Chapter 13

Aurora’s POV

I held my breath briefly, feeling like even the air held contamination.

“Stay behind me,” I lowered my voice into a whisper to Lyra, who nodded quickly. Her glowing, smiling face had turned pale, and I caught a trace of fear in her eyes.

As I walked through the hallway and passed the reception, I felt the dark energy getting stronger. The sachet in my hands turned hot, as if fighting against it.

I paused, feeling confusion. It wasn't clear, and what I needed was a direction. I needed clarity.

I closed my eyes, and suddenly felt everything come at me in a rush. The dark energy was everywhere, permeating the atmosphere. It fed off the latent energy of death that hung around. And it had grown stronger.

I began to channel my energy outward. My hands grew warm,and I raised my right hand, holding it high in the air.

“You do not belong here,” I whispered under my breath. “Get out.”

Then I felt it, a rage, a storm of piercing screams and thickened air thrashing. I continued to spread my energy outwards, and suddenly it hit me in a wave. My aira surrounded me, barricading my body against the blows. But a headache began to bloom at the back of my head, spreading outward, down to my neck. I felt my body tremble, and my head swimming, growing light.

I had to be stronger than this, I thought. My body ached, my chest pulsing with the erratic staccato of my heartbeat.

I had to be more than this.

I shoved my aura outward more, letting my Luna essence pierce numerous holes, like silvery arrows through the dark night.

I opened my eyes, and saw it. The purple sachet.

The dark aura was slowly being driven back towards its source.

I felt something trickle down my nose, warm and liquid.

I took a step forward, only to find the edges of my vision blurring.

“Aurora!” It was Lyra. I felt her arm support me, and I leaned against her. I couldn't stop. I wasn't going to give that energy Seraphina had placed her a chance to retaliate.

“Lyra, there,” I pointed at the cabinet, where the purple sachet had to be. It was my instincts, the  way my body and mind screamed at me to destroy it.

It was intense.

Lyra pulled me towards the cabinet and began to search. I stopped. Her.

“Dont…” I gasped. “Dont touch anything.”

I tasted blood on my lips.

“But, Aurora… you’re bleeding," She tried to help but this wasn't her fight. She had done enough.

I tugged on the cabinet drawers, one after the other, in a mad scramble to find that thing. But it evaded me, like it knew I was after it.

Suddenly I remembered.

Behind it.

“Help me pull this away,” I gestured, and with Lyra’s help and amidst my shaky breaths and blurry vision, we tugged the cabinet away. There it was, sitting by the corner, all neat and gleaming with cold, terrible intent.

I reached my hand out, and closed my eyes once more. I channeled with the desperation of someone who had expended a lot of energy and was running the last lap.

I needed it destroyed.

I felt something snap within me, a heat rushed out and my limbs refused to obey me. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground.

“Aurora!”

I coughed, and saw warm blood splatter over my palm. I nearly thought I was dying but then I looked and saw the purple sachet disintegrating. It screamed, and I swore I saw it squirm. The dark energy dissipated along with it and suddenly the heaviness fled.

I exhaled, slow and deep.

I shut my eyes.

“I need…” I panted. “Five minutes.”

Lyra hummed.

“We have thirty minutes before the clinic opens.”

I sighed again in relief at those words, and tried to steady my breaths. It took me a bit more than five minutes before I could get my body to stand up. I placed the silvery pouch in my hands in the same spot the purple sachet had been.

Lyra had to handle putting the cabinet back in place by herself.

As I leaned against her, walking out of the morgue, she handed me a clean handkerchief to wipe my bloodied nose.

‘Thank you, Lyra,” I murmured.

“ It’s nothing,”she was about to deflect but I caught her hand and we stopped briefly.

“No, really. Thank you,” I emphasized. “For standing by my side. For believing in me.”

Because I knew what it felt like when no one did, and it hurt to imagine it now.

Reborn and in this new life, the Moon Goddess had given me an opportunity to right my wrongs. Lyra was one of them. In my last life, the last thing I remembered was her death. And I had no idea what had caused it, but even before then she had quarreled with me constantly about my staying at home, trying to get me out of the mire, trying to push me towards the light. I had failed her. And this life, I promised myself that I wouldn't do so again.

“Luna Aurora,” Someone called as we were about to enter the staff room. The dizziness had stopped, and my recovery had been swifter than last night’s. I paused, it was one of the girls from the reception desk.

The clinic was now filled with people, staff trying to attend to patients and patients who wanted to be the first to get attended to.

“Yeah?” I asked, reaching for the white ward coat Lyra handed me, all fresh and recently laundered. I put it on, my brows furrowed.

“The Alpha is at the front desk, Luna,. He wants to see you now.”

The receptionist said, somewhat hesitant and scared before turning to leave.

“Here? What for?”  Lyra questioned out loud as though I had the answers to her question.

I shook my head, not knowing what to say.

What did Alaric want from me now?

…