1. Darkness Fell
Clarice was thirsty. She needed to drink water, but she had difficulty holding the glass in her frail hands. She attempted again and this time she succeeded, but her hands shook uncontrollably, and the glass fell from her hands, spilling the water on her dress. The glass rolled and fell to the floor with a loud thud, sending broken glass all over the floor.
Damn! She feels hopeless and useless.
Tears of frustration filled her eyes. Why did she end up this way?
Why?
Why has she become so weak and ill?
She used to be healthy, full of energy and hailed as the most beautiful Luna in the entire East District, the envy of women far and wide. She earned everyone's respect despite the fact she was wolfless.
But things took a wrong turn six months ago when she and the other Luna went for a fun hunt in the forest, and she was bitten by an insect of unknown origin. When the hunt was over, she had a high fever for one week, got itchy rashes all over her body and her health deteriorated from that moment onward. No amount of medicine can cure her, which deeply baffles her and her husband, Alpha Bruce.
All the human doctors who checked her condition declared one thing: her body refused to accept medicine of any kind, and she couldn't be cured by any medicine made by humans or shamans alike.
Starting that day, her life was never the same again. She could not leave her room. She was bedridden and had never seen the sun for a long time. With her skin clinging to her bones, she looks like a skeleton, a shadow of her former self.
The door opened and her trusted servant, the omega named Lorey, entered the room carrying a wooden food tray.
"Luna, I brought your favorite chicken soup and bread," Lorey said cheerily, then sighed when she saw the broken glass on the floor.
She put the tray on the table, picked up the broom and dustpan from the corner and started sweeping the broken glass, dumped the shards in the dustbin in the corner and then mopped the floor dry.
"I'm sorry for the mess, Lorey," Clarice apologized, misty-eyed, feeling so hopeless.
Lorey glanced at the dying Luna pitiably. "No need to apologize, Luna. It's my job. It's my responsibility to serve you," she replied warmly, moving to the closet to get a set of clothes for the bedridden woman.
"Where is my husband? Where is Alpha Bruce?" Clarice asked. "He never visits me in my room anymore," she asked sorrowfully. Her voice was filled with sadness. It had been four months since she last saw her husband.
Lorey bit her lower lip. She doesn't have the heart to inform the dying Luna that tonight, Alpha Bruce will marry another woman and appoint his new wife as the Luna of their pack. She was deeply saddened by the turn of events, as if fate itself stripped Luna Clarice of her dignity and everything she held dear in her heart.
"I think your husband was on a business trip, Luna. I haven't seen him around the mansion for several days..." Lorey replied, feeling guilty of fabricating a lie. "Let's change your dress first before you eat breakfast," she said, changing the topic of their conversation.
"No. I'll eat first. I want to get well so I can accompany my husband on his trip across the district," Clarice said, trying to sit upright, but struggling to do so. "Please give me that bowl of soup."
Lorey sighed and glanced worriedly at the bowl of soup. She caught the shaman putting white powder on the bowl of soup last week. When she entered the kitchen, the shaman scolded her angrily for not knocking first before entering the kitchen. And when she asked about the name of the powder that he had sprinkled on the soup, the shaman explained that it was a new powerful medicine he concocted to cure the bedridden Luna.
But she saw something flashing in the shaman's eyes. He got that evil look on him. Suddenly, her heart beat rapidly in her rib cage, signaling that the shaman was up to something. A suspicion was born and sprouted rapidly in her heart.
Why is Luna Clarice's health not improving despite religiously consuming medicine created by the shaman?
What if the shaman mixed Luna's food with poison every day?
She had been thinking about that suspicion she had about the shaman, it grew stronger in her mind for a while now. But she can't tell anyone about her suspicion because she could get killed for slandering a higher official in the pack. But she couldn't take it anymore.
Lorey rushed to bed and whispered in Clarice's ears, "Luna, I think your food was poisoned by the shaman," she blurted out.
Clarice's eyes widened in shock. Her heart was beating rapidly in her rib cage. She looked at the maid, baffled by her accusation. "What are you talking about? What made you think of such a thing?" she asked in a low voice.
"Because I caught the shaman sprinkling white powder on the bowl of soup last week. When I asked him what the name of the powder was, he scolded me furiously and told me to knock on the door before I entered the kitchen. For a split second, I saw his eyes flash with murderous intent." Lorey explained in a low voice.
Clarice was stunned by her servant's revelation.
Is Lorey's suspicion right?
She never thought that someone would poison her food. She was good and fair to everyone. She treated everyone equally. She has no enemies. She is the perfect Luna that everyone respects and admires. How could someone poison her?
But why?
Could it be true?
"It's impossible," Clarice said in denial. Tears filled her eyes as a nagging suspicion began to form in her mind.
The two women fell silent, their minds were submerged in deep thoughts.
Lorey broke the uncomfortable silence between them and said, "Luna, you have already taken tons of medication, but you're not getting well no matter how hard you try. You eat healthy foods and drink your medicine religiously every day, but still no positive result. No matter what you do, you can't get well. Haven't you noticed it yet?"
Clarice nodded her head as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Indeed, despite her best efforts, she's not getting well. She kept eating healthy foods and taking daily medicine, but her health did not improve, and now she feels like she's dying. She endured six months of vomiting, lack of appetite and hallucinations at night, and now this week she feels like she's going to die. Sometimes she had difficulty breathing. She could feel the spirit of death waiting outside the door to collect her soul, waiting for her last breath.
She stared at the bowl of soup that the shaman had prepared for her. "How to know if the soup is poisoned?" she asked her maid.
Lorey shook her head. "I don't know, Luna. I don't have special skills to know if the food is poisoned or not."
Proving the soup is poisoned is going to be difficult since the soup and porridge she eats every day taste the same.
Hmm...
What to do?
Clarice continued to stare at the bowl of soup. If Lorey's suspicions are right, the bowl of soup that she eats every morning will eventually kill her. It's just a matter of time. No. She can't die yet. "Lorey, go and see if my husband has already arrived home. Tell him to come to my room immediately. I want to tell him that the shaman has been poisoning me for a long time. I want him to investigate this matter immediately. Hurry up!" she ordered urgently.
Lorey was in great distress, scratching her head uncomfortably. "Um, Luna, I'm sorry to say this... but the reason why Alpha Bruce no longer visits you is because the shaman told everyone that your illness is infectious, and your disease can be transferred to another person in such a short time. Your very own husband is afraid of getting infected with your disease," she explained morosely.
Clarice's eyes widened in surprise. "That's a big lie! You've been by my side for six months, taking care of me every day, and you sleep in my room every night. How come you were never infected with my disease?" Her enraged voice vibrated around the room.
Lorey breathed deeply. "I argued with them that it was not true, but they never listened to me," she replied despondently.
Clarice was desperate. If the shaman succeeded with his intention of killing her, then no one will know that she was being slowly poisoned by that criminal. She will eventually die and can't get justice for herself!
They will just think that she died because of her incurable disease.
Lorey was fidgeting in her seat, looking nervous. She was hesitating to inform Luna Clarice that she had already been dethroned as Luna of the Bloodhound Pack since last week and tonight the new Luna would take over her place. She feared that if Luna Clarice learned about the bad news she would die instantly due to shock and heartbreak.
Clarice was busy thinking of a way to inform her husband about her suspicion, when her eyes landed on Lorey's face, she noticed her restlessness. "What's wrong? Why are you looking anxious?" she inquired.
Lorey took a deep breath. She finally decided to reveal the truth before it was too late. "Um, Luna, there is something you need to know about your husband..."
Clarice's breath faltered when she saw the severity of grief on Lorey's face. She had a feeling that what she was about to hear would break her heart into a million pieces. "What is it? Tell me now!"
Lorey sighed heavily. "Last week your husband already dethroned you, and you are no longer the Luna of our pack. He has already chosen a new Luna to take your place and tonight the new Luna will ascend to the throne in a lavish wedding ceremony. I'm so sorry I only told you about this today. I'm afraid you will plunge into depression and die of a heart attack after learning the truth," she said remorsefully.
The bad news exploded in Clarice's ears like a bomb, shattering her heart into tiny pieces. She had difficulty breathing. Her heart was squeezed painfully into her rib cage. A growl of pain erupted from her lips. Tears filled her eyes. She could only howl in anger and dismay. "How can my husband do this to me? How can he betray me like this? I'm still alive!"
She gritted her teeth in anger, furious at the betrayal and scheming that was going on around her.
She closed her eyes as an avalanche of tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
Lorey's tears rolled down her cheeks. She regretted telling her mistress the truth. "Luna, you have to survive the pain of heartbreak. You have to continue living!" She cried in despair.
"I'm still alive! But they treated me as if I'm dead already!" Clarice screamed aloud like a wounded animal. Her eyes were swollen with tears.
After learning about her dethronement, she felt like all her good deeds in the past had been ignored and wasted. Her husband's betrayal hurt her to the core.
Her heart was overwhelmed with grief. She was gasping for breath.
Panicking, Lorey rushed to the table and quickly poured water into the glass. "Luna, drink the water quickly," she said urgently.
Clarice obeyed and drank the water.
Lorey put the empty glass on the side table. She suddenly remembered the uneaten breakfast on the table. "Luna, do you want to eat breakfast now? I think the bread is not poisoned," she stated casually, trying to change the depressing topic of their conversation.
Clarice glanced at the food tray and shook her head. "No. I will skip breakfast today. I don't have appetite."
"I can get you some fruit from the kitchen," Lorey offered.
Clarice shook her head again. What is the purpose of living if her husband has already abandoned her? Her world just fell apart. She suddenly lost the will to continue living.
Wait...
Who is the new wife?
"Tell me, who is the new Luna?" Clarice asked, racking her brain bitterly. Who is capable enough to replace her on her throne?
Lorey bit her lip nervously.
"Hurry up! Tell me, who is she?" Clarice asked desperately, sounding like a wounded animal.
"It's your best friend, Aurelia," Lorey replied sadly.