Chapter 51: The Echo of Fate Anna POV

Despite the knot of pressure in my gut, I said, "We can't leave yet," in a firm voice.

Lucas, whose face was pale and drawn from the pain of his wounds, arched an eyebrow at me. "Waiting around is not a choice for us, Anna. They will search for us."

"I am aware of that," I said, sitting next to him. "But you're barely able to stand, much less participate in combat. We won't get a mile before they catch us if we leave now."

He leaned his head back against the cave wall and let out a sharp breath. "I detest it when you're correct."

I gave myself permission to smile a little. "Then adjust to it."

Lucas protested, but he didn't continue the fight. The bloody bandage over his ribs served as a clear reminder of how close we had come to losing everything, and his wounds were serious.

I stood up and brushed the dirt from my hands before saying, "You rest. I'll be on guard."

Lucas looked at me like he didn't think I'd be able to sit still for very long. He was not wrong.

The darkness stretched into what looked like an infinite gloom, and the cave was bigger than I had first imagined. I felt carefully, running my fingers along the wet stone walls.

The farther I fell, the colder the air became, and a dim light started to light the way. As I turned a corner and entered a tiny room, my pulse pounded in my chest, and my steps paused.

The complex patterns and symbols that seemed to pulse with a faint, otherworldly glow were carved all over the walls. It started to tingle—my mark, which I had always kept secret out of fear and shame.

"What is this location?" I moved closer to the drawings and whispered.

Every symbol appeared to express a tale of conflicts settled, partnerships formed, and destinies realized. A woman in the center caught my attention; she had a bright mark on her wrist that matched mine.

"Anna?" I turned when Lucas's words cut through my thoughts, and I saw his pale but determined face resting against the cave wall.

I hurried to his side and whispered, "You shouldn't be up."

He looked at the sculptures and replied, "I couldn't sit there and do nothing. What did you discover?"

I pointed at the marks and said, "I don't know. However, it seems familiar. As if it were calling to me."

Lucas's face was unreadable as he studied the sculptures. At last, he commented, "These are ancient. I have never seen a pack history this old."

"Is there anything you recognize?" With a hint of hope in my voice, I asked.

After he paused, he nodded. "A part of it. Prophecies and tales handed down through the years were recorded by my group. This looks like something out of those stories," he added, gesturing at the radiant woman.

"Which stories?" I pushed, taking a step toward him.

"About the Chosen," he said in a deeply meaningful tone. "A wolf, designated by the Moon Goddess herself, who will either bring harmony or ruin."

His words weighed on me like a thundercloud, causing my stomach to turn over. "You believe that I am the Chosen?"

Lucas stared at the engravings for a moment before replying. "I'm not sure. However, Anna, your mark isn't an accident."

With my fingers brushing the mark on my wrist, I took a deep breath. My voice was shaking as I added, "I don't want to be a part of some destiny. All I want is to live."

Lucas muttered softly, "Prophecies don't care what we want. Whether we're prepared or not, they happen."

I was not comforted by his words. If anything, they made me feel even more afraid.

"What if I don't succeed?" More to myself than to him, I muttered.

"You won't," Lucas firmly stated. "You underestimate your strength."

I wanted to believe him, but my resolution was being weakened by uncertainty. I glanced at the glowing woman and then returned my attention to the sculptures.

"Why me?" With my fingers reaching to touch the carving, I whispered.

The mark on my wrist sprang to life as soon as my skin touched the stone, filling the room with a fiery glow. As the world spun around me and the light surrounded me, I gasped and stumbled back.

"Anna!" Lucas's voice was a faint echo, far away.

A voice, quiet but commanding, whispered in my head as the light brightened.

"Your journey has started."

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the light went out, leaving me on the hard stone floor, struggling to breathe.

In an instant, Lucas was by my side, his hands on my shoulders. "What took place? Are you alright?"

My voice was unsteady as I mumbled, "I… I don't know. It seemed as though someone was talking to me."

He searched my eyes and demanded, "Who?"

I mumbled, "The Moon Goddess," as the realization weighed heavily on me.

Lucas's jaw tensed as he firmly grasped my shoulders. "What was it she said?"

I responded, my voice hardly audible, "She said… my path has begun."

His eyes reflected my own, and for the first time, I understood how serious the situation was.

We had never been here before, and we couldn't go back.

As he helped me sit up, Lucas's hands shook, and his face was a mix of fear and incredulity. Once eerily quiet, the cave now seemed to pulse with an invisible energy, the air heavy with something old and strong. The prophecy was hanging heavily on me, and its intensity was stifling.

"Anna, what does this mean?" Lucas questioned in a quiet voice, as though he was nervous to say the words out loud.

With my heart pounding, I replied, "I don't know. However, I can feel its draw. As if something uncontrolled is about to happen."

His eyes narrowed in thought as he looked at the shimmering symbols on the walls. "We need to learn more. We cannot ignore this, whatever it is."

I nodded, the fear still gnawing at me, but my resolution solidifying. We were in this together, for better or worse, but it was unknown what the future held.