CHAPTER 4: STRIPPING THE NAME
1147 Words
Next morning came before sunrise.
Ayla woke up to the sound of metal clashing outside. Steel on steel. Loud. Constant. Like the whole fortress was already alive without her.
Eclipse Fortress didn’t sleep.
She sat up slowly and looked around the room like she still wasn’t used to it. For a few seconds, her mind was blank.
Then everything came back.
Jace.
Sienna.
The rejection.
The exile.
It all settled in her chest again, heavy like always.
A knock came.
“Come in.”
Lena walked in with food.
“You look terrible,” she said straight away.
Ayla let out a small tired laugh. “Good morning to you too.”
Lena placed the tray down.
“Alpha Kaelen wants to see you.”
Ayla leaned back. “Of course he does.”
---
An hour later, she was walking through the fortress with Lena.
The deeper they went, the quieter it got.
Until they stopped in front of big black iron doors.
Two guards moved aside without a word.
Lena gave her a small smile. “Good luck.”
“That’s not helpful,” Ayla muttered.
Lena just laughed and left her there.
Ayla took a breath and pushed the doors open.
Inside was a war room.
Maps everywhere. Papers on tables. Big windows showing the snow outside.
And Kaelen in the middle of it all.
All black clothes. Calm. Strong. Like he owned the air in the room.
His eyes lifted to her.
“You’re late.”
Ayla frowned. “I didn’t know this was timed.”
One corner of his mouth moved a little. Almost a smile.
“Sit.”
She didn’t argue. Just sat.
On the table was a stack of documents.
One had her name.
Ayla Rivers.
Something twisted in her stomach seeing it.
Kaelen noticed.
“You still attached to it?”
Ayla stared at it for a moment.
It didn’t feel like her anymore.
Not really.
“No,” she said quietly.
That seemed to satisfy him.
“Good.”
He pushed another paper toward her.
Ayla looked at it.
And froze.
It was a severance decree.
A full break from Bloodmoon.
Final. No going back.
Her throat tightened.
“This means…” she started.
“Everything,” Kaelen said.
“No connection to Bloodmoon anymore.”
Ayla just stared at it.
Memories came anyway.
Some soft.
Most painful.
The girl who wanted to be loved.
The woman who stayed too long.
The one who got thrown away anyway.
That version of her… felt gone already.
Kaelen placed a pen in front of her.
No pressure in his face. No pushing.
Just waiting.
Ayla took it.
For a second she just held it.
Then she signed.
One line.
Done.
The moment the ink touched the paper, something strange moved through her body.
Warm. Light. Almost like a chain breaking inside her chest.
Silver light flashed on her fingers for a split second.
Then it was gone.
Kaelen watched closely.
“Interesting,” he said low.
Ayla let out a slow breath. “It’s done.”
Kaelen picked up the paper.
“No,” he said.
His eyes met hers.
“It’s started.”
---
Later that day, Kaelen brought her outside.
The courtyard was full of warriors training.
Fighting. Running. Sparring.
Ayla felt out of place immediately.
Kaelen stopped near a training ring.
“Get in.”
Ayla blinked. “What?”
“Get in.”
She looked at the fighters, then back at him.
“I was a Luna.”
“Not anymore.”
That hit, but she didn’t show it.
“I’ve never trained in my life.”
“Then start now.”
Ayla crossed her arms. “Why?”
Kaelen’s face turned a bit darker.
“Because the world that hurt you won’t stop.”
That made her pause.
“You think Bloodmoon will come for me?”
“I know they will.”
That sent a cold feeling down her spine.
Kaelen stepped closer.
“You survived.”
“So?”
“Survivors are dangerous,” he said. “Especially ones who come back different.”
Ayla didn’t answer.
She thought about Jace without meaning to.
What his face would look like if he saw her now.
Slowly, she stepped into the ring.
People started watching.
Of course they did.
Kaelen stepped in opposite her.
“You’re really doing this?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You’ll kill me.”
“No.”
That calm answer annoyed her more.
“Attack,” he said.
Ayla hesitated.
Then she rushed him.
And in a second she was on the ground.
Air knocked out of her.
The crowd laughed a little.
She blinked up at the sky.
“What just happened?”
“You moved with emotion,” Kaelen said, offering a hand.
She ignored it and stood up herself.
“Again.”
It didn’t go better.
Two seconds.
Then three.
Then four.
Each time she got more angry.
Each time she got up faster.
Hours passed like that.
Sweat. Pain. Frustration.
Still she didn’t stop.
And slowly… the laughter from the crowd stopped being mocking.
It turned into respect.
Not because she was winning.
But because she kept standing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
By evening she could barely move.
She dropped onto a bench, breathing hard.
But she felt something different.
Stronger.
Like something inside her was waking up too.
---
Night came.
Ayla stood on a balcony alone, looking at the mountains.
Cold wind hit her face.
For once… her mind wasn’t on Jace.
That alone surprised her.
She heard footsteps behind her.
Kaelen.
“When did you get here?” she asked without turning.
“Just now.”
“You move too quiet.”
A small almost-smile.
They stood in silence for a bit.
Not awkward.
Just calm.
Kaelen finally spoke.
“Do you regret it?”
Ayla knew what he meant.
Bloodmoon.
The past.
She thought for a moment.
Then shook her head.
“No.”
Kaelen actually smiled. Small. Rare.
“Good.”
Something in her chest shifted at that.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
Something else.
Trust… maybe.
She wasn’t sure.
Then—
Pain hit her suddenly.
Sharp.
Ayla gasped and dropped to her knees.
Silver light exploded under her skin.
Bright. Strong. Unstable.
The whole fortress seemed to react.
Wind picked up hard.
Shouts echoed far below.
Kaelen moved instantly.
“Ayla!”
Her wolf inside her snapped awake.
Loud.
Wild.
Ancient.
And far beneath the fortress…
Something answered.
A deep sound rolled through the mountains.
A howl.
Old.
Heavy.
Wrong in a way that made the air itself feel different.
Kaelen froze.
His face went pale.
“The Guardian Beast…” he whispered.
Ayla’s body shook as the silver light burned brighter.
And Kaelen realized one thing too late.
Whatever she was becoming…
It had just woken up.
- Writer
