The Choice That Wasn’t a Choice
1091 Words
The hall fell into complete silence as everything abruptly came to an end.
Aurora slowly lifted her head and looked at the meter once more.
It still showed nothing.
The final trace of hope shattered inside her chest. She already knew what would happen next. Her father would keep his word. He had no other choice—casting her out was the only way to preserve his dignity and respect within the clan.
“Aurora Fregly,” the Elder’s voice echoed coldly across the hall, “you are hereby expelled from the werewolf community.”
Her legs trembled.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she stepped down from the stage, her head bowed low. She could feel countless gazes on her back—mocking, pitying, satisfied.
Whispers followed her like shadows.
She walked out of the hall without looking back.
Her thoughts were a mess. All she wanted was to curl up somewhere and cry until nothing hurt anymore—but she knew she couldn’t go home.
She wandered aimlessly until she found an empty alleyway. The cold ground pressed against her back as she lay there, staring at the darkening sky. Tears streamed freely down her face.
The pain was unbearable.
Rejected by humans.
Rejected by werewolves.
Where do I belong now?
Then—
[Congratulations. You have met the requirements to become a Player.]
The voice echoed directly inside her head.
Aurora gasped and clutched her temples, forcing herself to sit up and lean against the wall.
“What… what is this?” she whispered.
[Will you accept?]
A translucent screen appeared before her eyes, glowing faintly.
Two options floated in the air:
[YES] [NO]
She pressed NO.
Nothing happened.
She pressed it again.
The NO option vanished, leaving only one choice.
“Why is this happening to me?” Aurora muttered, panic rising in her chest.
Her fingers trembled as she reached forward.
Reluctantly, she pressed YES.
[Thank you for accepting Player status.]
A blinding flash of light engulfed her.
Aurora felt herself falling—
And then everything went dark.
~~~~
Aurora’s eyes opened slowly.
Bright light poured down from the chandeliers above, forcing her to squint. The air smelled clean and unfamiliar—nothing like the damp alley she remembered.
“She’s awake,” someone said.
The voices sounded distant.
Aurora turned her head and froze.
Three people stood beside her bed. She reacted instantly, pushing herself upright, her heart racing.
“Sorry to startle you,” the boy closest to her said quickly.
Aurora couldn’t help but notice his blond hair, striking green eyes, and handsome features.
“Who are you?” she asked warily.
The woman among them—elegant and calm—sat beside her bed.
“We mean you no harm,” she said gently. “My name is Christine Lowell.”
“I’m George Lowell,” the blond boy added, gesturing to the man beside him. “And this is my father, Richard.”
Aurora noticed immediately that George had inherited both his father’s eyes and hair.
“Okay…” Aurora said slowly. “Then why am I here?”
“We found you unconscious in an alleyway,” George explained. “You looked half-dead, so we brought you with us. We knew had a… difficult day.”
Christine nodded. “Your unlocking ceremony confirmed our suspicions.”
Aurora’s heart skipped.
“Which suspicions?” she asked.
George hesitated before speaking. “My father was expelled from the clan, just like you were today. I was expelled too.”
Aurora’s eyes widened.
“That made us start questioning things,” George continued. “Why would so many people fail to unlock their wolves?”
Richard finally spoke, his voice calm but heavy. “We believe those who fail aren’t weak. They’re the opposite.”
Aurora swallowed. “What do you mean?”
“We believe they are potential Class S werewolves,” Richard said. “Too powerful to be allowed into the system.”
Aurora’s breath caught.
“Your ceremony confirmed it,” he continued. “Did you feel the aura when you touched the orb?”
Aurora nodded slowly. She had felt it—vast and overwhelming.
“Why would they hide something like that?” she asked.
Christine’s expression darkened. “Because the nobles and elders want absolute control. They want the power of the Alpha to remain within their grasp.”
“We need to expose them,” Aurora said suddenly. “So we can go back to our lives.”
George looked at her in shock.
“Expose them?” he echoed.
Richard stood abruptly. “That’s suicide. Forget it. You can’t go back to your old life. Start anew.”
He left the room.
George gave Aurora a small, sympathetic smile before following his father.
Christine stayed behind, gently holding Aurora’s hands.
“Everything will be alright,” she said softly.
“But I want to go home,” Aurora whispered, her voice breaking. “I don’t think I can survive in the human world.”
Christine sighed. “I was labeled a traitor for marrying Richard. I lost my family, my friends—everything.”
“You’re… a werewolf?” Aurora asked in disbelief.
Christine chuckled. “Yh.”
“People who love you won’t abandon you in your time of need,” she said gently. “And living as a human isn’t as terrible as they make it sound. Besides,” she added with a light laugh, “we’re quite rich.”
Aurora let out a small, hesitant smile.
“If you wish to stay with us,” Christine said as she stood, “you’re welcome.”
She left Aurora alone.
~~~~
Aurora lay back on the bed, her thoughts drifting back to what had happened before she blacked out.
“That voice…” she whispered.
The translucent screen appeared again.
Name: Aurora Fregly
Level: 1/100
HP: 100
Beauty: 15/100
Stamina: 5/100
Charisma: 6/10
Skills: None
Her breath caught.
This wasn’t a hallucination.
[You have an unread message.]
Aurora hesitated. “Open message.”
The screen flickered.
[This system exists to aid the development of the Player.]
[Failure to comply will result in punishment.]
Before she could process it, another notification appeared.
“Open,” she muttered.
[Quest Issued: Eliminate a Card Holder.]
[Reward: To be determined.]
[Time Limit: 48 hours.]
Aurora stared at the screen in disbelief.
“A… card holder?” she whispered.
Kill?
She rubbed her face with trembling hands.
“How am I supposed to do this in forty-eight hours?”
- Writer
