Chapter 14: The Red Moon

Code of the Wolf (4/13):

"Teach the young." ~Rafhael Vieira

Blake

Trapped? What does she mean trapped? How could our parents, the ones who made this terrible world, not be able to witness it? Part of me feels bad for them. They had put so much effort into the Creation just to have it slap them in the faces. But the other part of me wants to laugh. Good riddance! They had us then left us down here, in fact, why even have us at all?

"That's so sad." Mason speaks for the first time with a whisper. The spirit nods solemnly at this. Titus gives him a long look before releasing a short, humorless laugh.

"Sad? More like hilarious. You're telling me they were stupid enough to get themselves locked out of the very thing they created? Why make the barrier in the first place?" Titus vexes with a raised eyebrow.

Emerson gives him a reprimanding glare. "To protect the Creation."

"From themselves?" Titus snarls.

Then I respond, "Maybe they were the ones the Creation needed protection from." Everyone goes silent at this. The spirit's mouth turns down into a frown.

"I said no interruptions until I am finished." She scolds, crossing her pale arms.

Titus rolls his eyes. "You mean you aren't finished yet?"

Lana says, "No, she still needs to talk to us about whatever the Red Moon era is and how we supposedly 'killed' her."

Ronnie joins in, "Oh yeah, I forgot about the whole murder thing."

"Silence!" The spirit shouts, but it comes out more airy than I suppose she wanted it to. "I said no interruptions or questions until I am through!" I could feel my magic slowly fading from her. She is still impermeable but she is becoming more and more pale, and soon she will be back to her translucent self.

We all quiet down, and Titus finally reluctantly sits down on the grass. A couple of feet away from the rest of us though.

"Now as I was saying, the seven were trapped, unable to look at all the wonders they had created. Centuries passed, and still the wolves could not seem to find a way out. Their magic was still fueling the Creation, giving it life, allowing it to thrive, but they could not see that progress for themselves. They created other planets, universes, and galaxies, but none compared to the Creation. They could not figure out why they were being pushed back. The wolf of wisdom went through every scenario, tried to solve every possible problem, tried to figure out what variables were missing, but he found nothing. The wolves still stayed family though, joined together through their shared power but also shared hardship. They discovered things about the themselves during this time.

One thing that happened was the Moon Goddess named all of them. Mirenzoelin became the wolf of nature. Deltisison became the wolf of war. Rhoemaison became the wolf of the tides. Vadoronses became the wolf of humanity. Lanisophiande became the wolf of wisdom. Venbiarson became the wolf of balance. And Blathanatosin became the wolf of death."

So all of our names were derived from our parents'. I make a mental note to look up the roots later. I can see that Emerson has figured this out too by the way his smile widens. I, for one, don't know how I feel about it. My dad said my name was embroidered in the blanket he found me in that day. I always wondered why my real parents bothered to even name me if they were going to give me up in the first place. And knowing now that it was meant to be that way, doesn't make it hurt any less.

"Another couple of centuries passed, and still, the wolves could not get passed the barrier. Vadoronses could not stand the thought that this may all be his fault, so he worked tirelessly each day to try to reverse the effects of his magic, but sadly, he had no luck. Thankfully, his brothers and sisters did not grow to resent him. During this time, Venbiarson and grew rather close. They began to form a bond unlike anything the other wolves shared with each other."

Were our parents best friends too? I would hate that. It would be like Emerson and I were fated to be best friends, pushed together by force, and not because of what we began to mean to the other. The way Emerson's face falls shows me that he feels the same way.

"They were mates." The spirit admits.

So our parents were British?

I look around and everyone else also looks confused. Well, more confused than they were already.

The spirit senses this and proceeds to elaborate. "Every living being in this world has a mate. A person with whom they were meant to share their soul, to live together with forever. Their perfect match, gifted to them by the Moon Goddess. Gender does not matter, not even species. The Goddess puts someone in your path, the person who will make you whole, who will love you wholeheartedly. Who will love you above all else." Her eyes seem wistful and lost. I look around to gauge everybody's reactions. Lana has a dreamy look in her eyes that seems far away, Titus is rolling his eyes, and Emerson just looks confused.

I can't hold it in. I laugh. "That is complete and utter bullshit." Emerson jabs me in the ribs again, but I ignore him. "Then why are there so many divorces, huh? Why do people spend their entire lives alone? Or even worse, what about when people find themselves loving the wrong person the entire time?" I feel bad for interrupting, but can't just keep my mouth shut on this.

"If you had let me finish," the spirit says through slightly gritted teeth, "I was going to explain." She does not like me, that much is clear enough. But I am the wolf of necromancy for goodness sake, shouldn't all spirits like me? The same way I assume all flames will "bow" to Emerson? But like I said, she is different from the other spirits, so I cannot wait to hear how we supposedly killed her.

I put up two hands in surrender, and she continues. "To answer Blake's question," She gives me a pointed look, "no, not everyone finds their mate. Humans, especially." Lana's shoulders seem to sag at this. "Because of the effect Deltisison had on humans, she made them prone to spurring disagreements with another. That led to humans drifting apart. As a result, less and less people find their mates, and miss out on having a true partner for life."

"That's so sad." Mason comments again, and his pale blue eyes hold so much despair.

Again, the spirit nods agreeing with him. So, he can interrupt?! Unbelievable. She goes on. "But for wolves, finding a mate is guaranteed." Lana perks up at this again, while Titus releases a puff of air. Ronnie's expression is blank. "Venbiarson and Blathanatosin were mates. Because of their strong connection with the moon, their bond was unbelievably powerful, in fact, they had the strongest bond in existence, because they shared over fifty percent of their soul with each other."

Emerson's eyes go wide at this information. I still don't see how any of this can be possible. "The other wolves were happy for the two of them, but over time grew sad because their mates had not yet been revealed to them. That, with the burden of not being able to see what they created, made them angry, at themselves, at the Universe, but most of all, at the Creation. So much so, that..." She pauses and I can see she is grasping to find the right words.

"They stopped giving magic to it."

I open my mouth to ask why, but the spirit silences me with a hand, and I close my mouth. She elaborates, "They blamed the Creation for their misfortune, so they wanted to punish it. They did not understand the detrimental effect this would have on the Creation until it was too late. Without Mason's dad the rivers stopped running, and the seasons stopped changing. Without Zoey's mom, no more offspring were created and the plants stopped growing. Without Emerson's mom the whole balance of the world was offset. The foundation of the universe cracked from within, and could not recover. Without Ronnie's dad, humans became depressed and unmotivated. They didn't embody the same vivaciousness and energy, and many started to grow ill. Without Lana's dad, progress halted. People started acting primitively, and technology did not evolve. Without Blake's dad, no one died and places began to get overcrowded which led to more disease. Titus's mom thrived. She delighted in all the chaos that ensued because it increased her power.

Her red-aura powers changed the color of the moon to a bloody red. Thus, the era of the Red Moon began. What followed was absolute disaster. Without the wolves' influx of good magic, dark magic began to creep through the cracks that their absence made. Dark creatures were born and began to terrorize the humans. Warlocks, rogue demons, and the worst monsters you could think of. But the worst of all of them were the werewolves."

Well, that's ironic. I would laugh if it wasn't so horrifying.

"The werewolves each took control of a city and enslaved the human inhabitants. Forced them to toil in the fields, give the wolves all of their money, and basically obey their every command. If they did not, they were killed. New York used to be the epicenter of everything. Prior to the Red Moon, it was booming with trade, job rates were exceptionally high, medicine was more innovative and effective, and the mortality rate was at an all time low. At first when the era of the Red Moon began many uprisings sprung up. The humans tried to attack the werewolves but they were no match for their brute strength. The wolves fought in packs, together they were unstoppable. Nothing or no one stood a chance against them. Eventually the humans submitted. The werewolves frequently tortured them to keep them in line, and made examples of the people who did not listen. The wolves made the humans do their dirty work, auctioned off the ones with special talents, and made them fight to the death in the pits they created.

This all went on until the year two-thousand and three. The werewolves of each city were rounded up for an urgent meeting one day with the coven of the elder wolves, who they came to frequently for counsel. The elder wolves told them a story of seven wolves who created the Earth. Who could never come down here. The elder wolves then prophesied that seven children would bring upon their destruction. At first, the wolves did not believe this. But there were signs that the prophecy was coming true. They were losing power, the previously subdued humans were becoming restless...they were losing control. They ran to the elder wolves..."

I cut her off, "Yeah this is terrifying and everything but you still haven't explained how you play into all of this, and how you know this happened."

Her lips push into a hard line. "I am getting there." I roll my eyes, and she huffs before continuing. "The werewolves ran to the elder wolves and demanded a way to get rid of the children. The elder wolves provided none, they said you kids would be too powerful, an unstoppable force, that there was nothing on Earth that could kill you. Until, one elder provided a seemingly impossible way.

The Twin Star."

I open my mouth to ask what it was since she has paused for dramatic effect, but she keeps talking before I can get a word out. "When the Moon was created, a star was created at the same time as a companion to it. For the night to shine, the moon and the stars must be present. There was no way to harness the moon's power, but there was a way to harness the star's energy. Because the Star was created in conjunction with the moon, it was equally as powerful, the most powerful channel of magic in existence. Because of this, the elder wolves thought it would be impossible to take, but the werewolves formed a plan.

First, they needed a creature of nature to point out where the star was. They went to a dark creature, since all the good ones had either been held captive, had fled, or were killed. They went to a powerful dark faerie that they knew would be able to find the star.

Me."

I audibly gasp, then mentally scold myself for being so loud. I see I am not the only one who is surprised. Emerson's jaw has dropped, and even the ever composed Titus seems a bit stunned.

"You have to understand I-I am not the same person I was then." She averts her eyes and again and sets them on the tree. It clicks for me. No wonder she seeks comfort in the trees, as a faerie she must have thrived off nature energy.

"I only cared about myself, about surviving. It did not matter who I hurt, as long as I was left unscathed. But I am not like that anymore. Anyway, they summoned me to find the Twin Star for them. It took weeks, I was only able to find it the day before you seven were born, and even then I still wasn't sure I got it right.

The wolves disconnected themselves from what was happening on the Creation as they were overcome with despair. They saw how terrible the Creation was becoming, and knew it was their fault, but they were too stubborn to restore good magic. They still blamed the Creation for their suffering. Even Venbiarson and Blathanatosin could not comfort each other. That was until Mirenzoelin came up with a plan. A plan she thought would brighten the spirits of her siblings, and bring some joy to their lives. She wanted to give them all children."

Ronnie interrupts this time which is a surprise. "Um, did she not understand how biology works?" She gasps. "Oh my God, was she never given the talk? When a mommy and daddy love each other very much..."

The spirit cuts her off. "Enough with this nonsense! I said save your comments until the end. What would your parents say if they saw you?" This seems to shut us all up. I don't know why.

"I am sorry for losing my temper, but please let me finish. Anyway, Mirenzoelin was determined to give her brothers and sisters children. She knew she would have to bend all laws of biology to do this, but she was the wolf of life after all. There was nothing she could not bring to life. So, she went to Blake's dad to hear his thoughts on the matter. This was rather hard to do since the two despised each other. Over time, the two just grew to dislike the other. Life and death just did not mix, and while they were a part of the same pack, they did not consider the other family like they did the rest of the pack. But she knew she had to go to him, to discuss the risks, the probability of success. For this she also called Lana's dad to hear his thoughts on the matter. The three of them convened when the others were asleep.

'I don't like the idea." Blathanatosin said. 'It is too risky, and if we lose them this would only sadden our family more, especially Venbiarson.' He contested.

'It might not be such a bad idea. I have come up with millions of reasons why the barrier will not let us through, and the only reasonable explanation I have come up with is that the Creation cannot withstand our power.' Lanisophiande says.

'What do you mean?' Mirenzoelin inquired.

'Well, Vadoronses created the barrier in order to protect the inhabitants of the Creation, to keep order there. I think the Creation is rejecting our magic because we may be too powerful for it. It must think we would destroy it if we descended.'

'That is impossible. We made the Creation, it is our right to see the miracles we have performed. So measly humans can enjoy it, but we must what? Just stay here and watch?' Mirenzoelin nodded, agreeing with Blathanatosin, which was rare.

Lana's dad gave an affirmative whistle. 'Exactly. But the children will not have as much power as us. They may be able to get through the barrier.'

'So the children will be regular wolves?' Mirenzoelin asked. 'They can live a normal life. If we cannot see the Creation, at least they can. They could look after it for us.' For a moment, the wolves were given something they had not felt in a long time.

Hope.

'Are you sure about this Lanisophiande? That they will withstand the fall? That they will be normal?' Mirenzoelin questioned.

'I am quite sure but I will do some final calculations tonight, and then we can perform the spell tomorrow. Our brothers and sisters will be ecstatic if this works! I will let you know.' Lana's dad said.

That night, the wolf of wisdom drifted away far from the others to think, and ponder about what they were planning on doing. He went through all the possible scenarios in his head, the risk factors, the chances of success, the probability of failure, until he reached a conclusion.

He had been wrong. This was rare. But it was true.

With a shock he realized aloud that a tiny bit of their power would be transferred to the children as cubs. Alas, they would not be mere animals. But their power would not stay small for long. Over the years, all of their powers would transfer to the children, doubling, tripling, growing and growing until the children became almighty beings. The wolves would only be left with a fragment of their powers. Their children would have it all, and more. They would have power beyond measure, they would have power unlike anything ever seen before. The magic inside them would be...endless.

'So, my vision was correct.' Lana's dad startled as Blake's dad crept up behind him as silent as the wind.

'You knew this would happen?'

'Of course I knew this would happen. I know everything that it going to happen. I know how this conversation will end. How our lives will end. How the Creation will end. All of it.'

'Why didn't you warn Mirenzoelin, warn me? We cannot go through with this. The children will be more powerful than us. They will take away our power. I will not allow it!'

'That is where you are wrong, dear brother. You will allow it.'

'No, I will not! Tomorrow I will tell Mirenzoelin the plan is off. I do not agree with this.'

'Then I will kill you before the night comes to an end.' Blathanatosin said cooly and without remorse.

Lanisophiande steps back at this, trying hard to keep his tail from swinging in between his legs in fright. 'You would not be able to brother. Our powers are equally matched. Except for Venbiarson, none of us can defeat our brethren in combat, it is impossible.' He was sure of this, yet he could not keep his voice from trembling.

'Have you forgotten Venbiarson is my mate? What I am about to tell you is perhaps the one thing you do not know. Since you will never experience having a mate.'

'That is not true.'

'Who could love an emotionless twat like you? Numbers come easy to you brother, but the heart remains a mystery that you will never solve.'

Lanisophiande whimpers at this.

'Venbiarson and I share a soul. We share emotions, feelings, thoughts, but most importantly, magic. And because my beautiful soulmate is very powerful, that in turn makes me quite powerful. Wouldn't you agree?'

At this, his tail really does go between his legs.

'B-But you would not kill me. We are practically family, we came into this world together. We may not share blood, but we a pack! You are my brother. You would not be able to live with my blood on your hands.'

'Not when it comes to this. It is true, your death will bring me great sorrow. But I will not allow my plan to be destroyed by you. See reason, brother, it is what you see best. I cannot tell you why right now, but the children will be of use to us in the future. We just have to wait.'

'I am tired of waiting. We have spent millennia doing nothing but waiting. I will not allow my power to be stripped away from me. It is all I am.'

'Very well, brother.' Lanisophiande smiled, glad his brother had finally chosen to take his side. He turned around and started walking away. He only took two steps when he began to feel his soul constrict. His heart swiftly following. He turned around with his eyes wide, and saw the grey wolf with a smirk on its face, and its black eyes seeming even darker now.

The brown wolf spluttered out, "O-Okay. I w-will not say anything. P-Please." His purple eyes held desperation and fear as he pleaded for his brother to stop killing him. Blathanatosin's black eyes met his and were steady for a few moments, before his magic returned to him and his soul and heart were free once more.

'I am Death, brother. Never forget that. When the entire world goes up in flames, only I will remain.' And then he walked away, slipping back into the shadows of the darkness.

The next day, Mirenzoelin went to Lanisophiande to see if he found anything wrong with her plan. Unbeknownst to Mirenzoelin, Blake's dad was lurking in the darkness, out of sight, but Lana's dad could sense him. His fur coat bristled at the thought of what happened the night before.

'Your plan is flawless, sister. I see no reason why you cannot create the children.'

Mirenzoelin beamed at this, and howled happily. "I am so glad. Maybe I can finally bring happiness to you all once more.' Lanisophiande did not howl in return.

'I do have one question though. Will the children have all of our DNA, how will the genetics work?' Lana's dad asked, which he was not used to doing. That is, asking questions.

'Not exactly. They will have only half of our DNA. I am hoping that because of this they will not have the magnitude of our powers and will be born without magic.' Lana's dad twitches at this but says nothing, allowing his sister to continue.

'The other part of them will be made up of the essence of the Creation.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well brother, since I am the wolf of life I just look a bit of the life source of the Creation. I intend to input it into each of the kids. That way, I think the Creation will accept them and allow them to cross the barrier.'

'Are you hundred percent sure this will work?'

'Sadly, no.'

'What if they hit the barrier and die? Or what if they die during the fall?'

'I suppose that is a risk we will have to take. But I have faith, brother, that they will survive the fall. Then, a piece of ourselves can live on the Creation, watch over it for us. Won't that be amazing?'

Lanisophiande says nothing for a moment.

'If they die during the fall, will we know? Will we even know if they survive? Will we feel it?'

'I don't know. So many aspects of this spell are unknown. I guess we would not know if they survived or died. Maybe we would feel some kind of parental intuition but other than that, I think all we can do is hope.'

'Where would they go if they died?' At that instant, Blake's dad emerged from the shadows. Lana's dad jumped, and Mirenzoelin became suspicious but said nothing.

'They would return here, of course. It's the cycle of life. We return to the place of our birth. For humans, it's a bit different, but the children won't be humans anyway. If they were to die, they would return here, and their souls would reside here.'

After that, the three of them called their remaining brethren and explained the plan to them. The risks and questions Lanisophiande has brought up, and what this would mean for all of them. All of them agreed immediately. They were partly excited at the idea of creating a new life, after all that's what they loved to do, create. They also relished in the idea of having a child of their own, of having a part of themselves on the thing they cherished the most.

Mirenzoelin went to go meditate before performing the spell. The spell would require a great deal of her magic and she wanted to be well rested, so the spell would go as planned.

After that, she came back to her brothers and sisters ready to complete the spell. She had a look of unease on her face, and so did Lanisophiande, but no one thought anything of it. She sat down, and started summoning her magic. Her eyes turned the brightest green, like summertime. Venbiarson walked up to her. They connected their gazes, and linked powers, channeling each other. Mirenzoelin hovered her hand over the jar of the Creation's essence and directed it right in front of them. The ball of oozing silver soon began to expand and glow, before flashing a brilliant gold, the exact same shade of Venbiarson's eyes. Then, a cry broke through the silence.

There was a collective gasp. 'It's human. A mortal! How can that be?' Titus's mom said.

'I guess the essence of the Creation made the child that way. But I'd hardly consider it mortal. Magic definitely runs through its veins. Just not like ours, since it will not have powers.' Emerson's mom walked slowly over to bundle of blankets levitating in front of her. She could not hold the child in her mouth, like a wolf usually did with its child, so she merely stared at the bundle in awe.

'It's a boy!' Venbiarson exclaimed with tears in her eyes. She looked at the boy and realized with wonder that his eyes were the same coloration as that of the moon and of the Creation. He was truly a child of the Creation.

'His name will be Emerson.' She said lovingly. 'I will always protect you, my boy. Even when we are apart; my fire will live in you always and will protect you when it gets dark. Do not be afraid of the dark, cub. Ah, my beautiful boy.'

Mirenzoelin performed the spell six more times, and soon enough, they had seven children that were all named, with their parent's eyes, all bundled up in blankets with their names embroidered in them.

Blake's dad looked on annoyed as they all cooed over their children. 'We have to do it now. There is no time to waste.'

Down on the Creation, I had just found out where the Twin Star was. It was November eighteenth. I was not completely sure but after weeks of deliberation, I was pretty sure I had gotten the star's precise location. And just in time too, because you children were about to come down.

The werewolves gathered all the magical creatures on the Creation into New York. They had them all link their powers, and direct it towards the Twin Star to pull it out of the sky. The Twin Star was the brightest star in all of existence. Looking at it directly, was almost blinding, and it visibly twinkled in the night sky. It was radiant, and lit up the darkness.

And the werewolves wanted that light for themselves.

The dark magical creatures connected their powers and formed a big sphere of darkness. The ball was inky with wisps floating around in the air like water. The creatures directed the ball of nothingness towards the object of pure light, the Twin Star.

Emerson's mother with tears matting in her pure white coat was the first to cast down her child. Then Titus's mom, then after that Ronnie's dad. After swapping a quick, fleeting glance with Blathanatosin, Lana's dad cast his daughter down as well. Blake's dad cast his daughter down so quickly, she moved through the barrier as swift as a shadow. Mirenzoelin and Rhoemaison's children were the only two remaining.

'But he's so little.' Mason's dad whispered. 'I can't stand to leave him.' Mirenzoelin nodded.

'It's true. How could I, the wolf of life, subject my child to possible death?'

'Oh, enough.' Blake's dad used his magic to swarm the two children in darkness, and urged that darkness down, causing the two babies to tumble down to the Earth.

Mirenzoelin screamed. She was heartbroken, felt each limb of hers breaking apart. Rhoemaison was no better, he was just looking at the void in front of him with blank eyes that held nothing inside of them.

On the Creation, the creatures had just managed to pluck the star from beside the moon and were working to pull it down towards the Earth. Closer, closer, it was so close to being in their hands.

All of a sudden, seven darts of lights appeared in the sky, resembling shooting stars. They ended up diverging in the sky, yet that did not deter them from streamlining towards the hard surface. They resembled great fires in the sky, streaks of light even brighter than the Twin Star. The Twin Star could not even compare to burn as bright as you children did. The creatures wasted no time. They kept trying to urge the star to come down to the Earth faster, but the process was too slow, and the children were falling too fast, and then...

Boom.

The second the children touched the Earth, waves of pure energy ricocheted off them. They radiated out and encompassed the entire planet. Dark creatures began to scream in agony. Their insides were burning up, their skin was on fire. Their screams were shattering, full of menace and pain, and then... silence. The only remains of the once evil creatures were scorch marks on the ground, with ashes atop them. Every single dark creature in the world, every ounce of dark magic, reduced to a pile of dust.

I became nothing more than a pile of dust." The spirit finishes.

We are silent. Every single one of us. Ronnie's mouth has been popped open for minutes. And I can see from the corner of my eye that Emerson is quivering a bit. From distraught, from anger, from trepidation, I do not know. Usually I know, but right now I don't. Maybe because I don't know what it is I'm feeling either. My dad was, for lack of a better word, an asshole. An absolute asshole. And he created me.

If he was evil, what does that make me?

"I am done telling you of the events that transpired before your birth. Now you understand why I said you killed me, unintentionally. I hold no ill thoughts against you however. But sadly, I have not been able to move on. Which is why I am reduced to this ghostly form."

Lana is staring wide-eyed in front of her. "I have so many questions."

"Me first." I say without looking at Lana. "You're a spirit because you cannot move on? Is that the same for all spirits? I thought one could choose to become a spirit after they died. But I guess I've never asked..."

"Yes. One becomes a spirit because they cannot move on, or because something is still tethering them to this world. A goal that they regret never accomplishing, a loved one they can't let go of...life affects all of us deeply, and no one is ever truly ready to say goodbye. Some just pretend to in the end."

Titus, without a hint of emotion on his face, asks, "You said the blast only killed dark creatures. So what about the humans? What happened to them?"

"They are still alive." The spirit replies.

"Where are they then?" Lana joins in.

"They are right here." The spirit says.

We all twist our heads to scan our surroundings.

"Do the rest of you see anything or am I just blind?" Ronnie asks, confused.

We all shake our heads no.

"I don't mean here, literally. When the blast reverberated, all of their memories were wiped. They have no recollection of the era of the Red Moon."

"So you're telling me that they don't remember being enslaved? They don't remember magic at all?" I sputter out.

"Alas, they have been succumbed to living in a world ridden of magic. Good and evil."

"So they don't remember anything?" Lana replies, unconvinced.

"That is not totally true. Some people are special and get glimpses or flashbacks of that time. Others get really scary nightmares that they shrug off as being a figment of their imagination, and not memories." I suddenly think back to my father, and how he's taken sleeping pills for the past twenty years now. He tells me he cannot sleep, but I blamed that on an overactive brain, not because he was too frightened of what may meet him in his dreams.

"No one has never connected the dots?" Emerson says.

"There are measures in place to prevent that." The spirit answers.

"What measures?" I inquire.

"I've said too much."

"That brings me to my other question. Why are you helping us? Why are you telling us all of this? What are you gaining?" I feel my anger begin to rise once more.

Emerson gives me a sad, disappointed look, and I realize I may have asked that too harshly. But c'mon? We may know now who she was, but that does not explain why she is helping us. Out of the goodness of her heart? I don't believe that.

"Because if I help you, I will move on."

"What you mean?" I ask, narrowing my eyes.

"I left out a part in the story."

"I knew something seemed sus." Ronnie says, as her mouth quirks up.

"After I told the werewolves where to find the star I was summoned by one of the elder wolves. They told me it was a mistake to kill the children, and that if we did, we would be condemning the world to destruction. I raced to try and stop them, but my power was too weak in comparison to theirs. It doesn't matter though, they were too late. But my soul cannot move on, it still feels guilty. I believe helping you will allow me to move on. And I know all there is to know about your kind, I can be a useful ally. I swear I mean you no harm."

Zoey speaks up. "I think we can trust her." The spirit graced her with a sad, yet thankful smile.

Titus lets out a huff. "Well 'think' is not very reassuring."

She glares at him, and the look seems foreign on her face as it twists up her delicate and fair features. "I know we can trust her."

Emerson stands up, and looks down at all of us. "I agree with Zoey. As of right now we know nothing about our powers. She can help us grow stronger, and discover more about ourselves."

Zoey stands up as well and nods. She is followed by Lana who seems hesitant but determined. Ronnie is next to stand. Emerson looks down at me. His eyes are full of an emotion I cannot discern, which is rare. I look into his eyes, and realize now that they really do resemble the Earth, blue and green swirls fighting for dominance. He puts his hand out, pleading for me to grab it silently.

I look at the spirit and her eyes are trained on me. I don't trust her. I know I don't trust anybody, but my gut is telling me I'm right about this one. But she helped me control my powers earlier, she helped me do something I never knew was possible; and she helped me understand spirits more. I won't lie. She can definitely help us. But at what cost?

I take his hand. We don't usually hold hands. I don't know if it's because of the whole boy-girl thing or because we both affiliate that with romanticism, but his hand in mine feels reassuring. He smiles at me, and I smile back.

Titus and Mason are still on the floor. Mason's eyes are studying the ground, and Titus looks pensive. Mason says in a whisper, "Do you promise not to hurt us?"

She gives him a smile full of kindness and a bit of sadness. "I promise."

Mason stands up, but his gaze does not leave the floor. He won't meet our eyes. I wonder what happened to him in his past, what burdens he's carrying.

Titus stands up finally. Which makes me think he wanted to be the last one to stand just for the attention. He growls, "If you turn on us, I will personally make sure you never move on."

The spirit's face resembles stone, but she nods. She says, "I'm afraid Blake's powers are wearing off now, but before I return to my usual state, I want to give you all something."

She walks, which is weird since I'm used to her floating, behind the only living tree in this part of the cemetery. She brings back a book. "This is the Lunar Compendium."

"The lunar what now?" Ronnie says.

"The Lunar Compendium. I was able to find it after the blast. It contains information about your powers, your parents, and your transformation. You may find some other information useful." The way she said 'other' makes me believe there is something she is not telling us that is in the book.

Emerson reaches out and takes the book, just as the spirit returns to her normal form. He looks around at all of us, "What now?" He says.

I find myself asking that a lot these days. Plus, there is one more thing that is still bothering me. A question I was too afraid to ask. A question that will probably haunt me until I find the answer.

What did my dad want with us?

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Thank you for reading this chapter. I really wanted to publish on Halloween, because it gives me spooky vibes. Sorry for the slower updates, school has been stressing me out. What did you think about the chapter? Please remember to like, comment, and share the story with your friends. Your continued support means the world. Stay golden :)

~Fallen Rose🥀