The Luna They Buried Alive

There was red soil lay, piled to the side, loose and fresh. The smell of damp soil filled the air, thick and heavy, Serene could already feel it in her throat. Her steps slowed down. Something wasn’t right. The night was too quiet.There was no wind and no movement. Even the trees seemed to be holding still. “Kael…?” Her voice came out softer than she expected but one answered. Her fingers curled slightly at her sides, pulling at her white gown, as her eyes moved across the clearing. Faces stood around her, they were familiar faces. Pack members. Warriors. People she had seen almost every day. They all met her eyes with hostility. A sharp cold feeling slid down her spine. Her gaze shifted and stopped. Kael stood a few steps ahead. His tall demeanor, still. For a second, relief flickered in her chest. Her shoulders dropped just a little, like her body had been waiting to find him. “Kael,” she said again, taking a step forward. Her brows pulled together slightly when she saw that he stepped back and wouldn’t look at her,but she took another step, that was when she saw who stood beside him. Nyx. Her sister’s hand rested lightly against Kael’s biceps, with her fingers curved around them. It felt as though they were more familiar than normally. Serene paused in her movement. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Nyx looked at her and calmly said, “Good,” Nyx said, her voice steady. “You’re here.” A strange tightness formed in Serene’s chest. “What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes moving between her and Kael. There was a faint sound behind her saying “grab her” Before she could turn, hands grabbed her arms. Her body jerked. “What” Her words cut off as her balance shifted. Her feet dragged slightly against the ground as the grip on her tightened. Her heart slammed hard against her ribs. “Wait…what are you doing?” Her voice rose, with fear and confusion now. There was still no response from anybody. She struggled, pulling against the hold. Her wrists twisted, shoulders straining, but the grip against her didn’t loosen. Her breathing grew faster. “Kael!” This time, her voice cracked. He finally looked at her and for a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Then it was gone in seconds. His expression settled into something hard and unpleasant. Her chest tightened. “Tell them to stop,” she said quickly, her words rushing over each other. “I don’t understand, what is this?”. The silence pierced through her ears. Nyx stepped forward slowly while her hand slipped away from Kael’s arm as she moved. “Serene,” Nyx said, her tone almost gentle. “You should stop struggling.” Serene shook her head slightly, her brows pulling tighter. “What? what is going on??” Facing the warriors painfully gripping her arms and legs, and the other members of the pack watching. She asked, “What are you doing???” Nyx tilted her head, a little to the left. “There’s no point.” Something cold settled deep in Serene’s stomach. Her gaze snapped back to Kael. “Kael, please” The word barely left her mouth before she saw it. He didn’t look uncertain. He didn’t look confused. He looked… calm. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head again. “No, this isn’t” “The elders have decided,” Nyx continued, her voice smooth, almost too calm. “This is for the good of everyone.” The word echoed in Serene’s head, hollow and sharp. Her body went still for a second. Then her pulse spiked. “Decided what?” she demanded, her voice rising “What are you talking about?” No one answered her. Not the warriors holding her. Not the pack watching her Not even Kael,her mate. Her body burned with hot sweat and her silver eyes with tears. “Say something!” she snapped, her voice breaking. “Kael, look at me!” He did but there was no warmth in it, just distance. Like his body had already stepped away from the scene. Her throat tightened. Nyx’s voice came again, quieter this time. “The prophecy isn’t wrong.” Serene’s heart skipped. “…What?” “The signs are already there,” Nyx continued. “You’ve seen them. You felt them.” Serene stared at her. Confusion flickered across her face, “No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, this doesn’t make any sense…” “It doesn’t have to,” Nyx cut in calmly. “It only has to be true.” “That’s not…” Serene’s words stumbled as her thoughts raced. “You’re twisting whatever this…Kael, you know that’s not…” Her voice broke again as she turned to him. “You know me.” “Please” For a second, his jaw shifted like he was about to say something but he didn’t speak or step forward or command the warriors to stop anything. That silence…It hit harder than anything else to Serene. Her chest rose sharply as she tried to pull in air, but it felt like it wasn’t going to be enough. “No…” she whispered, her voice smaller now. “No, you can’t…” The grip on her arms tightened. She was dragged forward. Toward the already opened ground. Her teary eyes tore with surprise and fear. “No…wait…stop!” Her feet scraped against the dirt as she resisted, her body twisting, pulling back with everything remaining of her strength. “Kael!” she cried, her voice breaking completely now. “Please!” He didn’t move. Her vision blurred slightly as panic surged through her body. “This isn’t right!” she gasped. “You’re wrong…whatever you think you saw, whatever they told you…it’s wrong!” Nyx watched her. “You’re a risk we can’t take,” she said calmly. Serene’s head shook rapidly. “No…I’m not…Somebody please explain something to me!” Her words cut off as her body was forced forward again. The edge of the grave was right there, it was too close. Her heart pounded violently. “Kael!” she screamed, her voice raw and thin. “Don’t do this!” “Do it,” Nyx said. Her world tilted. Hands shoved her forward. The ground disappeared under her feet. She fell six feet. The impact of the strength of the warriors knocked the air out of her lungs as she hit the bottom hard, her chest slamming against the cold earth. Pain shot through her body. Her chest heaved as she tried to breathe, but nothing came out properly. Above her, the sky looked grey and far. Very far. Shapes moved at the edge of her vision. Then.. Something hit her. A sharp thud against her side. Soil. Red sandy soil. Then another. And another. “No…!” Her voice came out broken as she pushed herself up, hands digging into the loose dirt. “Stop…please stop…!” More soil fell on her. The soil came Fast. Heavy. Her fingers clawed upward, trying to push it away, but it kept coming. Her breathing turned frantic as she started wailing. “Kael…please…Nyx!” she gasped, her voice cracking with every word. “I didn’t do anything!” The soil hit her shoulders, then Her chest and arms. She looked up. Through the falling soil… She saw him standing at the edge, looking down and not doing anything to stop it. Her vision blurred. Nyx stepped into view beside him, smiling. Serene’s movements grew weaker as the weight of damp soil pressed down harder on her. Her chest tightened painfully as the air became thinner. “Please…” she whispered while coughing now, her voice barely there, as a good amount of soil particles had made their way to her eyes, nose and mouth. The soil reached her neck. and then her chin. Her lips trembled as she tried to breathe through the falling dirt. Her bones felt stuck. Her fingers twitched weakly against the earth. Darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. Her last sight was Kael’s face above her. Her chest gave one final, desperate rise, followed with a deep dry cough and sounds of weak wailing. Then she stopped fighting. And everything went silent.