. Blood spilled. My vision blurred.  

But fire rose in me. Not mine. Moon fire. It pushed me. It guided me.  

I grabbed the wolf’s head. I smashed it to the ground. Boom. Dust scattered. The crowd gasped.  

The first wolf recovered. It leapt again. I spun. My knee hit its jaw. A crack sounded. It fell back.  

The pack shouted. Half cheering. Half cursing.  

“She is a witch.”  

“She is a demon.”  

“No, she is blessed.”  

“The moon fights for her.”  

I panted. Blood dripped from me. My chest rose and fell fast. My hands shook. But I still stood.  

The two wolves rose again. Angry. Wild. They rushed together. My eyes closed. I begged inside. Moon, please. Please.  

The mark burned hotter. My body glowed faint. My fists moved faster than me. One punch. One kick. The wolves crashed to the ground.  

Silence. Then gasps.  

The fossils leaned forward. Their old eyes sharp. “Impossible,” one whispered.  

Damien stepped out. His eyes were fire. He looked at me long. His jaw tight. His hands clenched.  

The wolves didn’t rise. They stayed down. The gong sounded. Boom. Boom. Boom.  

Elder Rowan’s voice rang out. “She has passed the second trial.”  

The crowd exploded. Some screamed yes. Some screamed no. Whispers everywhere.  

“She is a monster.”  

“She is chosen.”  

“She brings death.”  

“She brings glory.”  

I stood shaking. Blood all over me. My vision dark. My breath weak.  

Then my legs failed. I fell. The world spun. Darkness swallowed me.  

---  

When I woke, I was in the golden room again. My body heavy. Bandages covered me. Pain burned everywhere.  

Damien sat in a chair by the window. He didn’t look at me. He stared outside. His aura filled the room.  

I whispered, “Why… why didn’t you stop them? I almost died.”  

He turned slowly. His eyes sharp. His voice deep. “You are my mate. My Luna. If you cannot survive the trial, you cannot survive me. You cannot survive this pack. I will not carry weakness beside me.”  

His words cut deeper than wounds. Tears rolled down my face. I turned away. My chest bled inside.  

He stood. He walked out. The door slammed. I cried into the pillow.  

---  

Outside, the gossip grew louder.  

“She survived again.”  

“The moon fights for her.”  

“No, she is cursed. She cheats. She is evil.”  

“She is too strong. We must fear her.”  

Clara laughed loud in the center yard.  

“The fossils are blind. She is not Luna. She is a monster. Soon she will kill us all.”  

But no one shouted back. Damien’s presence still hung heavy. They feared him.  

Still, the hate burned in their whispers. Still, the doubt cut sharp.  

---  

Night came. I couldn’t sleep. My body hurt. My heart hurt more.  

I looked at the moon through the window. Tears in my eyes.  

“Why are you doing this?” I whispered. “Why give me this power? Why make me an enemy to all? Why put me in his house if he hates me?”  

The mark burned. A voice came soft.  

“The chosen must bleed. The chosen must walk alone. But when the night is darkest, the moon shines brightest.”  

I shook my head. “I’m tired. I don’t want to shine. I don’t want to be chosen. I just want peace.”  

No answer. Only silence. Only my sobs.  

---  

Morning came again. The pack gathered in the yard. They whispered as I walked past. Eyes like knives.  

The fossils called meeting. Elder Rowan’s voice carried.  

“She has passed two trials. One remains. The final trial. If she stands, she is Luna true. If she falls, she is gone.”  

Gasps. Murmurs. Whispers spread.  

“She won’t reach the final.”  

“She will die before then.”  

“She may survive. The moon is strong in her.”  

Damien stood silent. His eyes on me. Fire. Storm. I couldn’t read him. He wouldn’t let me in.  

My chest heavy. My legs weak. But inside me, a small fire burned. I whispered to myself, “I will not fall.”  

I walked back to the golden room. Alone.  

I sat on the floor. Closed my eyes. Breathed deep.  

The fight replayed in my mind. The pain. The fear. The fire that rose in me. The moon’s whisper.  

Maybe they are right. Maybe I am cursed. Maybe I am demon. Maybe I am witch.  

But one thing clear. I survived. Twice. And I am not done.  

The final trial waits. When it comes, I will bleed again. I will fall again. But I will rise.  

Even if the pack hates me. Even if Damien hates me. Even if the fossils curse me.  

I will rise. Because the moon does not make mistakes.