Aurora's POV
"Where… where am I?" I scanned round the room. My voice trembled. Everything was so white and pure. Even my garment that I was putting on was so white. Blinding. I tried to lift up my head, but the shining light just stabbed straight through into my eyes.
"DO NOT LOOK UP."
The voice came too loud, echoing, too powerful to belong to any mortal or to any human.
"Who…who's there?" I whispered, while lifting my hands up to shade the light entering my eyes. "Why can't I see you?"
"YOU ARE IN THE PLACE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH," the voice said. "AND I, CHILD, AM THE MOON GODDESS."
My heart stuttered. "Am I… dead?"
"NOT YET." A pause. "BUT CLOSE."
I swallowed hard and fell to my knees . "Then please," I begged, "give me another chance. Please! I wasn't ready to die!"
The silence stretched. Then she spoke again. "THERE IS A WAY. TO LIVE AGAIN, YOU MUST FACE THE TRIALS. PASS THEM, AND YOU CAN RETURN. FAIL… AND YOU FADE FOREVER."
"Trials?" I repeated, while shaking my hands which were wrapped together . "How many?"
"THREE TRIALS."
I nodded too fast. "Then I'll do it. Whatever it takes… anything!"
"BE CAREFUL WHAT t YOU AGREE TO, AURORA." Her tone dropped so calmly, deep and distant. "EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE IS FINAL, AND THERE'S NO GOING BACK."
I didn't care. "I'll do it …Just… just let me live."
"SO BE IT."
The ground under me trembled. Then two doors rose from the blinding light — one gold, glowing very softly, the other dark and cracked, whispering like smoke.
"CHOOSE YOUR PATH," the Goddess said.
I stared at the two doors in front of me. My hand hovered near the golden one… until I heard it.
"Aurora…"
My breath caught. That voice… "Stefano?"
No answer. Just a faint echo.
"Stefano! Is that you?!" I shouted, turning toward the dark door.
"Help me…" I heard the faint sound again.
Tears filled my eyes. "Hold on! I'm coming!"
"AND REMEMBER, AURORA," the Goddess warned, her voice cutting through. "NOT ALL THINGS ARE WHAT THEY SEEM."
"I know his voice!" I shouted. "It's him!"
And without thinking, I pushed through the dark door.
The light vanished.
Cold air slapped through my face. I hit the ground so hard, the taste of dirt filled into my mouth. My legs ached. My palms were bleeding. The dress …The same dress I wore for the luna ceremony was being worn on my body .
"Aurora.." I heard the voice again.
"Stefano!" I yelled, standing up. "Where are you?!"
Only silence replied to me.
Then…faintly…
"Here…"
I turned toward the sound and ran. Branches tore my skin, tearing off my cloth, thorns cut my ankles.
"Keep talking, please!" I cried. " I'm coming to you!"
No response.
"Stefano!"
"Aurora…this way…"
I followed again. My heart just kept on pounding so hard. It really hurt . But when I reached the spot, it was really empty. Nothing but fog and stones around me.
I spun around, breathing fast. "Where are you?! Say something! Talk to me!"
Then I heard it… a low, wet crawl. Something dragging itself across the dirt.
"What… what was that?" I whispered while still looking around.
The sound came closer. A figure crawled out of the mist….long arms, black veins, skin like ash.
"Oh no…" I stumbled back. "No, no, no…"
It tilted its head and hissed. Another sound followed. Then another.
"Moon Goddess," I whispered. "Please—please not this."
The first creature lunged. I screamed so loudly and grabbed a nearby stick from the ground, swinging with everything I had in me. And it hit me, I can't use my wolf. I am a plain human.
"Stay back!"
I hit one hard, and it fell…but two more crawled out, and they just kept on coming out and forward at me.
"What are you?!" I shouted, while backing away.
They just didn't stop. They never stopped.
I swung the stick again, the stick cracked. "Please! Stop!" I cried, tears stinging in my eyes. One sharp claw from the monster slashed across my arm, and I gasped loudly, clutching the wound.
Pain burned through me. I could feel blood running down my wrist, dripping badly .
"Stefano!" I screamed again. "Help me! Where are you?"
But nothing.
Just the sound of them…crawling, breathing, coming closer and whispering.
I turned and ran. I ran with all the strength in me . My heart thudded against my ribs. My feet bled with every step.
Then something was so strange… I saw a rock. Black, shaped like a crescent moon.
I just ran past it.
But minutes later, I saw it again. The same rock. The same crooked tree beside it.
My breath hitched. "Wait… this isn't possible."
I spun around, eyes wide. "No… no, no… I've been here before," I had been going in circles.
Then the realisation hit me like lightning. "Oh no, I…I chose the wrong door."
The forest went so still. Then the monsters howled again, more loudly.
I looked down at my hands, shaking and so bloody, my cloth had turned to rags. My whole body trembled. I felt weak. So weak.
I hid behind a big broken wall, pressing my back really hard against the cold stone. I tried to steady my breathing so they wouldn't see me, but my blood was dripping fast. Just too painful to bear.
"Don't find me," I whispered. "Please don't find me."
But the crawling got louder. The air shifted — they had caught my scent.
A claw scraped against the stone near my head. Then another.
They were right outside.
"No…" I breathed. "Please…"
The wall shook as one of them rammed it. Dust fell on my face. I pressed both hands over my mouth to stop me from sobbing loudly.
I could hear them breathing loudly… wet, heavy, starving.
Another hit. The wood cracked. Their claws slipped through a gap, inches from my shoulder.
I was trapped. I had no strength left. No wolf to save me.
My voice came out as a whisper, trembling with so much blood and tears.
"Will I survive… or is there still hope?"
The wall split open…
And everything went black.