Chapter 5
1022 Words
The air crackled around Aria.
The mark on her skin still glowed, pulsing in sync with her erratic heartbeat. The pain had receded, but something far more terrifying had taken its place—raw, untamed power.
Her hands trembled as she pushed herself upright, the weight of Cassian’s gaze pressing against her.
"You were meant to be a Queen."
Those words clung to her, refusing to let go.
A Queen?
How could that be? She had spent her life at the bottom, scraping by, enduring the humiliation, the suffering—all of it.
And now, fate wanted her to believe she was something more?
Cassian took a slow step forward, his expression unreadable. "You feel it, don’t you?"
Aria swallowed hard. "Feel what?"
He tilted his head slightly, studying her. "The shift."
She opened her mouth to deny it—but stopped.
Because she did feel it.
The world around her was different. Sharper. She could hear the rustling of leaves miles away, the heartbeat of the trees, the distant howl of wolves carried by the wind.
Her senses were heightened—overwhelmingly so.
"Your body is adjusting," Cassian continued. "But your soul… it remembers."
Her breath hitched. "Remembers what?"
His eyes darkened. "Who you truly are."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She had felt nothing ever since. but a forsaken Luna, abandoned, discarded.
But what if she had been stolen from something greater?
The Hidden Past
Cassian turned away, his jaw tight. "There are stories, legends of a lost bloodline. A lineage of rulers who were blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."
He exhaled sharply, as if saying it aloud made it all the more real. "They were feared. Worshipped. But one night, they vanished."
Aria's stomach clenched.
She wanted to reject his words, to tell him that none of it made sense.
But deep inside, something stirred.
Memories she didn’t recognize. Whispers from a past she had never lived.
She closed her eyes, and for a brief moment—she saw flashes.
A throne bathed in silver light. A voice calling her name. A kingdom drenched in blood.
Her eyes snapped open.
Cassian was watching her carefully. "You saw something, didn’t you?"
Her hands curled into fists. "I don’t know what it means."
He hesitated before stepping closer. "But you will."
The night wind wrapped around them as Cassian’s expression hardened.
"You can’t go back now, Aria." His voice was low, firm. "They’ll come for you."
Her breath stilled.
"Who?"
Cassian’s golden eyes blazed.
"The ones who tried to erase you in the first place."
Aria's heart pounded.
She had spent so long trapped in a world that had betrayed her.
But now, something inside her had awakened.
And for the first time in her life—she wasn’t afraid.
If they were coming for her…
She would be ready.
Meanwhile it was happening again...
Aria’s body burned as if fire coursed through her veins. Every nerve in her body tingled, her muscles coiling tight as if preparing for something unknown. The transformation had started.
Cassian stood before her, his golden eyes observing every shift in her form. “Don’t fight it,” he murmured. “Let it take over.”
Aria gasped, falling to her knees as raw energy surged through her limbs. Her fingers dug into the dirt beneath her, her breath coming in sharp pants. This power—it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was wild, untamed, and hungry.
A gust of wind howled around them as her body shuddered. Her nails elongated into razor-sharp claws, and when she lifted her gaze, Cassian’s expression remained unreadable. He didn’t flinch at the feral glow in her eyes.
“This is your first test,” he said, his deep voice steady. “Control it, or it will consume you.”
Aria’s heart pounded as she struggled to steady herself. She could feel her wolf stirring, but it wasn’t alone. Something deeper, darker, clawed at the edges of her consciousness.
Suddenly—an attack.
A blur of motion lunged at her from the shadows of the forest. Aria barely had time to react before a rogue wolf’s claws slashed toward her throat. Instinct took over.
She moved—faster than she ever had before. Her body twisted mid-air, avoiding the deadly strike, and then—she struck back.
Her claws connected with flesh. A guttural snarl ripped from her throat as she sent the rogue flying backward, its body crashing into the trees. But she didn’t stop. The surge of power pushed her forward, demanding more.
A second wolf charged. This time, Aria didn’t hesitate. She drove her claws deep into its side, a sickening crunch echoing in the night. Blood sprayed across her arms, and for a fleeting moment, she felt it—the hunger.
“Aria.”
Cassian’s voice cut through the haze like a blade. She froze.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she looked down at her trembling hands—coated in blood. The rogue beneath her was whimpering, barely alive.
She could end him now. Finish it.
Her heart pounded. Why did it feel so natural?
A strong hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back. “That’s enough.”
Aria turned, locking eyes with Cassian. His grip was firm, his gaze searching hers as if he were measuring how much of herself she still had left.
“I…” Her voice trembled. She had almost lost control.
Cassian didn’t let go. “You fought well.” A pause. Then, softer, “But you weren’t fighting like a wolf.”
Her breath hitched. “What do you mean?”
His thumb brushed against her wrist where her pulse raced. “Your power is different.” A shadow passed through his expression. “And that means you need to learn what you really are.”
Aria swallowed hard. The thought of what she had just done
of how much she had enjoyed it
sent a chill down her spine.
In the darkness beyond, unseen eyes watched them. Someone had witnessed her awakening. And they would not stay hidden for long.
- Writer
