The First Trial
1144 Words
Darkness swallowed Nysera whole.
She hit the icy ground with a painful thud, the air rushing from her lungs.
For several seconds, she lay motionless, struggling to catch her breath.
Above her, the opening through which she had fallen sealed shut with a deafening crack.
She was alone.
The silence was unsettling.
Even her wolf, Lyra, had gone quiet.
“Lyra?” Nysera whispered.
No answer.
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
For the first time since receiving her wolf, she couldn’t feel her.
Fear tightened around her heart.
“Where am I?”
A soft blue glow flickered to life along the cavern walls.
Ancient symbols appeared one after another, illuminating the massive underground chamber.
Nysera slowly stood.
The walls were carved with hundreds of images.
She traced one with her fingertips.
A queen wearing a crown of moonlight stood beside a giant silver wolf.
Another carving showed that same queen standing over a defeated army, her sword pointed toward the heavens.
Then another.
The queen… crying as she watched her kingdom burn.
Nysera frowned.
“Who was she?”
“You.”
The voice echoed throughout the chamber.
Nysera spun around.
“Who’s there?”
A woman emerged from the shadows.
She wore flowing silver robes that shimmered like moonlight.
Her long white hair reached the ground, and her silver eyes radiated a calm, ancient wisdom.
Nysera instinctively bowed her head.
The woman’s presence felt… divine.
“You’ve grown.”
Nysera’s breath caught.
“I know you.”
The woman smiled gently.
“You do.”
“You’ve simply forgotten.”
Nysera searched her memories but found nothing.
“Who are you?”
The woman stepped closer.
“I was the first Moonborn Queen.”
“The one chosen by the Moon Goddess.”
Nysera’s eyes widened.
“The founder…”
The queen nodded.
“My name was Selene.”
“I protected the Moon Crown.”
“And now…”
“…I’m here to decide whether you’re worthy to inherit it.”
Outside the cavern…
Draven slammed his fist against the frozen wall.
“Nysera!”
Only silence answered.
Kael drew his sword.
“There has to be another way inside.”
Master Rowan shook his head.
“There isn’t.”
“The First Trial belongs to her alone.”
Cassian stared at the sealed entrance.
“She’ll survive.”
Draven looked at him.
“How can you be so certain?”
Cassian gave a faint smile.
“Because she’s stronger than she knows.”
Back inside…
Selene led Nysera toward a crystal lake.
Its surface was perfectly still.
“Look.”
Nysera peered into the water.
At first, she saw only her reflection.
Then the image changed.
She was back in the Silver Moon Pack.
The day of the rejection.
Kael stood before the entire pack.
“I reject Nysera Moonborn as my mate.”
Laughter echoed around her.
She saw herself collapse to her knees.
She heard every cruel word.
Every insult.
Every whisper.
Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t want to see this again.”
“You must.”
Selene’s voice remained calm.
“A queen cannot run from her pain.”
The vision shifted.
Nysera watched herself wandering through the forest after the rejection.
Alone.
Broken.
Ready to give up.
Then she saw Draven finding her.
Carrying her to safety.
Protecting her without asking for anything in return.
Another vision followed.
Kael standing alone in his empty packhouse.
His face buried in his hands.
Regret etched into every line of his face.
Nysera frowned.
“I never knew…”
Selene nodded.
“Pain changes everyone.”
“It changed him.”
“It changed you.”
The lake shimmered once more.
This time…
Nysera saw herself wearing the Moon Crown.
Thousands of wolves knelt before her.
Draven stood beside her.
The kingdoms had united.
Children laughed.
Peace filled the land.
A smile slowly appeared on Nysera’s face.
Then…
The vision shattered.
Blood covered the throne.
The palace burned.
Draven lay motionless on the ground.
Kael’s sword was broken beside him.
Cassian knelt in chains.
The Shadow Emperor stood victorious.
Nysera gasped.
“No…”
Selene watched quietly.
“This is one possible future.”
“It doesn’t have to happen.”
“How do I stop it?”
“By making the right choices.”
Nysera lowered her head.
“What if I fail?”
Selene gently placed a hand over her heart.
“Every queen fears failure.”
“The difference…”
“…is that true queens keep moving forward.”
The cavern suddenly trembled.
A deep roar echoed through the darkness.
Selene’s expression changed.
“They’ve found you.”
“Who?”
Before she could answer.
The crystal lake exploded.
A gigantic beast climbed from the water.
Its body was made entirely of black ice.
Its crimson eyes burned with hatred.
Nysera instinctively reached for her sword.
It wasn’t there.
“My weapon…”
“You won’t need steel.”
Selene stepped back.
“This trial measures your heart.”
The beast charged.
Nysera froze.
Without a weapon…
Without Lyra…
Without her Moonborn powers…
She had nothing.
The monster’s claws sliced toward her.
At the last second—
She didn’t attack.
She reached out her empty hand.
“I won’t fight you.”
The beast stopped.
Its crimson eyes flickered.
Nysera took another cautious step.
“I know what it feels like to be abandoned.”
“I know what it feels like to be consumed by pain.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“But hatred isn’t freedom.”
“It only creates more suffering.”
The creature let out a heartbreaking cry.
Its icy body began to crack.
Darkness peeled away like broken glass.
Moments later…
A magnificent silver wolf stood before her.
It lowered its head respectfully.
Selene smiled.
“You understood the lesson.”
Nysera blinked.
“There was never a monster…”
“There was only a soul trapped by darkness.”
The silver wolf walked forward and touched its forehead to Nysera’s.
A surge of warm moonlight flooded her body.
Her connection with Lyra returned stronger than ever.
“I’m here,” Lyra whispered inside her mind.
Nysera smiled through her tears.
“I missed you.”
“And I never left.”
The cavern walls shook violently.
A stone doorway slowly rose from the ground.
Beyond it…
A staircase of glowing silver crystal stretched upward.
Selene pointed toward it.
“The first trial is complete.”
“But the second…”
Her smile disappeared.
“…has never been survived by a Moonborn heir.”
Nysera took a deep breath.
Then she climbed the first step.
As the stone doorway closed behind her, a chilling voice echoed through the mountain.
“You’ve passed the trial of the heart…”
“Now face the trial… of sacrifice.”
- Writer
