Chapter 203

AURORA

I nod, fighting down the sorrow welling in my throat. No time to mourn yet.

The pack turns to me once we gather into some sign of formation, seeming to await directions. My body seems to do its own thing, though inside, I remain in a bubble of disbelief.

But then, the pendant around my neck begins to glow, its light brighter than ever before. A familiar warmth spreads through me, and suddenly, I’m standing in the silver meadow once more.

The Moon Goddess appears, her form radiant and serene.

“Aurora,” she says, her voice filled with both sorrow and hope. “You stand at the precipice of destiny.”

I fall to my knees, the weight of everything falling hard upon me. “I can’t do this,” I whisper. “I’m not strong enough.”

“You are stronger than you believe,” she replies, kneeling before me. “But strength comes with sacrifice.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy with meaning.

“What do you mean?” I ask, though I fear the answer.

“The power within you is not to be used lightly,” she says. “To fully merge with my essence, to use the strength that will help you defeat the Nameless, you have to give up your mortal life.”

I catch my breath. “You mean… I’ll die.”

She nods, her face soft but unyielding. “Your spirit will live on, to guide and protect your pack. But your time as Aurora will be over.”

Her words fall heavy upon me, crushing.

Pictures flash through the eye of my mind: Dane, Piper, Warrick, and the pack. I think of the battles we’ve been through, and the bonds that have formed.

And then I think of Holden, of his sacrifice, of the peace in his eyes when he made his choice.

“How can I leave them?” I whisper, tears streaming down my face.

“You will not save them,” the goddess says. “You will enable them. Your sacrifice will be what arms them to survive.” I closed my eyes, heart shattered.

“Do I have a choice?”

“You always do,” she returns.

When the vision clears, I find myself back in battle.

Dane’s by my side. His eyes rake over mine. “What did she say?” he repeats, this time low.

I breathe deep, the resolution settling heavily in my chest. “She told me what I have to do.”

Dane’s face twists, a flicker of fear crossing his face. “Aurora, no. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” I say firmly. “This is the only way to end it.”

The pack gathers for the final attack, their resolve strengthened by the withdrawal of the Nameless’s forces. But as we reach his lair, the air thickens with malevolence.

The Nameless awaits.

This lair is a maze of shadow, with each corridor pulsating with dark energy. As we press further inside, the sense of tension rises.

Then, we found him.

Standing at the heart of the lair, the Nameless towers above them, dark and looming. Suddenly, there is a flash of malevolence within his eyes as he speaks in a voice venomously sibilant.

“You think you can defy me?” he jeers. “You are nothing.”

Dane presses forward, shining blade at the ready. “We’ll see about that.”

It is a brutal fight; every strike that lands is met with a counter of equal force. The power of the Nameless is crushing; his shadows will not stop.

At the height of the chaos, Trajan appears out of nowhere, his eyes aglow with the influence of the Nameless. Trajan lunges at me with deadly precision, his blade aimed for me.

“Trajan, stop!” I beg, my voice breaking. For a moment, his movements falter, a flicker of recognition crossing his face.

“Aurora….” he whispers, straining. But the Nameless’s hold tightens, and he surges forward.

Time slows as Dane throws himself between us, blocking the blow. The clash of their blades echoes through the lair, the air crackling with energy.

“Trajan, fight it!” Dane yells, his voice filled with desperation.

Trajan’s expression twists with pain and fury, the battle raging not just between them but within him.

Finally, with a roar, he breaks free, his blade clattering to the ground.

“I’m sorry,” he gasps, his body trembling.

And before I utter a word, Nameless bursts into a peal of laughter as cold blood runs in my veins. “You think you’ve won?” he said. “This is only the beginning.”

The Nameless’s laughter rang out across the lair, every laugh piercing like a thrust into my will. In front of me, he rises – twisted from shadows and raw malice.

The air becomes heavy, making every breath an immediate labor with his power.

“You think you can challenge me, child?” He sneers at me, voice a hissing promise of venom. “You are but a spark in the face of the void.”

My fingers clench tight over the pendant at my chest, its glow a faint beacon against smothering darkness.

“I may be a spark,” I say, forcing strength into my voice, “but even a spark can ignite a blaze.”

He lunges first, his shadows tumbling towards me in a wave; I toss a shimmering barrier of light before him, letting the Moon Goddess’s power run through me.

The forces met, and the ground shuddered around our feet.

The pack scatters; shockwaves from our impact send debris cascading from above.

I can hear Piper’s voice calling orders, the tenor of her tone urgent as she ushers everyone to higher and safer ground.

“Get out of here!” I yell, never taking my eyes off the Nameless.

“Aurora, we can’t just leave you!” Dane’s voice cuts through the chaos, but there’s a shake in it, fear, desperation.

“You have to,” I say, my voice firm. “This fight isn’t for you. It’s mine.”

The Nameless doesn’t wait for an invitation. He lunges, his shadowy form twisting impossible ways as he closes the distance between us.

I meet him head-on; our powers clash in a dazzling explosion of light and darkness.

The pull is immediate. Every ounce of energy that I draw from the Moon Goddess seems to be tearing me apart, the power too vast for my mortal body to contain.

“You cannot win,” the Nameless sneers, its voice coming from all sides. “You are already breaking.”

I flash my teeth, forcing myself with all my might. “Then I’ll break,” I snarl through my teeth, “but I’ll take you with me.”

Dane charges forward, his blade a flashing blur, but is engulfed by shadows before he can strike and flung like a rag doll.

“Dane!” I scream in panic as he hits the ground, not moving. “I’m fine,” he groans out, stumbling to his feet. His eyes flash to mine, all frustration. “Aurora, let me help!”

“You can’t,” I say, my voice breaking with emotion. “This isn’t a battle you can fight.”