Bound By The Moon's Curse

The Hour of Reckoning Arielle POV "Three... two... one..." I whispered the countdown under my breath, eyes fixed on the grandfather clock's brass pendulum. Right on cue. "Get down here this instant!" A bitter smile touched my lips. Aunt Lilian's timing was impeccable, like a predator who'd memorized its prey's routine. I dog-eared the corner of my worn copy of "Jane Eyre" and set it aside. "Coming!" I called out, my voice steadier than I felt. The clicking of her heels against the hardwood grew louder. "Don't make me come up there, Ariella. You won't like what happens if I do." "I'm here, I'm here," I said, emerging from my room ,if you could call a converted linen closet a room. I kept my eyes downcast, studying the intricate patterns of the Persian runner beneath my feet. She grabbed my chin, fingers digging into my jaw. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" "Notice what?" Wrong answer. Her grip tightened. "Don't play dumb with me, girl. The soup. You ruined it on purpose, didn't you?" I tried to shake my head, but her hold was too firm. "No, I followed your instructions exactly". "Liar!" She released my face only to seize a handful of my hair. "You're just like your mother, always trying to undermine me." "That's not true!" The words burst out before I could stop them. "Mom was—" "Your mother was a deceitful witch who turned my brother against this family," she snarled, giving my hair another vicious tug. "And you're following right in her footsteps." "I just want to make you happy," I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded. "Please, Aunt Lilian, I try so hard". "Try?" She barked out a laugh that held no humor. "Oh, you try, do you? Is that what you call this disaster in my kitchen?" "I can fix it! Just let me". "The only thing that needs fixing is your attitude." Her eyes gleamed with a terrible purpose. "I know exactly what will help with that." My heart stuttered. "No. No, please, not there". "Yes, there." She started dragging me down the corridor. "The catacomb seems to be the only thing that gets through to you." "I'll do anything!" I struggled against her grip. "I'll remake the soup, I'll clean the whole house, I'll skip dinner for a week!" She stopped so suddenly I nearly crashed into her. "You know what your problem is, Ariella? You only offer solutions after you've created problems. That's not how this family works." "Then tell me how! Please, just tell me what you want!" "What I want?" Her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I want you to disappear, just like your parents did. But since that's not possible..." She resumed dragging me toward the catacomb. "They didn't disappear!" I screamed, thrashing harder. "You know what happened to them! You know!" The slap came fast, leaving my ears ringing. "Another word about your parents and you'll stay in there for a week instead of a night." The heavy iron door creaked open, revealing absolute darkness. The musty smell of earth and decay wafted out, making my stomach turn. "Please," I tried one last time, my voice cracking. "I'm scared of the dark." "Good." She shoved me inside. "Maybe that fear will teach you something your parents never could – respect." I hit the stone floor hard, scraping my palms. "Aunt Lilian, wait—" "Sweet dreams, dear niece." The door slammed shut with a metallic clang. "Try not to let the ghosts bite." Her laughter echoed down the corridor as the lock turned, leaving me alone in a darkness so complete it felt alive. And maybe it was. Maybe that's what Aunt Lilian was counting on – that whatever lived in this darkness would finally finish what she'd started the day my parents died. But she'd forgotten something crucial: darkness might be scary, but I'd been living with monsters in broad daylight for years. What was one more night in the dark compared to that?. They did this to me again. How could anyone hate me so much? I didn’t choose to be an omega. I didn’t choose to lose my parents. But I was still paying for a crime I didn’t remember. I buried my face in my knees and let silent tears soak through my clothes. Somewhere outside, faint laughter reached me. “Ariella!” My cousin Alice’s voice sang out, mocking. “Oh, the soup was *so* delicious. Shame you’re missing out!” “Why are you doing this?” I croaked, more to myself than to her. “Because it’s what you deserve,” Alice replied. “Murderers don’t get happy endings.” I flinched at the word. Murderer. They always said I killed my parents. They always said I was cursed. I didn’t remember it. I couldn’t but no one cared. To them, I was guilty. I was less than a person. And maybe… maybe they were right. I dragged myself to the farthest corner of the catacomb and curled up, trying to block out the biting cold and suffocating dark. *Don’t think about it. Don’t think about the past.* But it clawed at the edges of my mind anyway the blurred images, the blood I couldn’t explain, the knife I didn’t remember holding. What if I did kill them? What if I was the monster they said I was? A noise pulled me from my thoughts. Footsteps. My breath caught as I sat up, my heart pounding so loudly I thought it might echo off the walls. The footsteps were slow, deliberate, and getting closer. Someone was here. I pressed my back against the cold stone, my body tense and trembling. The footsteps stopped outside the catacomb door. Silence. Then, a voice. Low. Calm. Dangerous. “Ariella.” I didn’t recognize it. But whoever it was… they knew my name. The lock rattled. I couldn’t breathe. The door creaked open, and a shadow fell across the floor. I couldn’t see who it was, but I felt the weight of their presence, their eyes burning into me. “Found you,” the voic e said softly, almost like they were smiling. And then, the door shut again, leaving me in darkness. But I wasn’t alone anymore.