The False prophecy

The False prophecy
Selene POV

The sky was still pale with dawn when they came for me.
The heavy clank of the lock made my heart jump, and before I could even rise, two guards stormed into the cell and grabbed my arms. Their grip was cruel, their claws biting through my already bruised skin.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked weakly, but neither of them answered. My body felt too frail, my knees trembling with every pull, so they dragged me across the cold stone floor. The iron collar around my neck rattled as I stumbled forward.

We turned down the narrow corridor—the same one I had walked through years ago when I was first brought to this cursed palace. Every torch flickered against the walls like the eyes of ghosts watching me.

Before we reached the gate, a woman appeared in front of us. She wore a gray cloak, her face partly hidden under the hood.
“Cover her,” she said firmly to the guards.

One of them threw a black cloth over my head, and the world turned dark.
“The carriage is waiting outside,” the woman added.

“Wait—please,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Where are you taking me? Please, tell me.”

“Stop asking, bitch!” one guard snapped, yanking my arm harder. Pain shot through my shoulder, but I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

They dragged me through the courtyard, my feet scraping against the dirt, until the scent of trees and water filled the air. I knew that scent—earthy and calm, touched with memory. When the cloth slipped a little, I caught a glimpse of the place and froze.

The stream.
The same one where I first met Aeron.

The old gate creaked open, and there, waiting at the clearing, stood a dark carriage. Two massive men flanked it, their eyes glowing faintly in the morning light. Recognition pierced through my fear—they were the black wolves from Fangwood, the Luna’s guards.

My heart pounded.
“Hey! Where are you taking me?” I demanded, though my voice was weak.

“Get inside!” one of the guards barked, shoving me toward the carriage.

I stumbled, catching myself on the doorframe just as another voice rang out—sharp and desperate.
“Selene!”

My breath hitched.
Leonora.

She ran toward me, her cloak flying behind her, her face pale with panic. “Please! Don’t take her!” she cried, grabbing the arm of the nearest guard. “She’s not the sacrifice—her blood is pure! You’re making a terrible mistake!”

“Let go, old woman!” the guard growled, shoving her so hard she nearly fell to the ground.

“Leonora!” I screamed, trying to rush toward her, but the guards held me fast.

And then—he appeared.
Eleazar stepped out of the carriage, his robe blacker than night, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction.

“Ssshhh, Leonora,” he said softly, his voice dripping with false calm. “So it’s true—you’ve betrayed me. You would help this cursed girl?”

Leonora lifted her trembling face to him, her voice breaking. “Please, my Lord, don’t do this. Don’t hurt her. She’s innocent! Her blood is not meant for this—your greed will destroy us all!”

Eleazar’s smile deepened, but there was nothing human in it. “Greed? You dare speak to me of greed, after all I’ve done for the kingdom? The prophecy cannot be stopped. The Blood Moon rises tonight, and the sacrifice will cleanse the curse once and for all.”

“Liar!” Leonora’s cry echoed across the clearing. “The prophecy is a lie! I know you now, Eleazar. You don’t worship the holy god—you hunger for power. You want her blood not for the kingdom, but to awaken your own beast!”

The guards hesitated. Even they looked uncertain now. The tension cracked the air like a storm about to break.

Eleazar’s expression darkened, his eyes burning with fury. “Enough,” he hissed. “Kill her.”

“No!” I screamed as the guards seized Leonora by the arms. “Please, don’t! Don’t hurt her!” I struggled wildly, my chains biting into my wrists. “I’ll go with you! I’ll do whatever you want—just don’t kill her!”

“Selene, no!” Leonora shouted, her voice filled with anguish.

Tears blurred my vision as the guards dragged her backward. “Please! She’s the only one who ever helped me! Don’t do this!”

Eleazar stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. “Such compassion,” he sneered. “You cry for the woman who gave you away the day you were born? How touching. But your tears will not change your fate.”

I glared up at him through my tears, fury burning hotter than fear. “You’ll never win,” I whispered hoarsely. “You can kill me, but the gods you mock will burn you from within.”

He leaned down, his face close to mine, and his smile turned to a hiss. “Then I’ll burn bright enough to rule the ashes.”

He motioned to the guards, and they forced me into the carriage. As the doors slammed shut, I heard Leonora’s final cry echo behind me—a cry that would haunt me forever.

“No! Selene!”

The carriage lurched forward, wheels crunching over dirt, carrying me away from her voice. My chest ached as I pressed my chained hands against the window slit, catching one last glimpse of the stream—of the place where I had once met hope, and now was being driven toward my end.

I closed my eyes and whispered to the wind, “Aeron… please find me before the Blood Moon.”

But deep down, I already knew—the night would rise in blood, and only one of us would survive it.