The Cursed Alpha's Guide

The Girl the Moon Chose

The train sped through the mountains, its iron wheels carving through the endless rain. Inside the first-year carriage, the cheerful chatter had slowly returned after Finn's embarrassing encounter with the snack cart. Students laughed, exchanged stories, and imagined what life inside Blackthorn Academy would be like.

Some dreamed of becoming legendary Alphas. Others wanted to become Guides worthy of history. No one noticed the thick mist swallowing the tracks behind them.

Lyra Ashwood rested her forehead against the cold window. Raindrops raced each other across the glass, blurring the distant mountains into gray shadows. She had dreamed of this journey for years.

Blackthorn Academy. The most prestigious academy on the continent. A place where only the gifted survived. She still couldn't believe she had been accepted.

Not because she was talented. But because she wasn't.

She came from Ash Hollow, a forgotten village hidden between barren hills, where no Alpha had ever been born and no Guide had ever been recorded. People from her village rarely left. Dreams were considered dangerous there.

Yet somehow she had received an acceptance letter. Sometimes she still wondered if the academy had made a mistake.

Finn suddenly dropped into the empty seat beside her with his usual dramatic energy. "So—"

Lyra looked at him. "So?"

"What kind of Alpha are you hoping to bond with?"

She blinked. "I don't know."

"You've never imagined it?"

"No."

Finn looked genuinely shocked. "Impossible. Every student thinks about it. The strongest Alpha. The coolest Alpha. The richest Alpha. The most handsome Alpha." He leaned closer with a grin. "So?"

She smiled politely. "I'd rather survive my first week."

Finn stared at her for a second, then burst into laughter. "I like you already. You have realistic goals."

Across the aisle, another student snorted. "Realistic? You won't survive the entrance trials."

Finn frowned. "And why not?"

The student shrugged. "Scholarship students always quit. They can't compete with nobles."

Several students nodded in agreement. One girl looked directly at Lyra. "You're from Ash Hollow, right?"

Lyra nodded.

"I've heard of that place. Nothing ever happens there."

"Exactly," another student smirked. "So how did someone like you get into Blackthorn?"

The carriage grew quiet. Everyone waited for her answer.

Lyra lowered her eyes. "I don't know."

It was the truth. She had asked herself the same question ever since the acceptance letter arrived. The silence became awkward.

Finn suddenly clapped his hands. "Perfect."

Everyone looked at him.

"If she doesn't know, we'll just have to find out together."

The tension disappeared instantly. Someone laughed. Someone rolled their eyes. The conversation shifted again.

Lyra glanced at Finn. "Thank you."

He scratched the back of his neck. "I wasn't helping. I just hate awkward silence."

She smiled. He was lying. And somehow she appreciated it even more.

The train entered a long tunnel. Darkness swallowed every window. The cheerful conversations slowly faded. Only the rhythmic sound of the wheels remained.

Then the lights flickered. Once. Twice. Three times.

A child sitting near the front of the carriage pointed toward the window. "Mom, who's standing outside?"

His mother frowned. "There isn't anyone outside."

"But there is."

Several passengers instinctively turned toward the glass. For a brief moment, a pale figure stood beside the tracks. Tall. Motionless. Its face couldn't be seen.

The lights flickered again. The figure disappeared.

Someone laughed nervously. "It was probably a tree. Or your imagination."

The child slowly shook his head. "It smiled at me."

A chill swept through the carriage. Even Finn stopped joking. Before anyone could speak again, the train emerged from the tunnel.

Sunlight should have greeted them. Instead, the sky was darker than before. The mountains had vanished behind an ocean of black mist.

The conductor walked quickly through the aisle, his smile gone. "Ladies and gentlemen." His voice was calm. Too calm. "We'll be arriving at Blackthorn Academy in approximately thirty minutes." He hesitated. "Until then, please remain in your seats. And whatever happens, do not open the doors."

The carriage fell completely silent.

Lyra felt an uneasy weight settle in her chest. She looked out of the window once more.

Far away, standing atop a cliff overlooking the railway, a lone figure watched the train. Its crimson eyes glowed through the rain. And beneath its hood, a smile slowly spread.

It whispered a single sentence: "The Moon's Child has finally returned."

The figure vanished into the mist. Unseen. Unknown. But not alone. Because deep within Blackwood Forest, something ancient had already begun to awaken.

---

The conductor's announcement lingered in the air long after he had disappeared into the next carriage. No one spoke. The laughter that had filled the train only minutes ago was gone. Even Finn, who had spent the entire journey joking with everyone, quietly leaned against the window.

"That was weird."

Lyra nodded. "Very."

She looked outside again. The mountains had vanished. Only an endless sea of black mist surrounded the railway. It looked as though the train had entered another world.

A little girl sitting a few rows ahead tugged at her mother's sleeve. "Mom, why can't I see the sky anymore?"

Her mother forced a smile. "It's just fog, sweetheart." But even she didn't sound convinced.

The lights flickered again. Once. Twice. Then steadied.

A boy near the back suddenly stood up. "I think my phone lost signal."

"So did mine."

"Mine too."

Within seconds, every student checked their devices. No signal. No internet. Nothing.

Finn let out a dramatic sigh. "So much for posting my first Blackthorn selfie."

A few students chuckled. The tension eased for a moment. Lyra smiled faintly; he really had a talent for making people relax.

Then the train whistle screamed. Not once. Three times. A long, desperate sound that echoed through the valley.

The conductor's voice returned over the speakers, trembling. "Attention, all passengers. We are making an unscheduled stop. Please remain calm."

Before anyone could ask why, the train slowed. The wheels screeched against the rails. Finally it came to a complete halt.

Silence. Not the ordinary silence of the countryside. This silence felt wrong. No wind. No birds. Not even the sound of rain. It was as though the world itself had stopped breathing.

Finn frowned. "Tell me I'm not the only one hearing that."

"Hearing what?" Lyra asked.

"Exactly."

She listened carefully. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. That frightened her more than any roar could have.

A heavy knock echoed from somewhere outside.

*Knock.*

Everyone turned toward the nearest window. Nothing.

Another knock.

*Knock.*

This time it came from the roof. Slow. Deliberate. As though someone was calmly walking across the train. One step. Another. Another.

The sound stopped directly above their carriage.

A boy whispered, "Is someone up there?"

"No one could survive on the roof while the train was moving."

Another student swallowed hard. "Then what is it?"

Without warning, a loud scraping noise tore across the metal ceiling, like enormous claws dragging over steel.

Students screamed. One girl covered her ears. A baby began crying. Even the adults looked terrified.

Then everything stopped again.

Finn slowly stood. "I'm going to take a look."

Lyra grabbed his sleeve. "Don't."

He looked at her. "If someone needs help—"

"We don't even know if it's a person."

For the first time since they'd met, Finn hesitated. She was right.

A sharp voice suddenly echoed through the carriage. "Everyone stay away from the windows!"

An academy escort officer rushed inside, his hand already resting on the hilt of a silver sword. His sharp eyes scanned every passenger. "Close every curtain. Now."

Nobody argued. Within seconds, the windows were covered. Darkness swallowed the carriage. Only the dim emergency lights remained.

The officer spoke into a communication crystal. "This is Escort Team Three. We've entered the Blackwood Zone. We have possible contact."

Static answered him. Then a distorted voice whispered through the crystal. *Too late.*

The crystal shattered in his hand. The officer froze, his face turning pale. He slowly looked toward the ceiling.

Everyone followed his gaze. Another sound echoed above them. Not footsteps this time. Breathing.

Something enormous was crawling across the roof. And it was sniffing. Searching. Looking for someone.

Then a deep, unnatural voice rumbled through the metal. Soft enough that it almost sounded like a whisper, yet every person inside heard it clearly.

*I found her.*

Lyra's entire body turned cold. Without understanding why, she felt as though those words had been spoken directly to her. Her heartbeat quickened.

The strange mark hidden beneath her hair began to burn. Just once. Then again.

She instinctively reached for the back of her neck. The pain grew stronger. Much stronger.

Outside, two crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness. Then four. Then ten. Then hundreds.

The train was no longer alone.

---

The mark behind Lyra's neck burned like molten iron. She gasped and instinctively covered it with her hand. The pain wasn't ordinary—it felt alive, as if something beneath her skin was trying to wake up.

Outside, the crimson eyes multiplied. Hundreds of them stared at the motionless train from within the black mist. No one inside dared to breathe.

The escort officer slowly unsheathed his silver sword, the blade glowing with pale blue runes. He spoke in a calm voice, though sweat rolled down his temples. "Everyone stay behind your seats. And no matter what happens, do not leave this carriage."

A little boy began crying. His mother held him tightly. "It'll be alright." She whispered those words more for herself than for her son.

Then a deafening roar shook the entire train.

*BOOOOOM!*

The roof caved inward. Steel twisted like paper. Students screamed as pieces of metal crashed into the aisle.

A gigantic claw punched through the ceiling. Black fur. Crimson claws. Veins glowing with dark energy. The creature ripped the opening wider, then lowered its enormous head into the carriage.

Its eyes swept across every terrified passenger. One by one. Slowly. Patiently. It wasn't hunting. It was searching.

The escort officer raised his sword. "Protect the civilians!"

Three more academy guards rushed forward. Blue magic circles ignited beneath their feet.

One guard slammed his palm onto the floor. "Ice Prison!" Crystal-blue spikes erupted toward the beast.

Another guard shouted, "Lightning Chain!" Golden bolts wrapped around the monster's legs.

For a brief moment, it stopped moving.

The students cheered. "We got it!"

But the escort officer didn't smile. His expression only grew darker. "Run."

Before anyone understood, the monster flexed one massive arm.

*CRACK!*

The ice shattered. The lightning vanished. The magical chains dissolved into black smoke.

The guards' eyes widened. "Impossible."

The beast had destroyed advanced combat magic without even trying.

Then it roared. The sound blasted through the carriage like an explosion. Every window shattered. Students were thrown to the floor; some lost consciousness instantly.

Finn grabbed Lyra's wrist before she could fall. "Stay with me!"

She nodded, struggling to hear him over the ringing in her ears.

The escort officer charged. His silver sword blazed with radiant light. With a single leap, he struck directly toward the creature's neck.

The blade connected. *CLANG!* The sound echoed like steel striking a mountain.

The officer froze. Not a single scratch.

The monster slowly turned its head. Almost curious.

"You," the escort officer whispered. "You're not a Shadow Beast."

The creature smiled a horrifying, almost human smile. Then it spoke, its voice crawling into every corner of the carriage. "Correct. I am older."

Before the officer could react, the monster disappeared. No footsteps. No movement. It simply vanished.

The officer's instincts screamed. He spun around. Too late.

A massive claw slammed into his chest.

*BOOM!*

He flew through two compartments, crashing through steel walls before disappearing into the darkness. Silence followed.

The remaining guards stood frozen. Their strongest fighter had fallen in a single attack.

The creature ignored them. Ignored the crying children. Ignored the frightened students. Its burning crimson eyes settled on only one person.

Lyra.

It slowly stepped forward. Each footstep shook the carriage.

Finn moved in front of her without hesitation. "You'll have to go through me first."

The monster tilted its head, almost amused. "Brave. But meaningless."

Finn's hands trembled. He was terrified; anyone could see it. Yet he didn't move aside.

Lyra stared at his back. "Finn, you don't even know me."

He laughed weakly. "I know enough. We're classmates now. That's a good reason."

For the first time in years, someone had chosen to protect her. Not because of duty. Not because of obligation. Simply because they wanted to.

The mark behind Lyra's neck suddenly blazed with silver light. The entire carriage trembled.

The monster's smile disappeared. Its crimson eyes widened in shock. It took one step back, then whispered in disbelief, "The seal—it's breaking."

At that exact moment, hundreds of miles away, Kael Ravenhart dropped to one knee.

His golden eyes flashed silver. His wolf roared so loudly that the windows of the academy training hall exploded outward.

*SHE HAS AWAKENED!*

Kael looked toward the distant mountains. For the first time, he could feel her. Not see her. Not hear her. But feel her.

A heartbeat. Faint. Fragile. Alive.

He whispered one name, though he had never met its owner.

"Guide."