Chapter 10: Moon Goddess
1205 Words
*****
SERAPHINE
I remained silent.
My thoughts were a tangled mess.
If everything Lyra had said was true...
Then there was only one question left.
I lifted my gaze to hers.
"You said Kieran was my fated mate..."
"He was."
"Then why..."
My voice faltered.
"...why does my heart react to Darius?"
Lyra's silver eyes held mine.
"Because fate and love are not always the same thing."
I frowned.
"I don't understand."
She walked past me, her graceful steps leaving ripples of silver light beneath her paws.
"When the Moon Goddess created our kind, she gave every wolf a fated mate."
She paused.
"A gift meant to guide them."
"But..."
She turned to face me once more.
"...even the Moon Goddess does not command the heart."
I stared at her.
"A fated mate is destiny."
"A true love is a choice."
Her voice was calm, carrying a wisdom that seemed far older than time itself.
"Some wolves are blessed."
"Their fated mate and their true love are one and the same."
A gentle smile touched her lips.
"They never have to choose."
She lowered her head.
"But others..."
"...must walk a more painful path."
I felt my chest tighten.
"Kieran Blackthorn..."
"...was the man fate chose for you."
I closed my eyes.
"So he really was my mate."
"Yes."
Lyra answered without hesitation.
"He was your fated mate."
"But he was never the man your soul loved most."
My eyes flew open.
"What?"
"You loved him because you believed he was your only future."
"You fought for him."
"You sacrificed for him."
"You even died because of him."
Her voice softened.
"But none of those things made him your true love."
I stood frozen.
"Then..."
My voice was barely above a whisper.
"...who is?"
Lyra smiled.
The kind of smile that carried the answer long before she spoke.
"Darius Ravencrest."
The moment his name left her lips...
My heart skipped.
Not once.
But twice.
Warmth spread through my chest, gentle yet impossible to ignore.
I instinctively placed a hand over my heart.
"W-What's happening to me?"
Lyra chuckled softly.
"Your heart has finally recognized what your soul has always known."
I looked up at her.
"So..."
"...that's why you awakened?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"I could not awaken while your heart clung to fate."
"I could only awaken..."
"...when you began to choose love."
Silence settled between us.
Then Lyra stepped closer until her forehead rested gently against mine.
"You don't have to accept it today."
"You don't have to understand it tomorrow."
She smiled.
"But no matter how long it takes..."
"...your heart has already begun walking toward him.”
Darius
The door clicked shut behind Dr. Marcus.
"She's perfectly healthy, Young Master," he had said before leaving. "I still can't explain why she hasn't regained consciousness, but her vital signs are normal. Give her time."
Time.
That was all anyone could tell me.
The room fell silent.
The servants quietly excused themselves, leaving only me and Seraphine.
She lay peacefully on the bed, her wine-colored hair fanned across the pillow like silk. Her breathing was slow and steady, as though she were simply asleep.
I pulled a chair closer to the bedside and sat down.
Without thinking, I reached for her hand.
It was warm.
Relief washed over me.
At least she wasn't getting worse.
For a long while, I simply sat there, watching her peaceful face.
The room was so quiet that I could hear the ticking of the antique clock hanging on the wall.
Even Mida...
...said nothing.
That alone was unusual.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Outside, the evening sky slowly surrendered to the night.
Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the room in a soft silver glow.
*****
ARIA
I glanced at the empty seat beside me for what felt like the hundredth time.
"What's taking her so long?" I muttered.
Seraphine had said she was going to the restroom.
That had been...
A long time ago.
A knot of uneasiness tightened in my chest.
"I'll be right back," I told the few classmates gathered around me before hurrying out of the auditorium.
First, I checked the ladies' restroom.
Empty.
"Seraphine?" I called.
No answer.
I searched the hallway.
Nothing.
The garden outside.
Nothing.
My steps became faster.
"Where did she go?"
Just then, I spotted two students whispering near the staircase.
"...I heard Professor Ravencrest carried an unconscious girl out of the auditorium."
"Really? Who was she?"
"I couldn't see her face."
I stopped in my tracks.
An unconscious girl?
A chill ran down my spine.
Could it be... Seraphine?
"No..."
I immediately shook my head.
"There are hundreds of students here. It could be anyone."
Even so...
A terrible feeling settled in my heart.
There was only one way to know for sure.
I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed the number of the only person who could answer my question.
My cousin.
Darius Ravencrest.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then the line connected.
"Cousin..."
My voice came out more anxious than I intended.
"Did you..."
I swallowed hard.
"...did you leave the university with an unconscious girl?”
Seraphine
Lyra was about to say something else when she suddenly fell silent.
Her ears twitched.
The playful smile on her face slowly returned.
"What is it?" I asked.
Instead of answering, she looked past me, as though listening to something far away.
Then she smiled.
"Listen."
I frowned.
"To what?"
"Close your eyes."
Though confused, I did as she said.
At first...
Nothing.
Then...
Very faintly...
"...Seraphine..."
I gasped.
That voice...
It was distant, almost like it was drifting through water.
"...wake up..."
Professor Darius?
I opened my eyes.
"I heard him..."
Lyra nodded gently.
"He's calling you."
"But... how?"
"Because your body isn't here."
She stepped closer.
"It's waiting for you."
The faint voice came again.
This time...
Clearer.
"Wake up..."
"I'll be here when you do."
A lump formed in my throat.
Why...
Why did those simple words make my heart ache?
Tears welled in my eyes before I even realized I was crying.
I quickly wiped them away.
"I don't understand..."
"Why does hearing his voice make me feel like this?"
Lyra's expression softened.
She reached out and gently nudged my forehead with her nose.
"You don't remember."
"But your soul does."
Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.
My chest tightened with an emotion I couldn't name.
It felt...
Warm.
Safe.
Like I had finally found something I'd been searching for without even knowing it.
Lyra smiled.
Then she quietly said,
"He's been waiting longer than you think."
I looked at her in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
She simply smiled.
"That's a story for another day."
Before I could ask another question...
The darkness around us began to tremble.
Cracks of brilliant white light spread across the endless void.
Lyra took a step back.
"It's time."
"My body..."
She nodded.
"...needs you."
I looked at her one last time.
"Will I see you again?"
Lyra laughed softly.
"Oh, we'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on."
"And next time..."
She grinned mischievously.
"...try not to faint when you meet your mate."
"W-What?!"
Before I could protest...
The light swallowed everything.
- Writer
