Prologue

"I feel we shouldn't go through with this, my goddess," Cancer muttered, his voice thick with emotion. He tore his gaze away from the pond that reflected the scene below, showing a lone she-wolf lying battered and broken on the muddy ground, clinging to the last fragile threads of life. He had watched countless trials unfold before about this... this was different.

 It took all his willpower not to abandon the heavens and intervene directly. Every instinct urged him to save her, but the weight of the Moon Goddess’s command anchored him in place.

 She lay in a pitiful state, drenched in a mixture of rain, blood, and mud. Sweat clung to her pale skin, and her breathing was ragged, shallow. There were no more tears left in her, not after the ultimate betrayal, a rejection from her mate and the massacre of her family. It was no small tragedy, and in her condition, the odds of her surviving another five minutes were nonexistent.

 What the Moon Goddess proposed was unthinkable. If the she-wolf survived this ordeal, she would not emerge unscathed. The power she would inherit could drive her feral, her wolf consuming her humanity. A feral rogue with unchecked strength was a danger to everyone and everything. Her wolf could shift without her consent, hunt without conscience, and destroy entire strongholds if it pleased. It was a fate worse than death.

 Cancer clenched his fists. He wanted her to live, desperately, but not like that. His heart wrenched as he looked back at the Moon Goddess. Her expression, as always, was unreadable, a serene mask betraying none of her thoughts. He had spent eons trying to decipher her, to see beyond the veil of her divine composure, but she remained as enigmatic as the stars she ruled.

 Her smooth, oval face bore a slight frown, her amethyst eyes, void of any whiteness, narrowed in deep contemplation. Her silken, pale hair flowed around her like liquid light, blending seamlessly with the purple silk gown that clung to her perfect form as if it were part of her being.

 "It is not in my place to question you or your decisions, my goddess, but—"

 "I know, Cancer," she interrupted gently, her voice like a melody that resonated in his very soul. She tore her gaze from the image in the pond to look at him, and he felt as though a million unseen eyes were boring into him. "I know you. Your compassion sets you apart. These trials clash with your nature, and perhaps I should have summoned Taurus instead. He would have faced this head-on without hesitation."

 Cancer’s cheeks flushed with shame. "I'm sorry for being a disappointment to you, my goddess," he murmured, lowering his gaze to the grassy plain beneath his feet.

 Her laugh was light, like the tinkling of wind chimes. "Oh, you silly thing. I was only jesting. You take yourself far too seriously, Cancer. Perhaps learning to laugh would ease your burdens. You are no disappointment, not to me."

 He lifted his gaze hesitantly, meeting her warm smile. "It’s just... to place this much power in a mortal soul, it feels reckless. If she survives, who could stop her if she goes rogue?"

 "There are always risks," the Moon Goddess replied, her voice steady. "But there are many paths to every outcome. You, of all my guardians, should know that by now."

 Cancer nodded reluctantly, though his unease remained. "Are we to help her if she survives? To guide her toward the right path?"

 "No." Her answer was firm. "Interference from our realm rarely ends well. I have faith in her. She will rise to greatness, of that I am certain."

 Cancer sighed, the sound heavy with resignation. He could no longer argue. Her will was law, and so it would be.

 The Moon Goddess extended her hand, a single glowing moonflower petal resting in her palm. "Take this," she said. "Feed it to her, and let us watch the story unfold."

 He took the petal, its light as bright as the moon itself. Closing his eyes, he focused on his task. His entire form shimmered, dissolving into radiant energy, and when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the celestial realm.

 Rain poured around him in the mortal world, the earthy scent of wet soil filling his nostrils. In his lupine form, his rich cream-colored fur glistened under the storm's onslaught. His keen brown eyes scanned the surroundings until they found her lying crumpled beneath a mahogany tree.

 Even with his heightened senses, her heartbeat was faint, barely audible over the rain. He approached cautiously, each step heavy with the weight of his purpose.

 She was a heartbreaking sight up close. Her golden-brown hair, once vibrant, was now a jagged, matted mess, stained crimson with her own blood. Her torn gown, soaked and sullied, clung to her broken body. She had lost so much blood that her survival seemed impossible.

 Cancer dropped the glowing petal onto the ground, nudging it gently toward her mouth with his snout. With a soft growl, he maneuvered it past her lips, ensuring she swallowed it. Then, he stepped back, watching intently.

 At first, nothing happened. But then, her body convulsed violently, and she began to cough and choke. Blood poured from her nose, ears, and mouth, pooling around her. Cancer tensed, ready to end her suffering if it became too much, when the Moon Goddess’s voice rang sharply in his mind.

 "No."

 He hesitated, his paws rooted to the ground. Before his eyes, the convulsions stopped, and her pale blue eyes snapped open. For a fleeting moment, they met his gaze, her eyes filled with pain and confusion. Then, in a flash, her irises shifted to a brilliant purple, the mark of the Moon Goddess’s essence.

 She gasped, a single tear escaping down her bloodied cheek, and whispered hoarsely, "I should have done something."

 And just like that, she fell unconscious again.

 Cancer’s heart ached as he stood over her fragile form. "I’m rooting for you, little one," he murmured softly, his voice thick with emotion. "You’re going to win this."

 As the rain continued to fall, washing away the blood and grime, Cancer remained by her side, a silent guardian. Somewhere in the heavens, the Moon Goddess watched with a knowing smile, her faith in this broken she-wolf unwavering.