Lycan Unity Academy

The Chosen One

Christine's p.o.v

As I stood up to leave, "Someone has to keep the floors clean," a bitter reminder of my station, of the invisible walls surrounding me. "Oh, come on," she whispered, teasing, yet with an undercurrent of mockery. "Even the wolfless dream sometimes. Don't tell me you don't care who the moon goddess chooses tonight." I looked away, forcing a hollow laugh. "I... I don't know anyone worth dreaming for." Her lips twitched, a knowing smirk threatening at the edges. "Sure, Christine, sure." I nodded once at her, trying to act normal. I couldn't reveal the truth about Lamarcus being my fated mate since the last two years. At least, not yet. Not until he claimed me publicly. But even here, I felt his presence beside me. The phantom warmth of his hand, the echo of his voice, the insistent pull of our secret mate bond. Lamarcus represented my only ticket, my desperate hope, my escape from the invisible life I'd been forced to endure. I want things to be different, I admitted softly, my heart raw and exposed. To matter in this world. To not be nothing. She nodded slowly, but I sensed it beneath her practiced sympathy. Envy, ambition, subtle and dangerous as a hidden blade. The Moonbound Academy had reshaped her into someone who might one day step on me without a second thought. I had always imagined this transformation would happen, dreamed of it during countless nights beneath the same moon that now called to others, but not to me. I swallowed the painful lump constricting my throat. "Enough about me," I whispered, my fingers nervously tracing patterns on the worn fabric beneath them. "Tell me about the hall, the seer, the ritual." Her eyes sparkled with excitement as her voice lowered conspiratorially. "It's magnificent. The elders are preparing everything with meticulous care. Every detail precisely arranged. The ancient symbols etched in silver dust. The ceremonial herbs burning in bronze bowls. You'd love it, if you weren't, you know..." She hesitated, compassion briefly flickering across her features before curiosity reclaimed her. The words struck like cold iron against my heart, each syllable a fresh wound. My wolfless status, my exclusion, my invisibility. Always the barrier between me and belonging. I turned away, not wanting her to see how deeply her casual remark had cut through my carefully constructed facade. Yet beneath the pain, my strength throbbed persistently, a stubborn ember refusing to die. Just then, chants echoed through the halls. Low, rhythmic, powerful. The ceremony had started. Symbols of silver and gold were arranged with meticulous precision. Circles, crescents, and intricate runes catching the faint moonlight. "Ensure the area is sealed before the moon reaches zenith," one elder instructed, voice low but commanding. "All must be ready for the goddess's choice," another replied, the words echoing like a distant heartbeat. I pressed myself against the cold stone, hugging my arms tightly against the chill. The moonlight pooled across the floor, silver and unexpectedly warm, teasing me with its gentle caress. My pulse quickened, each beat drumming in rhythm with the faint shuffle of servants' feet, the distant clink of ceremonial objects, the measured steps of the alpha patrolling the hall. "Okay, I have to go now. Beta daughter's duty. Happy hiding," Doris said, standing up to her feet and walking away. I was completely distracted to even acknowledge her leaving. A faint scuff of a guard's boot echoed dangerously close. My fingers tingled with strange energy. The pull, the invisible thread tugging at my core, was stronger than mere curiosity, stronger than fear itself. The ceremonial space seemed alive, humming with expectation. I could almost hear it breathing, waiting for something or someone. My eyes fixed on the light that caressed the floor, warm and insistent. I couldn't move, I shouldn't move, but I ached to step forward, to be closer, to feel the moon's mysterious call fully. "Stay hidden, all of you!" a guard barked at the top of his voice just nearby. He was too close, way too close. A soft whisper of movement froze me in place, a servant passing, prayers murmuring from their lips. "I said all servants must remain hidden!" another guard's voice boomed, echoing through the hiding place where I had crouched. My heart slammed against my ribs as I closed my eyes, hoping he wouldn't catch me. Suddenly I heard his boots approaching. He was coming closer and closer by the second, like something had given me away. "Oh no, no, no, no!" I was going to be thrown into the dungeon. I pulled back, holding my breath. At that exact moment, he stopped. Silence fell. Then, "No! No!" the Lunara Seer's loud voice cut through everything. "No." A pause, sharp, final. "All must be present." Murmurs broke, confused, uneasy. He stamped his rod to the floor to restore silence. "The moon goddess revealed that the Chosen One..." another pause. My breath stopped. "is among the servants." Every head turned. "The Omegas."

"The Moon Goddess has spoken." A ripple of uneasy murmurs swept through the crowd. "The Chosen One..." Silence filled the hall. Even the wind seemed to stop breathing.

"...is not among the Alphas." A pause, then continues,"...nor the Betas."

My heart forgot how to beat. Who can it be, I kept asking myself. "...nor the Gammas." The seer continued.

The Seer's silver eyes swept across the shadows where we servants hid. Then he declared, his voice ringing through every corner of the hall, "The Moon Goddess has chosen one of the Omegas." Every head turned toward the servants. Toward us. Looking at us one after the other. And then towards me.

My blood ran cold as the Seer's gaze locked onto mine. Then the impossible happened. The moonlight found me.

The crowd parted and my world shattered.

"What are you doing here?,Bring her forward," the Seer commanded.

I had nowhere left to hide. The Moon Goddess had spoken... and she had chosen me. A single finger pointed into the shadows. At me.