The Many-Faced Luna

Chapter 6: To Save, or Not to Save

*Saphira*

The dungeon was a dark maze, thick with smoke and the metallic scent of blood. I slipped back inside, unnoticed in the chaos. The rogues were scrambling to put out the fire, their shouts echoing down the narrow stone corridors. It was almost too easy to sneak past them. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Crystal was right, we could do this.

The she-wolves were huddled in their cells, their eyes wide with fear and desperation. I could see the exhaustion in their trembling limbs and the dullness in their gazes. But when I approached, their heads snapped up, and their hopeful eyes met mine.

One by one, I unlocked their chains, my movements swift and deliberate. “Listen carefully,” I whispered, my voice low and firm as I crouched next to the closest one. “I’ve found a way out. There’s a path through the eastern corridor. It’ll take you straight into the woods. Run as fast as you can—don’t look back. I’ll lead the rogues away.”

They stared at me for a heartbeat, as if they couldn’t believe what they heard. Then, slowly, they nodded, gratitude flashing across their faces. I started thinking of a plan to draw the rogues away from them. As they scrambled to their feet, their chains rattling softly against the stone floor.

The she-wolves moved as quietly as they could. However, before they could get very far, a foot scuffed against the stone, a chain rattled, and I heard the distinct sound of a panicked scream fill the air.

I clenched my fists, waiting for what would happen next. Just as they reached the entrance to the corridor, a sharp crack echoed from behind us.

The rogues had heard them.

Angry shouts echoed down the corridors as the rogues realized their prisoners were fleeing. I planted myself firmly in their path, lips curled back in a snarl.

A guttural snarl ripped through the dungeon, and I turned to see Draco, and his men charging towards us. I stepped in front of the she-wolves, my body tense, and my lips pulled back in a feral grin. If Draco wanted a fight, he’d get one.

Instinctively, I shifted, fur immediately covering my entire body as I settled on all fours. My wolf was massive, towering over even Draco. My fur bristled, and a low growl rumbled deep in my chest. Draco wasted no time in shifting and lunged at me. His teeth bared, but I was faster and bigger.

I sank my teeth into his fur-covered shoulder, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone, but he was strong. He tore at me with a savage fury, trying to overpower me, but I wasn’t about to let him win. Not here. Not now.

The she-wolves darted behind me, slipping into the corridor as I held the rogues at bay. Draco snarled in frustration, but I was relentless, driving him back with each attack. His movements grew slower, more desperate.

It was clear from the outset that this was no even match. My massive form easily overpowered Draco’s, my jaws clamping down with bone-crushing force. The other rogues looked on in horror, their eyes wide with disbelief at the ferocity of my assault.

As I pinned their leader to the ground, a low growl rumbling in my chest, I could smell the fear radiating off the other men. Their weapons wavered, and I saw the moment the urge to fight crumbled into panic.

With one final, brutal snap, I clamped my jaws around his throat and threw him to the ground. His body hit the stone with a sickening thud, and for a moment, the dungeon was eerily silent. They hesitated, their eyes flicking from me to their fallen leader.

I bared my teeth, daring them to make the next move. None of them did. Without a word, they turned tail and fled, their footsteps thundering down the corridors as they abandoned their leader.

I loosened my grip on Draco, allowing him to scramble away. He shot me one last terrified glance before limping after his men, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. The dungeon fell silent, save for the distant crackling of flames and the ragged sound of my own breathing.

As the adrenaline of the fight began to ebb, I heard Crystal’s voice. “Let them run,” she said, her voice cold and focused. “It’s Draco we need. Our reward is assured once we deliver him to the Flame Sword.”

I nodded, my form shimmering as I shifted back into human form, my naked skin slick with sweat and blood, my breathing ragged. Crystal was right – the other rogues were inconsequential. Our target was limping ahead of us, wounded and alone.

With the she-wolves safely out of sight, I exhaled, feeling the adrenaline still thrumming through my veins. Draco couldn’t get very far with his bleeding throat. He was the key to my freedom, and I wouldn’t let him get away from me.

Determined to capture him, I shimmied into the only piece of clothing I could find. It was torn, and shabby, but it would have to do. There was no time to waste.

The acrid scent of smoke grew stronger, and I could feel the heat intensifying around me. I made my way out of the dungeon and immediately spotted Dracos’s sleek black hair as he stumbled through the grounds, one hand clutching his throat.

Moving swiftly, I cornered him, pressing his back against a crumbling stone wall. With a hard strike, I knocked him to the ground, his weapon clattering uselessly across the floor.

But as I moved to restrain him, a flicker of something caught my eye. Flames licked at the edges of the corridor, hungrily consuming the dry wooden beams. The fire was spreading faster than I’d anticipated, its hungry flames reaching toward the dungeon below.

I looked at Draco, who was shaking on the floor. The ticket to my freedom was right in front of me, and here I was, thinking of the man still chained in his cell. I remembered his harsh blue eyes, the way he’d glared at me, the utter distrust he’d shown me. Yet, I considered leaving Draco so I could turn back to save him.

I didn’t even know who he was. He meant nothing to me. But I couldn’t leave him, especially when I knew that he wouldn’t be able to get out of those chains and would probably die in that cell.

I stood there, conflicted. Do I seize this golden opportunity for my freedom? Or do I save this man, a man I just met, and put myself at risk?

Time seemed to slow as I weighed my options. The crackling of the fire grew louder, pressing for a decision.

Groaning, my feet scraped against stone as I raced down the smoky passageway, leaving Draco behind. The heat grew more intense with each step, but I pushed forward. I didn’t know who he was, but I was the only person who could save him.

—

*Ferdinand*

I sat hunched in the corner of my cell, my eyes burning as thick smoke filled every inch of the cramped space. Every breath felt like a punishment, the hot air scorching my lungs. The constant clinking of my chains taunted me as I pulled at them, knowing damn well it wasn’t going to do a thing.

The orange glow of flames flickered just at the edges of my vision, getting brighter by the second. The heat was brutal, sweat pouring off my face and mixing with the stinging frustration and fear that threatened to choke me.

I let out a rough, bitter laugh, which quickly turned into a painful cough. What a joke, I thought. Is this how it ends for me? After everything—after all the dangers I’d faced, all the enemies I’d outsmarted—this is it? Chained up, burning alive in some godforsaken dungeon. It was almost laughable, the sheer irony of it.

I always pictured a more fitting end—maybe falling in battle against a real threat or making some grand sacrifice for a cause that mattered. But this? Stuck here, helpless and alone, suffocating in a cage? It felt like a sick twist of fate, some cosmic joke at my expense.

I gave one last, desperate tug on the chains, feeling the hot metal tear into my wrists. Nothing. The bindings held firm, trapping me in this hellhole.

Even though I knew I’d probably die here, I couldn’t help but wish the same fate on Draco. I wished he was stuck somewhere within this poor excuse of a fortress. I imagined wild flames swallowing him up, melting his skin, burning his wicked eyes out.

That was the last thing I wished for.

As I hovered on the edge of blacking out, a scent suddenly cut through the smoke. It was so unexpected and familiar that it yanked my fading mind back to life. Sweet and unmistakable, it stirred something deep within me, reminding me of all those nights spent searching beneath the stars, of endless journeys across distant lands—always looking, always hoping.

My heart pounded, not from fear but from a wild surge of hope. How was this happening? Here, in this blazing hell that was supposed to be my grave, I caught the very fragrance I’d chased for so many years. The one I had nearly convinced myself was just a cruel fantasy, always out of reach.

Through smoke-stung eyes, I squinted, barely able to believe it. A figure moved through the flames, and as she came closer, her features sharpened, and recognition hit me hard.

It was her.