Elysian

I gazed at the stunning moon, its beauty radiating from the terrace where I sat, enjoying a sip of my coffee. I could hear faint footsteps coming from the hallway towards the door of my room. As expected, the door opened, and the woman who often visited me in this room stepped inside. It was Vanessa, the Goddess of the Moon, and the wolves. Without turning to look at her, I spoke, "I've been anticipating your arrival, Vanessa." She bowed, "I am aware, your highness." "What's the news in the world of humans?" My remaining time as a selector is slowly dwindling. The moment is drawing near when my fate and that of the world of humans are intertwined. With my disappearance as a selector of goddesses and alphas, the balance will be shattered, but before that, I still have a mission to do. "It remains the same, your highness. There are no bad happenings yet; it is still peaceful." I feel her gentle strokes on my long and golden strands of hair. However, I know that she's lying; she just doesn't want me to disappear despite the situation of the werewolf clan that is being hunted by the hunters. "Are you afraid of that possibility, Vanessa?" A moment of silence lingered on the terrace after my question to her. I couldn't blame her if there were things she wasn't ready to face yet. Because what's bound to happen should no longer be restrained. I could faintly sense the trembling of her hands as they held onto my head. "Y-your highness, I'm afraid that I may never see you again," her voice cracked. I gazed at her. Tears now streamed down her face. "I have already come to terms with my destiny, Vanessa," I reassured her, holding her hand. "When that time arrives, I want you to seek out the new selector." "B-but--" "No buts," I interjected firmly. I gazed deeply into her golden eyes and glimpsed her future. With a smile, I retrieved my necklace adorned with a crescent moon symbol and placed it in her hand. "Live your life, Vanessa. This crescent moon will illuminate once it encounters the next selector." At midnight, I once again gazed at the fullness of the big moon from my window. As I gradually began to see its red color, I headed to the private room that only I knew about. It's time! This is the right time to do what is necessary. I need to save the clan of werewolves! I touched the sculpture of a wolf on a column. I pressed its eye button, producing the sound of a hidden door opening that echoed throughout the room. When I look at a drawer, it slowly opens. A new door appeared before me. When I opened it, it made noise again, and dust fell everywhere. As I entered, I was greeted by a dark staircase leading down, illuminated only by the flickering light of torches. I took a torch and brought it with me as my light on the way down. Each step of my foot creates a faint sound. It took me a few minutes to descend before I reached a circular floor with ancient writings carved into it. In the middle of it, a box can be seen that seems to have been left behind by time. I carefully opened it, and a golden dagger with an engraved symbol of a crescent moon greeted my eyes. I swallowed hard as I gazed at its blade for a moment. To save the werewolves, I must sacrifice my life. My blood must flow into the ancient writings on this circular floor. When that happens, a magical barrier will appear in the territory of the werewolves to protect them from the hunters. Because the werewolf clan is becoming endangered. Little by little, they are being wiped out; my goal of having humans and werewolves coexist peacefully has been completely erased. I can't bear to see the werewolf clans that were entrusted to me disappear. From the deepest and most hidden corner of this tower where I am, I looked up at the top of the tower, which has a circular hole through which the sky can be seen. As a selector, I have the ability to summon the moon. I closed my eyes as I started to whisper the incantations. "Lunae, Lunae, vos astrae, Lunae, Lunae, vos lumine. Arcana, Arcana, vos potestas, Arcana, Arcana, vos lumen. Lunae, Arcana, vos unum, Lunae, Arcana, vos lumen. Elysian, Elysian, vos vocare, Elysian, Elysian, vos lumine." When I opened my eyes, from where I stood, I was completely illuminated by the light of the moon while holding the dagger. This is it. I carefully raised the dagger I was holding with both hands pointed towards my heart while looking up at the moon. "Aethel, Aethel, vos astrae, Aethel, Aethel, vos terrae. Lyra, Lyra, vos lumine, Lyra, Lyra, vos sanguine. Aethel, Lyra, vos unum, Aethel, Lyra, vos lumen. Solum, solum, vos lumen, Solum, solum, vos lumen. Elysian, Elysian, vos sacrificium, Elysian, Elysian, vos protectio." "You're not going to save the werewolf clan, Elysian!" My eyes widened as I heard that shout from behind me. Fear completely engulfed my chest. As I turned around, I saw a woman I had never seen in this tower before. She held a full quiver and a bow aimed at me. She also had two daggers tucked into her waist. How did she know about this hidden place in this tower? "Who are you?" I tried to hide the anxiety I was feeling. Judging by her appearance, she seemed like a female guard in this tower, but I knew all the female guards. Could she be a spy? "That's not important anymore!" Her eyes blazed with anger as she stared at me. I could feel the rage and hatred in her heart. "What's important is to stop you from your plan to save the werewolf clan!" I didn't know what she was going through, but I knew it wasn't simple. Because those words coming from her were not enough to deter my determination to save the werewolf clan. "Forgive me, lady. But I had to—" Without a second's delay, I felt the arrow fly and bury itself in my chest. I groaned as I felt the pain digging into my muscles. Blood trickled down as I stared at the arrow lodged in my chest. My body started to weaken. This can't be happening! "Your ritual will not be fulfilled. All werewolves in the world of humans will die!" She shouted with bitterness as the arrows struck my arms one after the other, causing me to drop the dagger. I screamed in pain from the wounds. It felt like they were draining my strength. I bit my lips to endure the pain. I met her gaze and saw the future of the werewolf clan in her eyes. My eyes widened. They will be wiped out! No! Tears streamed down my face. The clan that my ancestor bestowed on me to protect will vanish because I failed in my duty as a selector. Before losing my life completely, I lifted my eyes to the full moon and raised my palm, trying to reach it. "God of life, th-thou wilt he-help us." And then I felt the final arrow strike my throat and the blood gush from my mouth before darkness consumed me.