The Gate of Shadows

Melody never let go of my hand, no matter how ugly or brutal the memories became. After each visit, the book I was creating got lengthier as I copied anything that might have been useful once we left this realm. Eventually, we found the one when Stella tried to curse Fenris.

Seeing it happen made me remember everything so clearly.

Ah… that’s right. That day, I escaped from the room they usually kept me in before sneaking into Stella's office to look for a book she had taken away.

It contained the only picture I had of my mother with me. However, looking back at it, what drew me there was probably the magic gathering there. When I heard voices coming, I hid behind the bookshelves before trying to peek through them.

It wasn’t long until I spotted Stella and a few sisters with a child arrive. She dragged the terrified girl up towards the cauldron, an orphan from the raid that killed my mother, forcing her to stand there. Black vapors rose from the cauldron where the girl stood, shaking where she was.

"Are you sure this will work?" One sister asked Stella, who picked up a knife from the side and went towards the terrified girl.

"It has worked before, and it will now. A precious daughter for a beloved son." Stella snapped, taking the blade off the sister before turning towards the girl.

“Please, no!” The girl cried before her throat was sliced.

Upon seeing that, Melody couldn’t help but jolt forward when she dragged me. Gargles came from the girl as she reached for her neck before Stell shoved her into the pot. If it was to kill her or prevent her screams, the girl quickly succumbed to her fate.

"She’s long dead," I whispered once she stopped shaking her head, gluing her amber eyes onto me.

Unlike the present me, the younger version soiled herself, witnessing what was unfolding. Tears beamed down my cheeks, frozen from where I was.

"Spiritibus et rogamus te Queruntur filii eorum separatione animae Facite illos impurum genus! Quicumque volebat quemquam odio! Ut malediceret regi rogamus vos spiritum, ut mihi in iram meam et sceleratas sumere poenas!" They chanted, causing the room to glow.

“Fenris Silver Fang!” Stella yelled, raising her hands into the smoke.

This happened a year before I met you. So, your name wasn’t on my mind then. Of course, it slipped by me by the time I met you. To me, it could’ve been part of the incantation. If only I had remembered. I’m sorry, Fenris.

Of course, I was too focused on surviving this than listening to every detail. Yet some of it stayed within my subconscious. The smoke from the cauldron was the same as Melody’s curse, yet lighter. Everything from the tables to shelves shook when the witches continued to chant the spell as energy pulses erupted through the room.

"Spirits, I beseech you... Curse their children and separate their souls... Make them impure... Hated by everyone and wanted by none. I beseech you cursed spirit, take my rage, and exact my vengeance." I translated, triggering Melody to glance towards me once again.

Stella continued to scream my beloved wolf's name into the night. One that meant nothing to my younger self, cowering on the side. The spell appeared to latch onto something before a red sine soon erupted from the pot, taking the spell along with it.

"No!" Stella screamed when the spell suddenly came to a halt.

Howling like a rabid animal, she tipped over the pot, spilling the contents onto the ground below.

Heaving every breath, “Clean this up!” Stella shrieked, making the sisters run out to gather the supplies.

The head sister approached the angry headmistress when her eyes met my younger self for a moment, who had peeked out, yearning to find a way out. I quickly hid back, holding onto my dress, hoping she hadn’t seen me.

There wasn’t any way out with them in the room.

"This cursed moon child will be the end of us!" Stella yelled, throwing things around the room.

"I-I don’t understand what went wrong. We followed the instructions word for word." The head sister tried to create chatter to quell Stella's rage, but it was at a tipping point.

Instructions? From who?

"The blood moon's power’s too strong! That’s what happened! This means I must destroy the boy with other means!" Stella declared, shoving her books on the table and sending them straight to the floor.

"It’s just a child. Perhaps we can try to find another way to remove the power. " She tried to sway Stella, but it was of little use.

Once her mind was made up, there was no going back—a trait I inherited.

"No! We already tried that! I can’t fail again! That cursed bloodline will suffer as much as I have!” she snarled, slamming her hands into the table.

And so, they did, grandmother, but you aren’t done yet, are you?

“No more mercy!" she declared with her face warped.

I’ve never seen you that enraged before, not even when the ritual was interrupted. Oh, grandmother, you don’t do good with failure, do you?

"I understand, mistress, but what do you presume we do? If the red moon is powering the boy, our magic is useless. I mean, even Mistress Edna's spell failed." The head sister pointed out Stella.

Edna? Who is that?

A soft, broken laughter came from my grandmother, "Then we must accomplish what our predecessor, Lilith, set out to do."

"That’s impossible, she failed. What hopes do we have? Plus, Edna said it’s too dangerous." The sister shook her head.

Too dangerous… This Edna is... someone to look into.

"No... it isn’t. We can do it, but I need your devotion. Sister Loren, I have your loyalty, don't I?" Stella asked, sitting on her chair.

"Yes. Of course, mistress. You’re my one and only." She replied, bowing her head to show respect towards her superior.

"Then... I’ll share something that shall remain a secret from the rest of the coven. That special child we’ve been training will work for the spell. You see, she’s special. I had hoped to raise her as a weapon, but the child has the heart of my..." Stella trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

Instead, she slammed her hand onto the table in discontent. “She doesn’t to be called that deserve that.”

"Wait, you want to sacrifice your—" the head sister tried to clarify, not quite following along.

"Don’t call her that! She’s nothing but a tool to be used!" Stella shouted, triggering Loren to flinch at the harshness of her tone.

It was much like venom, corrupting everything she influenced. Stella's heart was long gone.

"I see. So, this is when the choice was made. How stupid of a child I was not to know even when it was right in my face.” I huffed, gazing towards me from the past.

I shivered where I sat, covering my ears to appear smaller.

Too bad you can’t hide. This monster finds you in the end.

“You were just eight.” Melody breathed.

“Doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t remember! I witnessed this entire thing that should’ve been the biggest red flag.” I snapped, glaring at my grandmother. “I remained ignorant enough not to know. What a fool…" I whispered.

If… I remembered that perhaps everything could’ve been avoided. I should’ve gone with you to Cerberus… Fenris, I’m so sorry.

Melody was right, though. I was eight years old and barely understood half of what was happening. It could hardly be my fault everything occurred, yet I was guilty of not taking that small boy’s hand when he extended it to me.

In that, I did share the blame with you, grandmother.

Melody trembled as her body temperature skyrocketed; if it were real, she would’ve probably tried to bite their necks off—probably would’ve been successful.

Well, if she wasn’t a runt.

Loren gazed towards the shelves before focusing on Stella, "But... Iris would—"

"Don’t call that name!" Stella snarled, prompting the sister to flinch.

"Apologies," she bowed.

Stella shook her head, waving at her to go. "Find that child for me. Oh, and send a crow to Edna. Tell her that the wolfsbane she saved might be necessary for later use. I think I know exactly what to do with it."

Wolfbane?! This was where I… Fuck! I knew it! Then you are behind it!

“Wolfbane?!” Melody gasped.

"Yes, I’ll send one right away, mistress," Loren affirmed, glancing towards where I was before leaving the room.

Stella sat there, pondering her next move, while I stepped into the room, followed by Melody, walking over towards where she was. Her hands covered her face as the younger me cowered in fear, unable to move from where she was. The present me didn’t feel such fear towards this woman.

No… What I felt for you… Is…

The boiled body in the room didn’t help the black wolf who timidly kept up with me. Something like that wouldn’t stop me. I should have grabbed the knife on her table and impaled her instead of cowering.

"Wolfsbane... That’s you, too? You crazy bitch! Why can’t you croak in a hole already?" I couldn’t help but laugh at my grandmother's cleverness.

Everything must’ve come easy for you since everyone underestimates you. Or thinks you dead, but I won’t do that. No, I’ll be ready for you, and when I see you, that will be the last thing you see!

Everything was unraveling a mess that would take everyone with it.

Ryker, you said it wasn’t Wolfsbane, but what if they modified it?

I cared for the plants in the library, where I learned about cross-breeding.

Did they…

Melody gripped my hand tightly, worried about my state of mind, shifting my gaze onto her.

"Anything to avenge my daughter," Stella muttered, returning my gaze to her.

Oh… How amusing? Do you think the dead will thank you for it?

Unwittingly, my grandmother was doing what she first set out to do. I was filled with hatred but not towards who she wished I directed it to. It was in my nature to be a dreadful witch, something she made sure would awake within me.

Can I fight what this world means me to be?

"You did nothing but hurt your daughter from the grave!" Melody snarled, nasals flaring.

Ah… Thank you.

Stella stood up from her chair before looking for the missing sisters outside, who were supposed to clean the mess she had made. That was when I took the chance to run, only to be caught by Loren soon after.

I never received a punishment for that day, which left me wondering if she felt some guilt. Perhaps this woman knew my mother before she went insane. By the time of the ritual, she wasn’t around either.

When we exited that memory, Melody stopped, preventing me from going further.

"I think this is enough," she growled, determined to prevent me from further sinking into the despair that populated my memories.

"No... I must make copies of every spell Stella made me read. There may be more information within them." I sighed.

Now that I know they may have modified wolfsbane, I must see if they used a spell or—

I turned around to pick a book, only for her to drag me away.

"No! You already got what you wanted. This is enough! You told me to be your anchor, so that’s what I’m being. Any further, and I feel like it’ll change you!" she pointed out firmly.

Even though I tried to hide it, she noticed the change in my demeanor.

Change me? I’m me, no matter what.

I shook my head before planting my feet firmly, stopping her from dragging me around. "Melody... I’m sorry, but I must carry on. With or without you."

Her eyes flicked, "No!" she yelled, yanking me towards her, triggering us to stumble against one of the many shelves around us.

A single book fell from the shelves onto the floor as she instinctively went for it.

Realizing what it was, “Don’t tou—”  my mouth couldn’t move fast enough. 

The moment her skin met with the book, it transported us into my worst nightmare, back to that crimson night where corpses surrounded us.

"What the fuck is this?" Melody cursed upon seeing what surrounded us.

“Ah…” Every breath hitched on top of the other, unable to fill my lungs with enough air.

My brain lagged, and I could not follow what was happening. The one thing I wanted to avoid was staring right at me, and the only way out was forward.

Or if I...

"We need to get out of here... Now!" I yelled before hearing the roar of monsters around us.

Wait… That wasn’t in the dream before!

Worse yet, my other self was nowhere to be seen, and in the sky flew a black bird that circled us. My legs refused to move even though seeing it through was the only way out of memory. It wasn’t long before I lost to my emotions, almost forgetting that this wasn’t real.

The one thing I couldn’t handle was in front of me, and it placed Melody in real danger. Noticing my dilemma, she grabbed hold of both my hands.

"I don’t know what this is... But I’m here with you. We’ll get through this together." She tried to calm me even though her hands were trembling with mine.

Tears rolled down my face, just like hers, alerting me that she was as terrified as I was. Her will to worry for another before herself strengthened part of me, but what came at the end of this was something I couldn’t handle without Fenris.

It was something that she couldn’t support me through. Much to my horror, the bird circling us suddenly flew towards the horizon, warping our surroundings before yanking us towards the end.

I froze when I saw that thing holding Fenris's neck in that thing's grip. My mind went blank when Melody screamed upon realizing what was happening. My beloved wolf's head came off a second later as my legs gave out.

She was the only thing that mattered in the time we were in. The only thing that kept me from breaking into a million pieces.

Jerking my hand away from her, “Dimmittis” I whispered, releasing us from where we were.

Melody’s body soon turned transparent while mine remained solid.

Huh? What’s…

“Lilith!” The black Lycan reached for me before she disappeared, leaving me alone to stare at the beast approaching me.

Having lost my anchor, I was stuck when the horror crouched down on the floor, picking up Fenris's head from the ground. A second later, I wept, unable to control the emotions bursting within me. The entire world I found myself in shook when someone distantly called my name. Without realizing it, the monster reached for me as everything shattered into pieces, leaving it and me in a white space where I heard it say something to me.

"My bride..."