The Awakening
878 Words
The silver light pierced the heavens.
Brighter than the moon.
Brighter than lightning.
Brighter than anything I had ever seen.
I couldn't breathe.
Couldn't move.
The power pouring from my body felt endless.
Ancient.
Wild.
Alive.
The pendant around my neck burned against my skin.
Not painfully.
As if it had finally found its purpose.
Outside, every wolf stood frozen.
The battle had stopped.
Even the wind seemed to have gone silent.
Then the light exploded outward.
A wave of silver energy swept through the forest.
Trees bent.
Leaves scattered.
The ground trembled beneath my feet.
The rogues nearest the cave were thrown backward.
Some crashed into rocks.
Others slammed into trees.
Several never got back up.
My eyes widened.
I hadn't meant to do that.
I hadn't meant to do anything.
The power was acting on its own.
Protecting me.
The realization terrified me.
And excited me.
At the same time.
"Aria!"
Kael's voice cut through the chaos.
The giant black Lycan charged toward the cave.
His golden eyes locked onto me.
Concern flashed across his face.
Genuine concern.
The sight surprised me.
No one had looked at me like that before.
As though my safety mattered.
As though I mattered.
The silver energy continued swirling around me.
My wolf was no longer silent.
For the first time, I heard her clearly.
Not just emotions.
Words.
Finally.
I froze.
"You can talk?"
A soft laugh echoed inside my mind.
Of course I can.
I nearly fell over.
My wolf had a voice.
An actual voice.
And she sounded far too amused.
"What is happening to me?"
Her answer came immediately.
You're awakening.
"Awakening into what?"
Silence.
Then—
Something this world hasn't seen in centuries.
That wasn't helpful.
Not even a little.
Outside, Shadow Fang stared at me with wide eyes.
The confidence he had shown earlier was gone.
Replaced by something else.
Fear.
The rogue leader was afraid of me.
Why?
I didn't even know what I was.
A deep growl rumbled from Kael's chest.
The Lycan King positioned himself between me and every other wolf present.
Protecting me.
Again.
Shadow Fang noticed.
"So it's true."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What is?"
The rogue leader laughed bitterly.
"You know exactly who she is."
The accusation hung in the air.
I looked at Kael.
His expression remained unreadable.
Too unreadable.
Which usually meant someone was hiding something.
"Kael."
He didn't answer.
My frustration grew.
"Kael."
Finally, his gaze met mine.
There was regret in his eyes.
Regret.
And guilt.
My stomach twisted.
"You know something."
The silence that followed was answer enough.
Before either of us could speak further, a powerful pressure descended upon the forest.
Every wolf immediately reacted.
Some dropped to one knee.
Others backed away.
Fear spread rapidly through the rogues.
Even Shadow Fang looked unsettled.
The sensation felt ancient.
Older than anything I had ever experienced.
Then a voice echoed through the night.
A voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"At last."
The forest fell completely silent.
The pressure intensified.
My wolf instantly became alert.
No.
The fear in her voice shocked me.
"What is it?"
She didn't answer.
For the first time since speaking to me, she sounded afraid.
Very afraid.
The mysterious voice chuckled.
"I have waited a long time for this moment."
The silver light around me flickered.
A figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
An old man.
At least he appeared old.
Long white hair.
Silver eyes.
Dark robes covered in ancient symbols.
The moment I saw him, a strange familiarity washed over me.
As though I had seen him before.
Somewhere.
Somehow.
Kael immediately moved closer to me.
His posture became defensive.
Hostile.
The old man smiled.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Aria Moonfall."
My skin crawled.
"Who are you?"
His smile widened.
"A friend."
"No."
Kael's voice cut through the air.
The Lycan King looked ready to attack.
"You're many things."
The old man's eyes glittered.
"But a friend isn't one of them."
The newcomer laughed.
"Still suspicious after all these years."
Years?
They knew each other?
The realization made my head spin.
The old man's gaze shifted to the pendant around my neck.
His expression softened.
Almost fondly.
"Your mother wore that pendant."
My breath caught.
"You knew my mother?"
"Very well."
My pulse quickened.
Finally.
Someone who might have answers.
"Who was she?"
The old man opened his mouth.
Then suddenly stopped.
His smile vanished.
A sharp frown replaced it.
He turned toward the northern horizon.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Kael noticed it too.
The Lycan King's eyes narrowed.
"What is it?"
For the first time, uncertainty appeared on the old man's face.
Then he whispered a single sentence.
And every wolf present went pale.
"He's awake."
The forest became silent.
Kael's expression darkened instantly.
Even Shadow Fang looked horrified.
I stared between them.
"Who's awake?"
Nobody answered.
The old man's gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon.
As though he could see something no one else could.
A cold wind swept through the trees.
The silver light surrounding me finally faded.
But the unease remained.
Growing stronger.
Whatever had awakened...
Every powerful person here seemed terrified of it.
And somehow—
I knew it had something to do with me.
- Writer
