Bound by the Moon

Chapter 14

The passage beyond the trial chamber was dark, almost suffocating in its stillness. The stone walls, damp with moisture, felt like they were closing in as Astrid walked. Her legs trembled from both the strain of the trial and the weight of her victory. The success should have brought her a sense of relief, but instead, a new kind of dread settled in her gut.

Her mind spun as she tried to process the riddle, the tension, and the near-paralyzing fear she had felt just moments ago. She had barely passed that trial. The next would undoubtedly be worse.

If this was only the first challenge, how much more could the Bloodmoon Pack throw at me?

Astrid's footsteps echoed in the narrow stone corridor, the soft sound almost mocking in its repetition. Each step seemed to underscore the fragility of her position. The cold air pricked at her skin, sending shivers down her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to draw in what little warmth she could muster. The torchlight ahead flickered, casting long, twisting shadows on the walls.

Lucien's pack lived and breathed in these shadows. Everything about the Bloodmoon Pack felt cloaked in secrecy and darkness, as if the very air was soaked with danger. She had known Silverclaw was strict, but Bloodmoon... this was something far more menacing. Every word Lucien had spoken echoed in her mind. Failure was death. There was no margin for error, no mercy, no redemption.

Astrid pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her breath. She hadn't even been given time to recover fully before being thrust into the next phase of her ordeal. Lucien hadn't said it outright, but she knew—there wouldn't be rest between trials. There would be no mercy from the Bloodmoon Pack, and especially not from Lucien. His cold, steely demeanor was still fresh in her mind, his voice devoid of any empathy. It made her wonder what kind of person he truly was behind the emotionless facade.

Does he even care if I succeed? she wondered. Or am I just another tool to him, another asset to test until it breaks?

When the corridor opened up into a larger chamber, she stopped short, feeling her heart stutter in her chest. It was a cavernous room, illuminated by the soft, unnatural glow of runes etched into the walls. At the far end stood Lucien, his silhouette stark and commanding against the eerie light. His back was turned, but Astrid could feel his presence. The air felt heavier around him, as if the very atmosphere shifted under his control.

He didn't turn to acknowledge her arrival. Instead, he spoke, his voice low and measured, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"The first trial is always the easiest," he said, his tone devoid of warmth. "The purpose is to shake you, to unsettle your mind, to make you doubt your strength before you even begin."

Astrid bristled at his words. Easy? That riddle had nearly undone her. She had been moments away from giving in to panic, her heart pounding so hard she thought it would burst. Easy, she thought bitterly, then what does he consider difficult?

Lucien turned slowly to face her, his gaze sharp and assessing. His eyes glinted in the dim light, reflecting the ominous glow of the runes around them. There was something unreadable in his expression, a cold detachment that made her stomach churn.

"You survived the first trial," he continued, his voice measured, "but that means little in the grand scheme of things. The trials are designed to strip you down to nothing, to reveal who you really are underneath everything else."

"I know," Astrid said, her voice tight, though she could barely suppress the tremor in her hands. "I know what I have to do. I'm not going to fail."

Lucien's lips twitched, though it was impossible to tell whether it was amusement or disdain. "You may think you know. But your confidence will be tested." He stepped closer, his presence growing even more oppressive. "You will face physical pain, emotional turmoil, and intellectual battles. But the greatest challenge will be facing yourself."