Tales from the Past

The night air was quiet, thick with the scent of burned wood and blood-soaked earth. The stars blinked down like silent watchers as Aedric and Eleanor crouched beside two fresh graves. Their hands were covered in dirt, and their clothes were torn and smoky from battle.

Eleanor wiped her brow with the back of her hand and let out a slow breath. Aedric dropped beside her, brushing off his trousers before reaching for a few pieces of dry wood. With a grin tugging at his lips, he glanced sideways at her.

"Hey, fake Daria," he said, wiggling his fingers mysteriously. "Wanna see something cool?"

Eleanor raised a brow. "If it involves fire, please don't set my eyebrows off."

He chuckled. "Watch and be amazed."

Holding out his palm, he summoned a small flame. It floated like a soft orange orb, flickering gently in the cup of his hand. Then, with a slight movement, he tossed it onto the pile of wood. The fire caught instantly, dancing to life.

Eleanor's eyes widened with a smile. "Wow. You figured that out fast."

Aedric grinned, the firelight dancing across his sharp features. "I know, right? As soon as I absorbed the twins' fire powers, it's like the knowledge came with it. My body just knew what to do."

"That's… cool. And kind of terrifying."

He tilted his head toward her. "When did you learn to use your powers?"

Eleanor shrugged. "Why should I tell you when you won't tell me yours?"

"Tch. Fine. You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

"Promise?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Swear on the Moon Goddess."

"I swear," she said with a smirk, raising one hand.

Aedric exhaled, poked the fire with a stick, then leaned forward. "Okay. Here goes."

His voice softened, eyes glinting with memory.

"My name is Aedric Grayfang of House Grayfang, second son of the late Alpha Govind Grayfang. My older brother, Koran, was always the golden one. The firstborn. The rightful heir. I was the omega child—not weak, but second in everything."

He paused, a shadow crossing his face.

"I didn't mind, at first. I liked my freedom. Then I met someone. A girl. She wasn't just beautiful—she saw me. For twenty-six moons, we were in love. She told me I was enough."

Eleanor stayed quiet, listening closely. The fire crackled softly between them.

"But when her wolf awakened, something changed. She said I was weak. A second son had no place beside her. She needed power, a future alpha—not someone like me."

His jaw clenched slightly. "I tried to win her back. I challenged Koran in a Luna Kai… and lost. He spared me, but banished me. I left, broken, humiliated… stripped of love and title."

His fingers curled into fists.

"But then… I met someone. A vixen. She taught me dark magic. She said I could become more than a second son. I could absorb powers, become something even an Alpha would fear. So I did. I took Theron's speed. I took the twin's fire. The more I absorb, the stronger I become."

Eleanor leaned forward slightly. Her voice was quiet. "So… you're doing all this for that girl?"

"I was," he admitted, his face hardening. "But now? I do it for myself. To get back what I lost. To earn a seat at the table. Not as a prince. As a king."

The fire popped, sending a spark into the air.

Aedric looked at her expectantly. "Now your turn, fake Daria."

Eleanor's gaze drifted into the flames. The orange glow painted shadows across her face. Her lips parted slowly.

"My story isn't like yours," she said.

She wrapped her arms around herself, as if holding something in.

"I used to be a queen. A real one. A Lycan Queen. Feared. Respected. Worshipped. I ruled with power, with strength, with... fury."

Her voice cracked just slightly. Aedric noticed.

"I had a best friend—she was my other half. And a husband I believed loved me. I trusted them both. But love can be a lie, and friendship can be poison. They wanted my throne. So they poisoned me."

Her breath trembled. She blinked fast.

"They killed me."

Silence stretched. Only the fire whispered.

"But the Moon Goddess gave me another chance. She placed me into a weak, wolfless body. No power. No glory. Just pain, and a system of quests and trials to climb my way back."

Aedric's mouth parted in surprise. "So… you really aren't Daria?"

Eleanor shook her head. "No. I just look like her. And every day I wear her face, it brings danger closer. But I can't leave this body until I finish what the Goddess wants."

Aedric stared at her. His expression unreadable.

"That's wild," he muttered. "So… how did you even take someone's body?"

"I don't know," she said. "It just happened. One moment I was dying. Then I woke up here."

They sat in silence for a moment, firelight flickering in their eyes.

Aedric rubbed the back of his neck. "Was Daria… the girl in my story?"

Eleanor looked at him sideways. "Was she?"

He shook his head. "No. Daria was just a friend."

Eleanor frowned. "Then… why did she choose you over Koran?"

His lips tightened. "It wasn't her choice. Elyndra made sure Koran would break her heart. It was all a setup."

Eleanor's voice was soft. "And Brina?"

Aedric raised a brow. "What about her?"

"She hates me. I can feel it in her eyes."

Eleanor spoke again. "How close were Daria and Brina?"

Aedric leaned back, folding his arms.

"They were close," he said. "Real close. You know, Brina wasn't even born here. When she was five or six, some fishermen found her body floating near the river. Pale like snow. They thought she was dead. But she wasn't."

Eleanor leaned in slightly, listening closely.

"They brought her to my father. Everyone thought she was cursed. Said she'd bring destruction. The elders wanted her thrown back into the sea. But Daria… Daria played with her. Defended her."

His voice grew quieter.

"Raven Orrin, Daria's mother, made Brina her daughter's slave to stop the gossip. But Daria never treated her that way. She gave her a name. Brina had no name before that."

Eleanor's heart twisted.

"The girl who gave her a name is gone now. That's why Brina hates you."

Eleanor's throat tightened. She stared into the fire, unmoving.

Her lips parted, but no words came. Her hands trembled on her lap. A dull ache rose in her chest. Guilt—thick and heavy—wrapped itself around her ribs.

She wanted to speak. But nothing felt right.

The firelight caught the tear she tried to blink away.

Her breath hitched, just once.

And Aedric saw it. The weight of guilt settled over her shoulders like heavy chains.

She whispered, "I didn't ask to be in her body."

Before Aedric could say anything, a sound snapped the quiet.

Crunch.

They both froze.

Another step.

Crunch.

Eleanor's hand lit with blue light—Stormbite forming instantly in her grip.

Aedric crouched slightly, one hand aflame, the other raised defensively.

They weren't alone anymore.

Someone—or something—was coming.