??? Aleena’s POV ???


    Where am I?


    I wasn’t in the dungeon anymore, that was for sure. Instead, I was still sitting down but was surrounded byvender. I stood up and looked around. There was nothing and no one in thevender field, onlyvender nts as far as the eyes could see. A light mist covered the air, and thevender was covered in what seemed like morning dew. Despite being alone and not knowing where I was, I felt a sense of calmness.


    Am I in one of Rose’s memories? But why is there no one here? What is she trying to show me?


    Not knowing where to go or what to do, I took a step forward and another. I kept moving forward and felt the gentle breeze blowing through the field and the rustling sound of thevender against my body as I parted them away with each step. The smell ofvender filling my nostrils calmed me down, and I realized I wasn’t in a memory.


    I was able to feel everything here while I couldn’t feel or smell anything when I was in Rose’s memories – I have a real body here.


    Suddenly, the mist cleared, and I saw a clearing ahead. I walked toward the clearing and saw a woman wearing a long white dress sitting on a long bench while stroking a sleepingvender wolf beside her.


    I went to her and asked, “I’m sorry, but where am I?”


    The woman took her eyes away from thevender wolf and looked at me. I was in awe as I saw her face clearly. She was breathtakingly beautiful with long ck hair and dark eyes that seemed to have different fireworks colors – blue, green, yellow-gold, silver, andvender. She gave out a gentle, ethereal, yet powerful aura.


    Who is she?


    “Aleena…” she called my name gently and stood up. Her voice was even gentler than the elves and more melodic and hypnotic than the sirens.


    I gaped at her until I felt her hands on mine. “I’m sorry,” I apologized for being muddle-headed and staring at her shamelessly because of her beauty.


    “Come and sit with me,” she said, pulling me slightly, ignoring my previous reaction, which I was grateful for.


    Thevender wolf stirred and opened her eyes. Even her wolf is gorgeous… Lavender fur and silver eyes.


    “You must know her,” Moon Goddess said with a cheeky expression that didn’t even erase her beauty.


    I know her? Lavender fur… Wait…


    “Celia?” I asked the wolf, and the wolf nodded as she came to sit beside me. “You are beautiful.” I stroked her fur.


    “I know,” Celia’s cocky voice came into my mind.


    Iughed, and we sat side by side on the bench with Celia sitting beside me, and we fell into afortable silence. I closed my eyes while still stroking Celia’s soft fur and leaned back, enjoying the sense of serenity surrounding me. I had never felt so peaceful in my whole eighteen years of life, and I weed it so much after everything that had happened.


    My eyes flew open at the thought of what I had been through and what I would face.


    “Ummm… May I know where we are?” I asked the gorgeous woman sitting beside me.


    “We are in your dream,” the woman said with her gentle, melodious voice and fixed her eyes on me.


    In my dream? I fell asleep?


    “Who are you?” I asked curiously.


    “I’m the mother of all werewolves and Lycanthropes,” she replied.


    The mother of werewolves and Lycanthropes? I furrowed my brows, thinking, isn’t the mother of all werewolves and Lycanthropes the Moon Goddess?


    My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped as realization dawned on me. “You are… You are the Moon Goddess?” I stammered.


    She nodded, and a gentle smile appeared on her stunning face, making it more attractive. No wonder she looks ethereal…


    “I… I fell asleep?” I blushed after I asked that question. I was too nervous, causing me to ask her such a stupid question.


    Sheughed softly. Goddess, even herugh sounded like a gentle chime of bells.


    “Yes, you fell asleep, Aleena,” she answered, and I saw a glint of mirth in her beautiful eyes, making the fireworks in her eyes look like they were dancing.


    My face grew even hotter as I saw herughing at me. “Why. Why am I here?” I quickly asked her to save myself from my embarrassment.


    Her smile disappeared, and her expression turned serious. “I know you have many questions for me, my child.”


    Questions? Yes, I do have lots of questions for her. My face fell, and I became sad as I thought about my destiny. “Why did you make my destiny to be so cruel?” I asked her in a small voice.


    She didn’t answer me for a while. Just as I thought my question was rude and was about to apologize, she responded to my inquiry.


    “It wasn’t my intention to make your life hard, Aleena,” she sighed.


    It was unintentional? “It was idental?” I asked her as I looked at her in surprise. If it was, then it still wasn’t okay for her to do it. “How could you make an ident while creating my fate?” My face fell once more as the thought of killing Kyson entered my mind again.


    She shook her head slowly. “No, it wasn’t idental on my part. It was Rose’s fault, and I can’t do anything about Andre since he chose to side with the witches and was deterred from his fate.”


    “You mean Andre was controlled by Rose?” Even though I thought the same way, that everything happened because of Rose, it was still a surprise to hear the words from the Moon Goddess herself.


    “Yes, I’m sure that you must have noticed it. It was Rose who was using Andre for her own good,” she confirmed my suspicion. “I had a great n for Andre; s, he gave in to temptation.”


    I fell silent after hearing her words. I knew everything was Rose’s fault; there was no doubt about it. Well… Andre wasn’t so bad, just like the Moon Goddess said. Sometimes, I felt like he genuinely cared for me. It was too bad he was too greedy for power and was led astray by that wicked Rose.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    But what does the Moon Goddess mean when she said it was Rose’s fault for identally making my destiny cruel? I racked my brain and dug through the memories Rose had shown me; which part was idental? There was only one part…


    “I’m not part witch, aren’t I?” The only thing that seemed unnned was when Rose sealed my power and identally transferred her power to me, but it was better since it meant she could control me.


    “I can’t tell you too much right now, Aleena,” the Moon Goddess replied.


    “Why?” Why can’t she just exin everything to me right now so I know what to do?


    “It’s not the time yet. It’ll take quite long to exin, and we don’t have much time now,” she exined.


    Not the time yet? Then when will the right time be? After I sessfully kill Kyson? I had to bite my lip from reporting or yelling at the Moon Goddess.


    “Then why am I here?” I asked her with a heavy heart.


    “I bring you here to tell you that you need to follow your heart, my child,” she replied in a soft voice.


    Follow my heart? What heart? Do I even have my own feelings? Aren’t my feelings for Kyson just a bunch of fabricated lies created by Rose?


    “Do you love Kyson?” she asked as I didn’t reply.


    I hesitated to answer her. Love? Of course, I love Kyson, but it was only an illusion, no?


    “Just answer me without thinking of anything else, Aleena. Do you love Kyson?” she repeated her question.


    “Yes,” I still answered hesitantly.


    “Then that is all that you need to know. Just follow your heart, and everything will fall into ce,” she said gently.


    I wanted to… But…


    “Moon Goddess, is there any part of my life that is not a lie?” I asked her in a quiet voice.


    She took my hand and said, “Everything is not a lie.”


    I became more confused. Everything is not a lie? Then I really have to kill Kyson?


    “You are destined for a much bigger thing, Aleena. Your destiny doesn’t stop at having to kill your mate or even Rose,” she paused a while before continuing, “But it all will depend on your choice.”


    Choice? “I have a choice?” I asked her incredulously.


    “The one thing you need to remember right now is to follow your heart. When you make the right choice, you will see your true self,” she said.


    My true self? What self?


    “This is all I can say right now, Aleena. Remember, just follow your heart,” she repeated again.


    I was about to ask her about it, but she didn’t give me a chance as she said, “That is for now, Aleena. It’s time for you to go back. We will meet again soon if everything goes ordingly.”


    ***


    I woke up with a jolt. Looking at the small window, I realized it was daylight now, and I was back at the dungeon. Did I really meet the Moon Goddess?


    I thought about what the Moon Goddess had told me. The most important thing she said was for me to follow my heart. She repeated it a few times, so it must be crucial. Did she mean I have to believe that I love Kyson? That my feelings for him are real?


    As I was contemting the Moon Goddess’ words and what they meant, I heard a hurried whisper from the dungeon’s gate.