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The moment we stepped through the glowing doorway, the suffocat heat of the volcanle wasteland vanished.
Inhaled sharply, expecting the air to be thick with ash, but instead
Cool. Sweet.
It was fresh.
The shift from the fiery, smoke filled volcanic wasteland to a lush, moonlit garden was so abrupt that it took me a moment to process the change.
The scent of blooming flowers and damp earth surrounded us, and when I looked up, I saw green.
A vast garden stretched before us, bathed in soft moonlight, even though there was no visible sky. Massive trees with green leaves swayed gently in the unseen breeze, their branches entwlied to form glowing canopy. Strange flowers pulsed softly with light, and streams of water flowed between smooth stones, creating the soft sand of running water,
It was beautiful–serene in a way that felt almost unnatural after everything we had been through.
1 exhaled sharply, glancing around in disbelief.
This place was… beautiful,
It felt sacred, untouched by time.
But before I could fully take in our surroundings, a horrifying realization struck me like lightning and my entire body went stiff
I was naked.”
A flush of heat crept up my neck as I slowly turned around.
Of course.
Not a single one of them looked away.
Austin, Alex, Elijah, and Isaiah stood behind me, their gazes fixed on me–not with concern, but with something else.
Something hungry.
I groaned, crossing my arms over my chest. “Seriously?”
Austin smirked, his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. “Well, don’t blame us. Not every day we get a full moon like this.”
Alex let out a low whistle. “A sight to behold, really.”
Isaiah merely smirked, eyes dark with amusement, while Elijah–ever the gentleman–cleared his throat and turned away as if that could undo the last thirty seconds.
“You are all impossible, I grumbled, my cheeks burning.
Austin, still grinning, tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it to me. “Here. Before you die of embarrassment.”
I snatched the shirt and threw it over my head. It was warm, his scent wrapping around me like a second skin. The fabric was loose, reaching mid–thigh, but it was better than nothing
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ing to regain control of the situation. “Where
The answer came in the form of a massive hedge wall just ahead. 1k out the map and we had a look at it.
The vines twisted together, their leaves pulsing like living veins, stretching high into the sky. The only visible entrance was a tall, arched doorway woven from glowing runts.
“Of course,” Isaiah muttered, “A dami maze.
“We have to go through,” I said, gripping the inp
The maze twisted and turned, leading us through narrow paths and dden dead ends. The deeper we went, the more unnatural it became.
After what felt like hours, we finally reached the center of the maze
skeleton.
And there, lying in the middle of a clearing, was a sk
I knew what it was before I even stepped forward.
A wolf skeleton–larger than any I had ever seen, its bones bleached white with age. But what made my breath catch was the yamistakable silver fur still clinging to parts of it, despite the passage of time,
A Silver Wolf.
A chill ran down my spine.
The last shard was resting inside its open jaws, glowing softly like moonlight.
1 took a step forward, my heart pounding.
I knew who this was.
The boy from my dreams.
The one who had guided me, who had helped me.
Before I could take another step, a low rumbling sound echoed through the clearing.
Isaiab tensed, shadows curling around him. “Something’s here.”
A moment later, it emerged from the trees. And a shadow fell over us.
A massive elk–taller than any normal creature, with antlers like branches, twisted and covered in leaves. Small birds had made their nests in the twisted wood, and its dark eyes gleamed with something ancient.
Austin took a step back, hand on his icy weapon. “Uh. What the hell
But I knew this all.
I had seen it before.
Slowly, I lowered my hands and stepped forward.
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Chapter 203
“Stormi- Elijah, started, but I shook my head
“It’s okay, I whispered.
The elk lowered its head, its massive antlers Inches from my face, breath warm against my skin. I lifted my hand and gently touched its muscle.
A strange, warm energy mished through me, like a silent promise.
A moment later, the elk stepped back, watching me
And
Then, just as
all
with knowing
as silently as it came, it turned and walked away, vanhing into the trees.
The air felt… different. Lighter.
I turned back to the woll’s skeleton and gently reached into its open law, pulling g out the last shard.
Before we left, we used stones to cover the woll’s remains, a silent arial for som
someone who had been forgotten.
And then as I put the last stone, the maze trembled and began to collapse around us, the final doorway appeared.
“Time to go.” Alex said, already pulling me back.
We ran through it.
The moment we stepped through the portal, the cool night air wrapped around us.
I staggered, gripping the shards tightly.
We were at the bottom of the mountain.
The temple. The maze. The trials. All gone.
Isaiah let out a sharp exhale. “We made it.”
Elijah,
still clutching his wounded side, gave a slow nod. “Yeah. But can’t stay here.”
I looked down at the shards in my hands–each piece glowing like froten noonlight.
The key was c
complete.
I clenched my fingers around them, then lifted my head.
“We’re going back.”
A silver mist swirled around us as I reached for the Lunar Veil, the power responding to me like a second breath.
The world shifted, and when I opened my eyes, we were standing in the school library.
Safe.
For now.
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