CHAPTER2:SHADOWS
1078 Words
Selene POV
Pain.
That was the first thing I experienced upon waking up.
A rigid, intense pain flows through my body like fire.
I gasped, my vision blurry as I attempted to move my body.
Where am I?
The last memory I had was Morgana’s voice and the overwhelming darkness that surrounded us, then everything went blank and out of void.
My heart raced as I struggled to sit up, my muscles protesting against the effort. The cold stone beneath me sent a shiver up my body, and it made it shake.
A dungeon.
The air was smelly and oppressive, with the sole source of light being a worn-out torch shining in the corner.
Panic gripped me. Luca.
I turned my head frantically, searching and hoping.
And then I saw him.
He was bundled against the wall, trembling.
But his eyes, those shimmering golden-silver eyes, were wide open, glowing in the darkness like a cat.
I crawled toward him, my hands trembling as I reached for his face.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Luca flinched at my touch.
"Mama," he murmured. "She’s coming already."
I wrapped him in my arms, holding his small frame against mine. His heart raced, and his skin was icy with fear.
Footsteps echoed loudly through the dungeon.
Slow and deliberate, taking time.
A shiver ran down my spine as the door creaked open.
And Morgana stepped into view.
She was no longer just a shadow.
Now, she was fully formed, tall, cloaked in flowing black robes, her face concealed beneath a dark hood.
But it was her voice that made me scared to the bone.
"Did you miss me, Selene?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to remain composed.
I wouldn’t let her see my fear.
But Luca was shaking.
And that ignited my fury.
Morgana approached us slowly, her long nails scratching against the cold stone walls like a witch.
"You have no idea how long I’ve anticipated this moment," she said.
I forced my voice to sound steady. "What do you want?"
Morgana chuckled.
"Isn't it obvious?" Her gaze shifted to Luca. "I want the boy."
A growl came from my chest.
"Over my dead body."
Morgana sighed, tilting her head. Oh, Selene. "You think you are so strong, don’t you?"
I tightened my grip on Luca. "I won’t let you have him."
She smiled wickedly. "You don’t have a choice, you stupid idiot."
Before I could respond, she snapped her fingers.
A wave of pain shot through my skull.
I screamed, clutching my head as a burning sensation ravaged my mind.
I could hear Luca sobbing, calling for me.
But I was frozen and broken.
Unable to think.
It felt as though something was clawing at my brain, extracting memories from deep within.
And then I saw it.
The past.
The day Kieran turned me down.
But this time… I noticed something I'd never seen before.
****
The memory unfolded in my mind like a vivid and lucid dream.
I saw my younger self facing Kieran, hope lighting up my eyes.
Then I saw him cold, distant, hurting me with a few harsh words.
But just behind him, lurking in the shadows was Morgana.
She was whispering something.
And Kieran's silver-gray eyes flickered dark for an instant.
As if he were not himself.
As if he were under a dangerous spell.
The pain in my head disappeared as quickly as it had come, and I gasped, collapsing to the ground.
I blinked, my heart racing, my body drenched in sweat.
Kieran had not rejected me willingly.
Morgana had made him do it.
I lifted my gaze to meet hers, my chest heaving.
"You… you did this."
Morgana smirked. "Ah, you finally understand."
Fury boiled within me. "Why? Why destroy my life?"
Her smile faded. "Because you destroyed mine."
Her voice was sharp, loaded with danger.
"You took what was rightfully mine. The bond. The Power. Kieran."
My blood ran cold. "You wanted him?"
Morgana’s jaw clenched. "He was destined for me. But the Moon Goddess erred. She gave him to you instead. So I corrected it."
I held my fists. "You stole my life out of jealousy?"
Morgana grinned, stepping closer. "And now, I will take something else from you."
She reached for Luca.
He gasped, his small form jerking violently as if something were pulling him away.
"Mama!"
I tried, but Morgana raised her hand, and I was pulled back by an unseen force.
I crashed against the wall, pain radiating through my ribs.
Luca screamed as shadows enveloped him, lifting him into the air.
Tears streamed down his face.
"Mama, help me!"
I struggled to rise. Tried to reach him.
But my body wouldn't obey, my entire body went limb. Morgana's laughter echoed through the dungeon as Luca's glowing eyes flared wildly.
"Say goodbye, Selene."
And then
Luca vanished.
I screamed.
The sound was raw, fractured, filled with an uncontrollable anguish and pain from beneath. My baby is gone.
I struggled with the invisible force restraining me, my body protesting from the strain.
But it was futile.
He was gone.
My son.
The only thing I had left in this world.
And Morgana had taken him.
Tears filled my vision as I gasped for breath. "Where did you take him?!"
Morgana tilted her head. "Oh, don’t worry. He’s safe… for now."
Her smile turned predatory. "But I assure you, Selene. By the time you see him again, he won't belong to you anymore."
A dark mist enveloped her, and just like that, she vanished.
Leaving me isolated and heartbroken.
Broken.
Shattered to pieces.
I sat there for what felt like an eternity.
Until
The dungeon door creaked open.
A familiar voice whispered urgently.
"Selene, get up. We must go."
My breath caught.
Kieran.
His silver eyes blazed with fury, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful.
"Where’s my son?" His voice was dangerously low.
I swallowed hard.
"She took him."
Kieran’s body went rigid. "Then we got him back."
He reached for my hand, pulling me to my feet.
And at that moment, I realized.
This was no longer just my battle.
It was ours.
Somewhere out there, Luca was alone, frightened and scared, and in pain.
And I would set the entire world ablaze before I allowed Morgana to keep him.
Kieran’s grip tightened on mine.
"We're retrieving our son."
And as we stepped into the darkness, one thing became painfully evident.
This was only the beginning….
- Writer
