Reborn In Moonlight

Ashes From The Past

As the moon rose, casting the town of Velgrave in a silvery glow, Aerin's mind stirred, pulling her into a dream where forgotten memories begins to surface.

*FLASHBACK*

Teresa stood at the edge of a cliff staring at the moon, with her red cloak flowing dramatically behind her. Her hair was scattered and the wind was blowing it in different directions. The night sky flashed with lightning. Underneath her, the valley burned, her village reduced to ashe. Smoke oozed into the heavens.

There were footsteps behind her.

"You shouldn't be here" , Teresa said without turning to know who was behind her.

'I had to Teresa", Maeron said, his voice smooth and gentle.

"They slaughtered them, my brothers, the children, I found my mother lying lifeless next to my sister", Her voice cracked. "And you expect me to just sit and mourn like some broken thing?"

Maeron moved closer, eyes shinning in moonlight. "I suggest you channel that anger wisely. Make them pay for what they did. Place a curse on them that they can never recover from. Wipe their bloodline".

Teresa turned to face him with rage burning in her and her eyes glowing. "I won't place a curse because of vengeance, Maeron. I won't react the way you want me to. You want me to destroy myself"

"No Teresa dear. I would never want that for you. I just want justice for the pain they caused you", he whispered in a deceitful tone.

"No! You want power like you always have". She took a step back. "You don't care about anyone other than yourself".

The confidence in Maeron's smile began to fade.

Before he could utter another word, another person appeared from the shadows.

It was Kyre.

He was wounded, his clothes torn, blood all over his body. His wolf eyes were filled with agony, pity and grief.

"Teresa..." he uttered roughly. "I rushed here as soon as I found out what happened".

She raised her hand pointing to him. "Don't. Don't pretend like you care". she spoke rudely.

Kyre recoiled in shock. "I do. I very much care about it. I tried my possible best to stop them". He tried moving closer to Teresa.

"Stop there!! Don't you dare come close to me. You didn't try harder". Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I was under the impression that your kind wouldn't hurt the innocent because you said you were different. I was a fool to believe you"

Maeron stood still, watching everything quietly like a ghost.

Kyre stepped more closer to her. "I promise Teresa, I wasn't aware of any of this. The pack that did this weren't under my control. But I will try to make things right".

"There's no use in trying!!" Aerin shouted and the ground beneath her shook. "It won't change anything. You didn't anything when you had the chance, then is it now when everything is destroyed that you'll be able to do something?"

"Please Teresa..."

"But I won't do what he wants me to". She gave an angry stare to Maeron. "I won't curse because of hate".

Kyre knelt before her, with his head bowed down. "Then curse me with grief, if you will. Connect me to your grief, not your wrath. I will live with that forever".

Teresa looked down on him, her lips shaking.

"I want them to recall it" she said mildly. "Not just to be hurt, but to hold on to the memory of what was destroyed".

She lifted her hands, with her face facing the moon.

Her hands sparked with green light, and she began chanting the language of the ancient magic.

Maeron's eye widened. "No!!! Teresa don't do this. You have to avenge your family's death not bind yourself to him".

"No!! I won't do what you ask for. I won't become your puppet".

"You'll pay dearly for this..."

But it was too late for Maeron to stop her.

A bright light shone between Teresa and Kyre , a golden thread emerged connecting them together . Her tears became crystals. As the spell's sorrowful magic covered him, his breath suspended.

"My memories will haunt you", she breathed, her voice echoing through eternity. "In every moon and the terror in every scream", she said, her voice fading gradually.

And with that, the vision vanished into thin air, leaving just smoke.

Present Day.

Aerin jerked from the bed, her body was bathed with sweat. She inhaled sharply, her breath came in short gasps.

Her hands lay still before her, the silence and stillness was a contrast to the chaos, she's aware of.

"What the hell is going on with me?", she questioned.

The journal lay still before her, glowing with a soft light as if it were alive. She picked it up, held it tightly to her chest and closed her eyes.

"Teresa, you loved him, didn't you?" She thought to herself.

She felt it deeply, the anguish that echoed through ages, a connection that continued even after centuries. Aerin placed the curse on wolves not from rage or vengeance. But from grief.

Maeron had not wanted her liberty. He had craved for power. Maybe at sometime had wanted her love too. But his taste for power surpassed that of love.

That's why he betrayed her.

There was a unexpected and spontaneous knock on the door.

It was already past midnight. Aerin jumped from her bed, her eyes fixated on the door.

"Who could it be by this time?", she wondered .

Then another knock accompanied by three taps.

Aerin stood confused. She tip-toed towards the door, bending slightly to peek through the peephole to see who it was.

Strangely, there was no one standing at the door.

She sighed in annoyance and opened the door.

Before her eyes was a scroll placed on her doorstep, covered with black wax.

"What's this doing here?", she questioned no one in particular.

With trembling hands, she lifted up the scroll and broke it, releasing a creepy hissing sound like the sound of a living thing.

A message was penned inside the scroll, in archaic language.

" _The past awakens. Under the blood moon, the circle stirs open. You must choose where your loyalty lies, witch reborn.

Be fast, time is running out"_

There was no name.

Aerin stared around, checking if anyone was around, her heart beating like a frantic drum.

"Who sent this? Who's aware ?

The journal in her hands flipped open quickly by itself before she could contemplate further . It displayed no words this time rather an image appeared.

It was an image of Kyre kneeling amidst the ruins of the old cathedral, blood oozing from his mouth.

She breathed heavily.

"Oh my gosh, he's hurt. I have to find him". She wore her coat, shoved the journal in her brown striped bag, and dashed out from the cottage.

The forest was thickened by fog and shadows. The trees whispered secrets beyond her hearing.

The path she took wasn't a one she knew. It was one she was familiar with.

As though she had worked it a thousand times before.

The scent of moss and blood filled the air. She found him at the exact place her vision showed her.

Kyre laid unconscious against a worn pillar, his chest stained with blood, claws marks etched on his arm , struggling to breath.

"Kyre", she cried rushing towards him.

He lifted up his head slowly, his silver eyes glowed.

"Aerin... he gasped. "You recalled".

"Oh my! You're hurt. Who inflicted this pain on you? What happened?" Aerin said, her voice shaking.

He gave a faint smile. "Maeron is watching and testing us"

She bit her lower lip. "You need to be healed, you're injured. I... I can try something. I think I read something in the journal..." She said stuttering.

"Don't do Aerin", he grabbed her wrist . "If you do anything, he'll trace the magic. He'll know your location".

"I don't care anymore!" She shouted boldly. "He's aware of it already. He dropped a message at my doorstep".

Kyle's hand rested on her cheeks in a tender manner. "You've got more strength in you than she ever did. Don't forget that"

She blinked. "What are you inferring?"

"The thing is... Teresa was powerful. But she was careless with her heart. But... You have her spark, but you act with intelligence", he explained.

"I'm not strong. I don't feel so", she murmured

"No, don't say such. You are far stronger than you know. You've returned", he said in a low tone.

A tear rolled down her cheeks. "Kyre. I witnessed it. That night that she cursed you. She didn't want to do it. It shattered her completely ".

He closed his eyes, pain burned in his heart, hot tears dropped from his eyes. "She thought that I had not survived that night".

"Yeah... She died with the believe that you did too".

He nodded in affirmation. " She felt Maeron killed me. Which was the reason why her spell became ruthless. It wasn't meant to revenge... but to grieve instead".

Aerin felt a sharp ache in her heart.

She wrapped her hands around him. "Don't worry much. I'm here now and I'll set things right. I won't let the past repeat itself"

Kyre rested his head on her shoulders. "Then we don't have much time on our hands. In five nights, the blood moon rises. That's when reality comes to place. When Maeron will try a second time".

"Then we find the circle once more. And this time around, we work together and defeat him" , Aerin uttered with a sudden surge of confidence.

A faint laugh came from Kyre. "You are really Teresa".

"No", she spoke gently. "I'm Aerin. I'm going to complete what Teresa began. This time not with revenge... But with uncovering the truth".