Chapter 2
1190 Words
Everything was dark.
I remembered the pain the taste of the poison, the coldness spreading through my body, and the sound of people turning their backs on me. I thought I was dead.
But then… I felt water.
Soft and cold. It touched my fingers, then my arms and face.
I slowly opened my eyes.
The sky was grey above me. I was lying beside a quiet river. My body felt strange. My skin looked different. My hands were slimmer, my nails longer. This wasn’t my body.
I sat up quickly, heart racing.
Where was I?
Who was I now?
I looked around. Trees stood tall around me. I could hear birds chirping and the water flowing gently. In the distance, I saw rooftops maybe a village.
Then I heard a voice.
“Zari?” a man called from behind me.
I turned fast, still confused.
A tall man with dark hair and brown eyes was walking toward me. He stopped when he saw my face, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“It’s you,” he said in a low voice. “Zari, you’re back…”
I didn’t say anything.
He stepped closer. “You… don’t remember me?”
I stayed quiet.
“I’m Lucian,” he said. “You disappeared three years ago. Everyone thought you were dead.”
I still said nothing. I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t even know who I fully was yet.
Lucian seemed worried but didn’t push more questions. He removed his cloak and gently wrapped it around me.
“Come,” he said softly. “Let’s go home.”
He led me through the trees. As we got closer to the village, people stopped and stared.
“It’s her…”
“She’s alive…”
“Zari came back…”
Some cried. Some looked scared. I just kept walking beside Lucian, feeling like I was stuck between two worlds.
He took me to an old woman with grey hair and cloudy eyes. She was a healer she called herself a Sharma. She looked at me closely, then gave me a small cup.
“Drink this,” she said. “It will help you find what’s hidden inside.”
Lucian looked at me, waiting.
I took the cup slowly and drank it.
In seconds, memories came crashing into me like a storm. Pain. Betrayal. Alicia. The poison. My death.
Then new memories another life. Another name. Zari.
I gasped, nearly dropping the cup.
Lucian stepped forward. “Are you okay?”
I nodded slowly. “I… I need some time.”
He nodded back and didn’t ask more. “You can rest. You’re safe now.”
But I didn’t feel safe.
I couldn’t trust anyone not yet.
Not until I found out why I was brought back.
Not until I found the truth.
The room Lucian gave me was quiet and warm. A soft bed, a small window, and clean clothes folded neatly on a chair. Everything smelled like herbs and wood.
I sat on the bed, staring at the mirror.
The face looking back at me wasn’t mine at least, not the one I remembered. This girl, Zari, had sharp eyes, fuller lips, and a small scar above her brow. But inside… I was still Iris.
Why me? Why did the Moon Goddess bring me back like this?
I touched my chest. My heartbeat was strong. Stronger than before. Zari's body felt powerful, like it held something wild and ancient.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.
It was Lucian. “I brought you some food.”
He placed the tray on the table. Bread, warm soup, and fruit. Simple, but it made my stomach growl.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
Lucian looked at me carefully. “You don’t have to say much. I just want you to know… I’m here if you need anything.”
I gave a small nod. He hesitated at the door for a second, then left.
I waited until he was gone before walking to the window.
Outside, the village was quiet. I could see a few people whispering and pointing toward the house. They were curious. Scared, maybe.
Who was Zari before I woke up in her body?
I needed answers.
Later that night, I heard Lucian talking to the Sharma.
“She’s different,” he said. “Like someone else is inside her.”
The Sharma replied, “She is who the Moon Goddess wants her to be now. You must let her find her path.”
I leaned against the door, holding my breath.
They didn’t know. They couldn’t know.
Not yet.
I lay on the bed that night, thinking about my old life about Alicia, Alexander, and the people who turned against me.
If the Moon Goddess brought me back, then there must be a reason.
And I was going to find it.
No matter what it took.
The next morning, I woke up as the sun rose. Light came through the window and touched my face. I sat up and stretched. My body felt different strong, fast, and full of power. I was not weak anymore.
I walked to the mirror and looked at myself. My eyes were sharper. My skin was glowing. I didn’t just feel stronger I felt different. Like something inside me had changed.
I took a deep breath and focused.
Suddenly, I felt it my wolf.
But this wasn’t the same weak wolf I once had.
This one was powerful. Wild. Her presence filled me, like a fire burning deep inside. I could feel her strength in my bones, in my blood. I was no longer the soft, quiet Luna that others looked down on.
I was something else now.
Something more.
Lucian knocked on the door again. “The village elders are waiting,” he said.
I nodded and followed him out. As we walked through the village, I noticed people staring, whispering. Some stepped back when I passed. They could sense the power in me.
Inside the elders’ hut, five old wolves sat in a circle. They looked at me closely.
“You were gone for three years,” one of them said. “Now you return, stronger than before. Do you remember where you’ve been?”
I shook my head. “No. I only remember waking up by the river.”
The elders whispered among themselves. Then one of them spoke. “You carry a different energy now, Zari. A rare one. We must watch and protect you.”
Lucian stood beside me. “She needs time. Let her be.”
The elders agreed, but their eyes stayed on me as I left.
Back at Lucian’s house, I stood by the window again. My heart was calm. My mind was clear.
They didn’t know who I truly was.
But I did.
I was no longer Iris, the weak Luna they betrayed.
I'm Zari now a strong wolf with the power of the Moon Goddess in her blood.
And one day, I would return to Ashwood.
Not to beg.
But to take back everything they stole from me.
- Writer
