My Moonlit Declaration

Chapter 3: The Blood Sun Ritual

For ten years, she had thought she understood Teacher Herman.

In truth, she knew nothing at all.

“The moon guided him to find you,” the Grand Elder’s voice grew slightly softer. “He searched for many people. You are the answer the moon gave him.”

“Come, stand in the center,” he pointed to the low stone platform in the middle of the hall. “The Blood Sun Ritual requires you to stand here.”

The Grand Elder waved his hand, and several female clanspeople appeared from nowhere. They wore gray robes and had expressionless faces. They led Elara to the stone platform and began removing her clothes.

“W-wait—” She instinctively took a step back, but one of the women firmly pressed down on her shoulder.

“Don’t move,” the Grand Elder’s calm voice came from the side. “The Blood Sun Ritual requires you to receive the infusion of the sun’s power. Clothing will obstruct the flow of that power.”

Her face burned with embarrassment. She wanted to ask if she could keep at least one piece on, or if they could just remove her outer garment, or if—

But the women had already pulled off her dingy gray dress.

The clanswomen kept their eyes fixed on the ground the entire time. Their movements were quick and gentle, as though they were performing a routine task they had done countless times before.

They neatly folded the clothes that had been removed from her and set them aside. Then they brought over a ceramic jar containing a thick, viscous liquid.

The liquid was deep brown and carried a strong medicinal scent—the exact same smell that filled the grand hall. One of the women dipped her hand into the jar, scooped up a handful of the liquid, and began applying it to Elara’s body.

The moment the liquid touched her skin, Elara shuddered violently. It wasn’t an ordinary chill; it was a bone-piercing cold that felt as if it were freezing her blood solid.

She watched the gray fingers spread the substance across her skin—from her shoulders to her arms, from her chest to her abdomen, from her thighs all the way down to her ankles.

They applied it with meticulous care, not missing a single inch.

Once the application was complete, the icy sensation vanished, replaced by a burning heat. The areas covered by the liquid began to turn red, a flush rising from deep within her body.

“The Five Elders, the Blood Sun Ritual is ready.”

After speaking, the woman and the others quietly withdrew from the hall.

Footsteps sounded from four directions—soft yet steady. Four side doors opened simultaneously, and one person emerged from each. All four wore dark robes and carried a staff in their hands.

The staffs were made of different materials—wood, bone, metal, and stone—but each was topped with the same carving: a crescent moon.

The four figures took positions around Elara, standing roughly one arm’s length away, encircling her in the center.

The Grand Elder walked to a spot directly in front of her, about three meters away. He began chanting a spell. As the incantation took effect, Elara felt a powerful force surging within her body, as if a sleeping beast were slowly awakening.

Suddenly, the Grand Elder raised his black ebony staff. The stone wolf at its tip threw its head back and howled. Its mouth gradually opened, revealing two rows of sharp fangs.

The other four elders also raised their staffs.

Then, a thick, brilliant red beam of light shot from the wolf’s mouth at the top of the Grand Elder’s staff, striking Elara squarely in the chest.

She let out a muffled groan and fell backward, the back of her head slamming against the stone platform. A sharp burst of pain exploded, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the burning sensation in her chest.

The red light drilled into her skin, her blood vessels, and her bones. She felt something inside her being forcibly torn open—as if invisible hands had seized her and ripped her apart down the middle.

She opened her mouth in agony, but no sound came out.

The other four elders began chanting as well. Four beams of light shot from the tips of their staffs—cyan, yellow, green, and blue—striking different parts of her body: her forehead, abdomen, hands, and legs.

Elara felt as if she were being pulled apart by five horses.

“Ah——”

A sharp, tearing scream forced its way out of her throat. She arched her body, hands gripping the edges of the stone platform so tightly that her nails scraped white marks into the stone. She could see her veins bulging beneath her skin, writhing like glowing snakes.

Crack—c***k—c***k—

Elara heard her own bones creaking and snapping—the sound of growth. She felt her bones lengthening, thickening, and rearranging themselves. Her spine stretched vertebra by vertebra, her ribs expanded outward, her shoulder blades pulled back, and every joint crackled.

She looked down at her hands. Her fingers had shortened, but her nails had become thick, long, and razor-sharp. Tough pads were forming on her palms, growing coarse calluses.

Black fur began to sprout from beneath her skin. First on her arms, then her back, then her chest.

She was turning into a wolf.

The agonizing sensation tore through her until she felt utter despair.

“Hold on!”

The Grand Elder’s voice cut through the pain, pulling her back from drowning. “This is the necessary path of your transformation!”

Elara clenched her teeth and fought to endure. Her lengthening canines eventually pierced her lower lip. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and a metallic sweetness spread across her tongue.

Everything continued.

Elara knelt on the stone platform on all fours, her limbs now thick and powerful, her claws sharp. Her spine arched, and her fur gleamed with a dark luster under the light of the crystals.

Her body had completely transformed into that of a wolf—except for her head.

Only her head remained human.

Then, everything stopped.

She lay sprawled on the ground, panting heavily. Sweat mixed with the medicinal liquid dripped down, forming a small puddle on the stone platform. She tried scraping her claws against the floor, producing a harsh, grating sound.

When she lifted her head, she saw that all the elders were exhausted, breathing heavily with pale faces. It was obvious they had severely overused their divine magic power.

“How could this happen?” one elder’s hoarse voice came from the left, filled with disbelief.

“Such intense solar power, yet it still couldn’t purify her blood!” another elder added.

“Four hours,” the third elder said, his voice trembling. “She endured for four full hours. I’ve never seen… never…”

“I’ve never seen anyone last that long,” the fourth elder said, his tone a mix of awe and fear. “Ordinary clanspeople only need one hour.”

“Anyone who can channel the sun’s power for four hours must possess an extremely powerful wolf bloodline,” the Grand Elder spoke slowly. “But why…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

The four elders exchanged glances, then adjusted their postures and respectfully stood behind the Grand Elder.

“There is a small garden behind the Wizard Hall,” the Grand Elder’s voice came from above her.

Elara opened her eyes and looked up at him. The old face showed no surprise, no disappointment, and no disgust—only calm.

“Inside the garden is a bamboo pavilion. Go there and rest for now.” He waved his hand, and a young girl came running in from a side door. She wore a light green dress, had two braids, and her eyes were large and bright. “Take her to the rear hall.”

“Your name is Elara, right?” Her voice was crisp and clear. “I’m Penny, a maidservant of the Wizard Hall. You look really cool right now—I’ve never seen anyone transform like this before.”

“Come with me.” Penny led the way toward the side door. After a couple of steps, she turned back. “You’re so tall! I’ll take you to the garden.”

Elara followed behind her and left the Wizard Hall.

She couldn’t speak a single word. Her throat could only produce low, hoarse whimpers; human speech was impossible. In her werewolf form, she trailed after Penny—exhausted, thirsty, and so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open.

Penny looked up at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll be able to talk again soon. It’s normal that you can’t speak right now.”

They walked down a long corridor. Stone walls lined both sides, with torches mounted on them. The flickering flames stretched their shadows long and thin. Her claws clicked against the stone slabs—“clack, clack, clack”—each sound echoing through the hallway.

After about five minutes, Penny pushed open a wooden door at the end of the corridor.

Sunlight poured in, so bright that Elara had to squint.

The little garden before her captured all of Elara’s attention. She didn’t know how to describe it.

In a sea of vibrant flowers, roses climbed the fences, blooming wildly in clusters of pink, white, and red. In the corners, camellias delicately unfurled their petals, each bloom layered and as large as her fist. Daisies carpeted the open ground like scattered pearls someone had spilled from a basket.