Bound by the Moon

Chapter 15

The chamber's cold, oppressive atmosphere dissipated as the final vestiges of the second trial faded into memory. Astrid stood in the center of the now-empty room, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths. Her limbs trembled from the exertion, her muscles taut with the aftershocks of her fear. The trial had pushed her beyond anything she had ever known, and yet, despite the darkness that had tried to consume her, she had survived.

But the weight of her survival was not the comfort she had hoped for.

The silence of the chamber was suffocating, the oppressive quiet magnifying the isolation that clung to her like a shadow. Her skin was cold, and the mental exhaustion from the trials pressed down on her, thick and unrelenting. The whispering voices of doubt had receded, but their echo still lingered in her mind.

Was this what her life had become?

Astrid swallowed hard, forcing herself to take a step forward. She wasn't sure if it was relief or dread that kept her legs moving, but something inside her propelled her forward, refusing to let her collapse under the weight of it all.

The door to the chamber groaned open, and Lucien stood in the doorway, his tall, imposing figure casting a shadow across the threshold. His face was as cold and unreadable as ever, his sharp eyes scanning her as if she were a mere pawn in a game he had already won. He said nothing, but the flicker of recognition in his gaze told her that he knew she had passed the second trial. There was no praise, no word of congratulations.

There never would be.

He stepped aside, gesturing for her to follow. The sight of him brought back a surge of frustration, anger that burned through the numbness she had been clinging to. He had forced her into this—into these trials, these endless tests of endurance and fear. Lucien had pushed her into the heart of darkness and demanded that she survive or be discarded like a broken tool.

For a moment, she wanted to yell at him, to demand answers. Why? Why was she forced into this? But the energy wasn't there. Not anymore. The trials had stripped her of the strength she had left, and now all that remained was exhaustion. A bone-deep weariness that wrapped around her like chains. Even if she demanded answers, what would change? He had made it clear that she was nothing more than a trial for his pack—a means to prove her worth, or to die in the process.

She hated him for it, but in some twisted way, she also understood.

With a sigh that felt heavier than the air around her, Astrid followed Lucien through the dim, winding corridors of the Bloodmoon stronghold. The stone beneath her feet was cold, hard, and unforgiving, much like the atmosphere that had haunted her since she had arrived here. Every step she took echoed back at her, as if the fortress itself was watching, waiting for her to falter.

Lucien remained silent as they walked, his steps sure and confident, a stark contrast to her own unsteady gait. His presence was a reminder of the power he held—not just over the pack, but over her fate. He could decide her future with a single word, and the knowledge of that burned in her chest like acid. She had no choice but to follow him, to endure whatever he threw at her, if only to survive.

They finally reached the familiar iron door of her cell. The clanking of the iron echoed as Lucien unlocked the heavy bars.

Astrid hesitated at the entrance, her breath catching as she stared at the dark, claustrophobic space that awaited her. The cell was exactly as she had left it—cold, damp, and unforgiving. It was far from a sanctuary, but for now, it was the only place she could retreat to.

"Rest," Lucien said, his voice low and emotionless. "You'll need your strength for what comes next."

She didn't respond. There was no point. Her exhaustion was so deep that even the anger she felt toward him was swallowed by it. Instead, she stepped into the cell, the door creaking shut behind her with a finality that sent a shiver down her spine.