The Blood Moon Awakening

Trying to Stay Normal

School felt strange the moment I walked through the gate, like I didn’t belong there anymore. Everything looked the same—the students talking, lockers slamming, teachers walking past with files in their hands—but it all felt distant, like I was watching it from far away.

My steps were slow as I moved through the hallway, my eyes avoiding certain places without even thinking. Avoiding him. Kael. My chest tightened at the thought of him, and my mind quickly went back to that moment at Mia’s house. The way he looked at me.

The way he touched me. The kiss. Heat rushed to my face, and I quickly shook my head, trying to push the memory away. I wasn’t ready to face him. Not after everything. Not after what I had just learned about myself.

I kept my head down as I walked, pretending to focus on my phone, pretending everything was normal. But it wasn’t. Nothing was. I could feel it in the way my senses were sharper than before, the way every sound seemed louder, every movement clearer. Even the scent of people around me felt stronger. It was overwhelming. I hated it. I just wanted to feel normal again.

“Lyra!” Mia’s voice broke through my thoughts as she suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the hallway. “Hey—what are you doing?” I asked, surprised as she dragged me toward the library.

She didn’t answer until we were inside, in a quiet corner where no one could hear us. She turned to face me, her expression serious but not angry. Just… concerned. “Okay,” she said, crossing her arms slightly. “I’ve been trying not to push you, but I can’t anymore. What is going on with you?”

I froze.

Her words hit me harder than I expected. I looked away, my chest tightening as I tried to find something to say. Something simple. Something normal. But nothing came. Because there was nothing normal left to say. Mia stepped closer, her voice softer now. “Lyra… you showed up at my house crying. You lied about your grandma. And now you’re acting like you’re trying to avoid something. Or someone.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Is this about Kael?”

My breath caught.

I shook my head quickly. “It’s not just about him,” I said quietly.

“Then what is it about?” she asked gently.

The question hung in the air.

And for a moment, I thought about lying again. Just making something up and moving on. But I couldn’t. Not this time. Not with her. I took a slow breath, my hands trembling slightly as I looked back at her. “You’re not going to believe me,” I said.

“Try me,” she replied.

So I did.

I told her everything.

I told her about the night in the woods. About the attack. About how the creature moved like a wolf but wasn’t fully one. I told her about how my body changed, how my senses sharpened, how I moved in ways I couldn’t explain.

I told her about Kael showing up and saying I wasn’t human. I told her about the wolves breaking into my house. About running away with my mother. About the old woman and the strange tea. And finally… I told her the truth that hurt the most.

“My mum… she’s not really my mum,” I said, my voice shaking as the words came out. “She told me the truth. She’s just my caretaker. My real mother is… the Moon Goddess.”

Silence filled the space between us.

Mia just stared at me.

For a long moment, she didn’t say anything.

Then she blinked. “Okay…” she said slowly. “That’s… a lot.”

I let out a small, nervous laugh, though it didn’t sound real. “Yeah. I told you you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I didn’t say I don’t believe you,” she replied quickly, though her face still showed shock. “I just… I mean… werewolves? Moon Goddess? Lyra, that sounds like something straight out of the books you read.”

“I know,” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “I know how it sounds. I didn’t believe it either. But it’s real. I felt it. I saw it.”

She studied me carefully, her expression slowly changing. The doubt in her eyes faded little by little, replaced by something else. Something serious. “You’re not joking,” she said quietly.

I shook my head. “No.”

Another pause.

Then she stepped closer, her voice softer. “And Kael… he’s one of them?”

“A werewolf,” I confirmed.

Mia let out a slow breath, running a hand through her short curly hair. “Wow,” she muttered. “Okay… wow.” She looked back at me, her eyes wide now, but not in disbelief. In realization. “So all those things I read about… they’re actually real?”

I nodded slowly.

She was quiet again for a moment, then suddenly she pulled me into a hug. I froze at first, surprised, but then I relaxed slightly, letting myself lean into it. “Hey,” she said softly. “You’re still you. That hasn’t changed.”

Tears burned in my eyes again. “It feels like everything has changed,” I whispered.

“Maybe,” she said gently. “But you’re not alone, okay? You have me.”

I nodded slightly, holding onto her a little tighter.

For a moment, everything felt calm again.

But then—

Something shifted.

It started suddenly, deep inside me. That strange feeling again. The one I couldn’t control. My body stiffened slightly, and I pulled back from Mia, my breath catching. “Lyra?” she said, confused.

“I… I don’t feel right,” I whispered.

The air around me felt different. Warmer. My skin tingled, and my heart started to race again, faster than normal. I looked down at my hands, and my breath stopped.

They were glowing.

Faint at first. Then brighter.

A soft white light spread across my skin, like moonlight trapped inside me. My chest tightened as panic rushed in. “What’s happening to me?” I said, my voice shaking.

Mia’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at me. “Lyra… your face…”

I looked up at her, and from the way she stepped back slightly, I knew something was wrong. Really wrong. The glow spread, faint but clear, lighting my skin in a way that didn’t feel human. My senses sharpened again, stronger this time, and I could hear everything around us—the quiet whispers in the library, the footsteps outside, even the distant beating of hearts.

“Make it stop,” I whispered, fear filling my voice.

“I don’t know how!” Mia said, her own voice shaking now.

For a moment, everything felt like it was slipping out of control. Like I was losing myself completely.

Then suddenly—

It stopped.

The glow faded.

The warmth disappeared.

And everything went back to normal.

Just like that.

I stood there, breathing heavily, staring at my hands as if they would change again at any moment. Mia stared at me too, her eyes wide, her face pale.

“Lyra…” she whispered.

But I didn’t respond.

Because now, more than ever—

I knew this was only the beginning.