CHAPTER 320: CHAPTER 320 HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Thud.

I groaned, but I quickly pulled myself up. My mother crawled closer to me, spitting more blood.

"Aeris, get back on the vine... we are close to saving you." She said with a hopeful tone.

I stared at her as if she had gone mad. "Saving me?" I asked weakly. "Is this what you call saving? Plunging a sword through my chest? Am I even your daughter?" My eyes stung with tears, barely sitting up.

"I..."

"Don’t lie to me, I know you are not my mother. My father is Alpha Caleb of the Silver Moon pack, he already told me that my mother is dead, so why are you claiming to be her?" I asked, clutching my chest.

My mother’s face ashened at my words. "You have regained your memories?"

I smiled bitterly. "Am I not supposed to? After all you have fed me with lies, and have suppressed my memories. You told me I have been ill, you told me I was too weak to become a Fae, and you locked me up... how could you call yourself my mother?"

"Aeris, I can explain. Mother’s intentions are not bad, maybe my method is crude, but I don’t love you any less." She cried, sitting a few inches from me.

"And how do I know you are not lying or trying to brainwash me again?"

"I promise, everything I’ll say is the truth. Just... just promise me you’ll let us take your powers." She crawled closer.

I moved away from her. "No, my power is mine... without it I’ll die." I didn’t know why I said it, I never intended to say anything about my situation to them. They weren’t worth it.

Fear clouded my mother’s eyes, her fingers trembled beside her. "Did you see any Fae ancestors?" She asked with a solemn expression.

I averted my gaze, not wanting to talk to her.

"Answer me!" She yelled, her magic flaring through the air.

Zeir rushed to her side, supporting her. "Aeris, answer your mother?"

Why did they care if I had seen them?

"Yes, two of them," I answered, testing my strength to see if I’ll be able to stand on my feet, but no matter how hard I tried I ended up on my butt again.

My mother burst out in sobs. "This explains why we were not able to take her powers, Zeir, what do we do? What do we do? I can’t lose my daughter."

Zeir held her to his chest, his eyes filled with sadness, it was the first time I saw him with emotion.

"There is nothing we can do Liora... Fate has won." Zeir said, dispirited.

"No, you promised me you had it in control... You promised me." She wailed.

I stared at both of them, it was quite a show. What are they crying over? Me or something else? Or do they really want my powers that badly that they are crying over it?

"Why are you crying?" I asked, a little puzzled.

My mother glanced at me, her expression turned to one of pain and regret. "If I had known I would not be about to change your fate, I would have been a better mother."

"Why are you saying all these?"

"It all began 19 years ago, the night I met with your father." she chuckled bitterly as her eyes became distant. "Back then, there was a prophecy of the Sacred tree reviving again, and the Chosen would come from our home, but the Chosen would die at the age of eighteen, using her life as a seedling....

.....

~19 Years Ago~

Liora stared at the prophecy carved on the wall, her blue eyes held innocence and warmth. Elowyn stood by her side, staring at the prophecy.

"Who do you think would give birth to the Chosen?" Liora asked mindlessly.

"Better not be me," Elowyn answered curtly.

"But being a mother is a big honour," Liora said, glancing at her older sister.

"Would you like to be the mother of a Chosen, who would end up dying at the age of eighteen?" Elowyn throws the question at her.

Liora appeared to be in deep thought. "No." she shook her head.

Hearing her sister’s answer, Elowyn walked away, her posture poised and elegant.

A few days later, Liora walked in the woods picking flowers, she had always found them interesting and pretty.

She was mostly referred to as the black sheep of the family, sneaking out of the castle. But this time she wandered a little too far.

Liora stood by the boundary between the Fae realm and the werewolf realm, tilting her head slightly contemplating whether she should see what the world beyond the barrier looks like.

Curiosity got the better hold of her as she reached out to touch the barrier. A faint ripple spread beneath her fingertips, shimmering like moonlight on water. Her heart pounded, but excitement rushed through her veins stronger than fear.

"I’ll just take a little peek and return before the sun goes down," she whispered to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the barrier. The air around her shimmered with magic, and then she went through the barrier.

The first thing that hit her was the scent of fresh green forest. The world beyond was thicker, heavier, and felt savage. The sweet fragrance of blooming fae lilies was replaced by the wild musk of damp earth and pine. She could hear the distant rush of a stream, the rustle of leaves whispering secrets to the wind. It was unfamiliar but she couldn’t wait to explore it.

Liora walked deeper into the woods, her delicate shoes brushing over fallen leaves. She looked around curiously, observing everything. The werewolf realm felt so different from her home, there were no floating lights, no shimmering trees, just a quiet wildness that felt almost sacred.

She was still lost in thought when the sound of growls tore through the calm woods. Her head snapped toward the sound. In a small clearing ahead, a dark brown wolf was surrounded by other werewolves, about four, maybe five. The air vibrated with snarls and the heavy scent of blood.

Liora froze behind a tree, watching as the brown wolf fought ferociously. He was strong, but the odds were against him. Her heart twisted when one of the wolves lunged for his throat. She didn’t understand why she felt anxious or drawn to the brown wolf, before she knew it, her hands moved on their own.

"Fae atara," she whispered.

The earth trembled faintly, vines bursting through the soil and wrapping around the attacking wolves. Their howls filled the air before they were thrown aside, scattering into the forest.