EPISODE 7: Wolves, Media, And Masks
940 Words
The video went viral in under six minutes.
Aria didn’t even know what “viral” really meant until she saw her own face frozen on a massive screen inside the Bloodmoon Tower.
Silver-lit. Calm. Powerful.
And completely out of her control.
“That one’s already at eighty thousand views,” a tech muttered.
Rian leaned over the console. “Wow. They slowed it down. Added dramatic music. That’s flattering.”
Aria’s stomach twisted. “People are watching me.”
Kael didn’t look away from the screen. “They’re judging you.”
That was worse.
The footage replayed again—her stepping forward, the silver barrier forming, the Shadowfang scout flying back. No sound this time. Just captions flashing over her image.
Bloodmoon Princess Confirmed?
Omega Turns Weapon?
Is the Heir Too Dangerous?
Aria wrapped her arms around herself. “…I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”
Dorian touched her shoulder lightly. “You saved a child.”
“And scared half the city,” Kael replied. Not unkindly. Just honest.
A guard rushed in. “External channels are requesting statements.”
Kael didn’t hesitate. “Deny all unapproved access.”
“They’ll spin silence as guilt.”
Rian straightened. “Then we don’t stay silent.”
Everyone looked at him.
He pointed at Aria. “We train her to lie without lying.”
She blinked. Oh ! my guts…“I don’t lie.”
“You will,” he said calmly. “Or they’ll do it for you.”
They moved fast after that.
Aria barely had time to breathe before she was seated under bright lights, a single camera in front of her. No crowd. No shouting. Just one lens staring back like an eye that never blinked.
Rian crouched in front of her. “Okay. Simple rules.”
She nodded.
“You don’t deny the power.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t explain it either.”
Her brows knit. “Why not?”
“Because explanations invite arguments.”
Kael folded his arms nearby. “And arguments make people question authority.”
Aria swallowed. “So what do I say?”
Rian smiled. “The truth. Carefully edited.”
The camera light blinked on.
“Miss ross,” the interviewer began, “can you confirm the rumors surrounding last night’s incident?”
Aria lifted her chin. “There was a threat. It was handled.”
“Handled by you?”
She paused…… Just a breath. “…Uhm..By the Bloodmoon Pack.”
Rian’s lips twitched.
Afterward, when the camera shut off, Aria sagged back in the chair.
“I hated that,” she muttered.
Dorian smiled softly. “You didn’t blink.”
“I wanted to run.”
“But you didn’t,” Kael said. “That matters.”
It was almost comforting. Almost.
The calm didn’t last.
Another guard burst in, voice tight. “We’ve got confirmation. Selene Voss is in Pravielle.”
The room went still.
Aria’s pulse spiked. “Here?”
“Yes. She entered under a different name. No direct contact with the tower.”
Rian scoffed. “She never liked direct.”
Dorian turned to Aria. “You don’t have to see her.”
“I know.”
“But you’re thinking about it,” Kael said.
Aria didn’t argue.
Hours passed in fragments. Screens. Meetings.
More footage.
More opinions.
By nightfall, Pravielle felt louder than it ever had.
Aria escaped to the balcony outside her room, gripping the railing as city lights stretched endlessly below. Somewhere down there, people were talking about her. Arguing. Deciding who she was based on a few seconds of video.
She hated how small that made her feel.
“You did well today,” Lucien said behind her.
She didn’t turn. “Everyone keeps saying that.”
“They’re not wrong.”
She finally faced him. “You’re still worried.”
His eyes darkened slightly. “Yes.”
“…About the media?”
“No.”
Her chest tightened. “Then what?”
Lucien stepped closer. The shadows shifted with him, subtle but unmistakable. “Someone is reaching for you.”
Her voice dropped. “Like the scout?”
“No.” He shook his head once. “This is quieter.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It shouldn’t.”
Aria’s moonmark burned, sudden and sharp. She gasped, grabbing her wrist.
Lucien caught her hand before she could pull away. His touch was cool. Steady. “There.”
She stared at him. “What is that?”
“Pressure,” he said. “Someone is trying to see you.”
“See me how?”
“Through magic.” His jaw tightened. “Forbidden magic.”
Her breath hitched. “Blood magic?”
“Yes.”
The city lights flickered below them.
Aria’s heart pounded. “Can they hurt me?”
“Not directly,” Lucien said. “Not yet.”
She swallowed hard. “Can you stop it?”
“Eventually.”
That pause… it mattered.
Lucien looked past her, gaze unfocused, like he was listening to something she couldn’t hear.
“They’re learning your patterns,” he murmured. “Your reactions. Your power.”
Aria’s skin prickled. “Who is ‘they’?”
Lucien met her eyes.
“Someone who shouldn’t exist anymore.”
The lights below flickered again.
Then steadied.
Aria exhaled slowly. “So what happens now?”
Lucien’s voice was quiet. Dangerous. “Now we find who’s watching you… before they decide to reach through.”
Her moonmark pulsed.
Somewhere deep beneath Pravielle, something ancient leaned closer.
Watching.
And this time… it wasn’t hiding.
- Writer
