CHAPTER 3

Celeste leaned in close speaking softly "You've got potential kid but if you're going to follow these wolves, you'll have to tap into the power the Moon Goddess gave you. Dawn meet us and we begin"

Lena nodded, determination setting her jaw. This was only the beginning of the battle but for the first time she felt almost certain it was going to be won. And and she wasn't about to let that slip.

The dawn’s first light showed the countryside in a tapestry of gold and crimson as if it were painted. Lena stood at the center and her breaths making mist in the still cold morning air. Luna Celeste observed her with a calm intensity, her silver hair gleamed just like that very moon itself.

"You came" said Celeste and her lips pulling into a faint smile "Good, i wasn't sure you would be brave enough"

Lena stiffened and squared her shoulders "I didn't come this far to give up now"

"Bold words," Celeste said, stepping closer. Her eyes seemed to strip Lena naked. "But boldness is not enough. The power within you is ancient and primal. If you don't master it, it will master you and are you prepared for that?"

Lena hesitated, thinking of the rejection, the pain, the long nights wondering why she wasn’t good enough. She tightened her fists. "I’ve been through worse."

Celeste nodded, her expression softening. "Then let’s begin."

She gestured for Lena to take her place among the circle of runes carved into the earth. The moment Lena sat down, the space around her vibrated as though with some force. Celeste knelt beside her, palm hovering above Lena's heart.

"The power of the Moon Goddess is based on your feelings," Celeste said. "That is your hurts, your rage, your love-all of them are the energy. But you have to be careful very much. Once you lose yourself in that then probably will not be better than the creatures we oppose to."

She closed her eyes as if to take a deep breath “What do I have to do?”

"Let it out," Celeste said simply.

Lena frowned. "What do you mean, ‘let it out’?"

Celeste's voice grew firmer. "It lies within you, Lena, buried beneath all the hurt you carry. No more suppression; let it out. Show me your strength, Lena. Show yourself."

Lena was ready to contradict but when she sensed the air around her everything changed. The feelings in her weighted her down—the disapproval, the disgrace, the anger—pinned down on her heart. She gasped, asher body trembled as the energy surged within her.

"I can’t" she stammered.

"You can," Celeste said sharply. "You’ve carried this pain long enough. Release it!"

The command struck a chord deep within Lena. Her fists clenched as images flooded her mind. Kade's cold eyes as he rejected her and the crowd's mocking laughter. The lonely nights spent in the wilderness.

"You’re weak Lena" Kade had echoed those words so often that it now felt like a blade inside her mind.

With a loud voice that reverberated in the clearing Lena screamed, "I’m not weak!"

A brilliant light erupted from her body, its force staggering Celeste back. The earth beneath Lena split, and the runes flared to life, shining with an otherworldly blue light. The wind screamed, slicing through the branches as Lena filled with strength.

Celeste raised her hand to shield her eyes from the chaos and yelled, "You have to control it, Lena! Don’t let it control you!"

But Lena was lost in the storm of her emotions. It was intoxicating and a relief from all that she had imprisoned within herself. She stood up and her eyes glowing with the same blue light as the runes.

“This is who I am” she said and the tone of her voice was sharp and infused with an echo of otherworld. “This is their rejection of it”

"Lena!" Celeste shouted, breaking the fog. "Listen to me, this power is not for destruction it's for healing, for protection. Concentrate!"

The words hit too close to home and pulled Lena back from the brink. She gazed around at the chaos she had wrought the shattered ground, the raging winds and the terror in Celeste’s gaze.

"This isn't me" Lena said crying much faster than she could sob. She shut her eyes and breathed in unsteadily. "This isn't how I want to be"

Slowly the light dimmed and the wind died down. The runes paled and only the sound of Lena’s ragged breathing remained. It was then she fell to her knees, trembling.

Celeste came closer to her with caution, keeping a light hand on her shoulder. "You did it" she whispered.

Lena shook her head. "I lost control. I almost"

"But you didn't" Celeste interrupted. "You held back and that's what counts"

Lena looked up at her and her glowing eyes filled with tears "What if I can't control it again? What if I hurt somebody?"

Celeste’s expression was determined but gentle. "Then we'll train harder. You're stronger than you think Lena and you're not alone in this"

The words enveloped Lena like a warm blanket relieving her of the stiffening fear close to her cold. She nodded and wiped her tears. "Thank you" she said softly.

Celeste smiled "Thank me by using this power wisely. The war is coming Lena, and when it does, you'll need every ounce of strength you've got"

Positioned there, Lena’s legs still shook but she was now more determined than ever. "I’ll be ready," she said, her voice did not waver. "I won’t let them down."

The sun climbed higher, streaming its golden light into the glade, and Lena knew this was only the beginning. For the first time, she felt almost sure that she could meet whatever was coming next—and win.

The campfires flickered low in the clearing as the rogues gathered and their faces cast in dancing shadows. A murmur of unease stirred among them. Lena was the center but could not make her gaze cross all those waiting for her to speak and to lead. But tonight another storm was brewing on the horizon and unbeknown to her, it was a bigger one.