Chapter Five: A Sick Twist Of Fate.

The next morning came far too quickly.

A maid gently shook me awake and i groaned, barely having enough night sleep after yesterday’s big revelation.

I swung my legs off the bed and allowed her to prepare me. She brushed my hair until it shined and dressed me in the ceremonial white tunic tied with silver cords, the traditional garment for the Trail of Threads.

I barely had time to steady my nerves before we made our way to the grand hall.

The space was already filling with girls, everyone looking nervous and excited. I slipped into line, trying to disappear among them, when a familiar voice called my attention.

“Amara!” Benita beamed as she approached me with a big smile. She looked pretty as always but today seemed different, like she seemed……. more matured.

"Who do you think would become your maiden today?" She asked as she closed the distance between us.

"I don't know," I said, shrugging.

The girls from the Pack Clan came over, following Morgana as she settled in line, besides Benita.

“Well, well,” one of the girl drawled, sneering at me, “if it isn’t the little Falme girl. I wonder which miserable maiden from the House of Min you'll be lucky to scrape together.” She said and they all laughed.

"Rebecca, have some shame." Benita snapped at her.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and turned to Morgana.

“What do you think, Morgana?” She asked, a sarcastic smirk tugging on her lips, "Does the Falme girl have a chance in this competition?"

Morgana turned, not sparing me a glance. Her sliver long hair glittering against the sunlight as she chuckled. . “Everyone has an equal chance of winning,” she said in a dismissive tone.

"Our lady Morgana is such a kind and noble woman," A girl gushed.

The other girls immediately began gushing about how kind and noble Morgana was, how she was clearly favored by the moon goddess herself.

I said nothing, swallowing the bitter taste rising in my mouth as Benita comforted me.

The grand doors creaked open and silence reigned in the hall. Everyone falling in line as Vera and Begritta, moved to the center of the hall.

They were both dressed in black robes and dark scarves and their faces held no colour.

Vera peered at us one after the other, her voice calm and commanding as she began, “The Queen, the Mother Superior, sends her regrets. She will not be attending due to urgent matters.”

A wave of disappointment filled the hall.

“However,” Vera continued, her voice sharpening, “the Trail of Threads will not proceed as usual.”

The hall erupted into more confused murmuring.

Begritta stepped forward, her face stern as she barked, “Silence!”

The chatter died instantly.

Vera smiled mischievously. “Elder Lan has issued new instructions,” she announced. “Today’s selection will be different.”

The tension in the air became almost unbearable.

“There is only one maiden from the House of Cheng — Lia,” She continued. “And only someone who can achieve something extraordinary will win her loyalty.”

Murmurs buzzed again among the girls, everyone confused and excited at the same time.

"Silence!" Begritta barked and the murmurs died down.

Vera continued," After deep thoughts and self meditations. We the Mothers of the kingdoms have decided on the two most worthy candidates allowed to compete."

She and Begritta shared a look. Begritta smirked and, without hesitation, stepped forward and pointed a commanding finger.

“I choose Morgana.” She said, smiling with pride.

Morgana smiled gracefully and stepped forward with the confidence of someone who already believed victory was hers.

After she stepped out, everyone turned their eyes to Vera, waiting. The silence heavy like a thick cloud.

Vera grinned as she looked at us, a wicked delight dancing in her eyes.

“I choose…"

She paused, looking at us mischievously as the atmosphere thickened with tension.

"Amara.” She said finally and everyone gasped.

I blinked, stunned.

"Me?" I asked, pointing at myself dumbly and she nodded. “Yes.”

The murmurs returned once again.

Begritta shot Vera a sharp look, her expression a clear “Are you mad?” but Vera only smiled thinly and turned to me, her face darkening.

“Step forward,” she ordered.

My legs moved before my mind could catch up. I stepped into the center of the hall, standing awkwardly beside Morgana.

Vera’s voice rang out again. “The mission is simple. Whoever can summon their wolf spirit and make it howl the loudest will win Lia as their maiden.”

A gasp ripped through the girls.

“That’s impossible!” one of the Pack Clan girls whispered loudly. “Summoning a wolf spirit during the day? They'll die trying.”

Begritta leaned toward Vera, whispering harshly, “Only the Mother Superior, the Lord Alpha, us and the Elders have ever done that. Do you want to kill these girls?"

Vera scoffed under her breath, her lips curling into an evil smirk. “Blame Elder Lan, not me. Besides, seeing someone beat the Mother Superior’s record would be interesting.”

She straightened and addressed the room.

“To summon a wolf spirit during the day is a feat achieved only by the most powerful across the Four Kingdoms,” she said. “The louder the wolf’s howl, the stronger we know your wolf is.”

She nodded to a waiting maid. The gong sounded, loud and final.

"Begin!" She thundered.

I inhaled sharply, trying to steady my racing heart.

Beside me, Morgana drew a deep breath as well.

Then, without much of an effort something inside me shifted.

A surge of energy, fierce and wild, roared through my veins. Light began weaving through the air around me and Morgana in luminous, twisting patterns that drew gasps from the audience.

My body trembled, the overwhelming power almost too much to bear and then suddenly the visions flooded in my memory.

*******

"Kill the damn wolf, Elena. She has gone mad." I hear a familiar voice shout in my memory.

"Banish the queen. She has gone mad!" Another voice yells in another memory. I gasped as I recognized it. Elder Lan.

"The people of Falme have gone rouge!!! Kill them all!!" Another voice thundered.

********

I clenched my fists, a sudden evil creeping inside me as I clinged on the energy. Suddenly I wanted to burn everything, everyone and watch with amusement as their bloods painted the earth red and as the spirit energy rose inside me higher and higher like a dam about to burst, I started letting out a dark evil carckling laugh.

And then.......

In a sharp moment. A thunderous wolf howl shattered the air.

The ground trembled under our feet as a gust of wind and a blinding explosion of light burst from the center of the hall. The girls screamed and ducked, shielding their faces.

And then the light faded and I blinked, stunned.

I was still standing. I felt light as air, as if I had simply breathed and caused the storm.

Next to me, Morgana shifted nervously, her eyes wide looking at me with suspicion.

The hall remained frozen for a long, breathless moment.

Vera and Begritta peered at us, their mouths slightly open. The other girls looked equally stunned, their faces pale with shock.

Finally, Vera coughed nervously, breaking the silence.

“Who did that?” she demanded as she looked from me to Morgana.

I coughed, clearing my throat as I opened my mouth to speak when—

“I did, Mother,” A voice suddenly declared.

Gasps echoed around the hall, a bitter bile rising up my throat as I turned at the person that had stepped to proclaim my feat.

Morgana.

I froze, the words dying in my throat.