The Gate of Shadows

When the beast reached for me, I slapped its hand away.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, getting up from where I was before attempting to place some distance between us.

My ears couldn’t believe what I had heard it say. In the distance, Melody’s faint voice called my name, trying to wake me up from wherever I was.

This isn’t real.

Yet I was facing down a monster that I couldn’t fathom.

It tilted its head, confused as to why I reacted that way toward it. I pondered what I could do to escape it momentarily, but my magic didn’t work where we were—almost as if I was severed from the source. Again, it stared at me before closing the gap between us again.

"My beloved, does this form scare you?" it asked.

"Stay away from me!" I shrieked, only to hit what was an invisible wall that sent me tumbling down to the floor.

Even though the fall should’ve hurt, it didn’t.

What’s going on?!

"Ah... You appear confused.” It sighed, shaking its head. This is a dreamscape. We can change forms here to anything we wish. Perhaps this one will make you feel more comfortable. After all, it seems you care for this wolf." It said before shifting forms into someone very familiar to me.

I couldn’t believe my eyes as I was facing Fenris. He even wore the same clothes he had this morning before he left.

Is it feeding off my memories? How else would it know? Just what is this place?

"Now... Is this better?" the fake Fenris smiled, chilling me.

It was his voice, too.

How dare you use his voice?! After killing him in cold blood?!

Rage swelled within me as I knew the man before me wasn’t the man I loved. Although his voice sounded tender, it was nothing like the wolf I knew. There was no warmth or life in it.

And your eyes... are more dead than alive. Nothing like my precious light!

Even so, it appeared happy to see me.

"Don’t you dare use his voice!" I snarled at him.

Unfazed by my hostility, he closed the gap between us in the blink of an eye, crouching down to me.

"Oh, don’t worry, my love. This might be my body soon enough if you want it," the man wearing Fenris's skin assured me.

His words made the hair on my skin stand, pressing my back against the invisible wall.

Is this even real? Or am I still delusional?

Either way, the threat in front of me was one I couldn’t ignore.

"I... won’t let you hurt him!" I declared, triggering a broken smile on his lips as he reached for my face.

Again, I slapped it away, causing him to chuckle.

"So feisty. My love, you won’t even notice the difference. I’ll be him, your wolf. Like before—" He smiled, trying to comfort me in some twisted way.

"You’ll never be him!" I firmly declared.

The fake Fenris continued to chuckle, "You’ll change your mind one day once I purify everything that he has done to you."

When he reached for my dress, I froze as a realization came to me.

If this monster wants to do anything to me, I’m helpless to stop him. No… Will I be a victim again?

"Purify...?" I muttered.

I continued to press myself against the invisible wall behind me to escape, but there was none. Without my magic, I was another human, powerless to do anything to stop this Lycan. I closed my eyes when he undid my dress before stopping.

In an instant, they flew open when he ripped my dress, exposing my battered body. All I could do was try to cover myself up as best I could while he stood up, eyes twitching.

"What have these witches done to you?! They weren’t supposed to touch you!" he howled before punching the wall next to me, creating cracks within it.

My body quivered in his presence as he breathed deeply before releasing a sigh.

"Ah... No matter... this isn’t irreversible. I’ll torture them before I kill them." He whispered, grabbing my chin and forcing me to face him.

The usual amber eyes Fenris had were slowly turning red.

"Why would you do that?" I asked, struggling to keep my ripped clothes together.

I tried to put up a strong front, but it was useless. The feeling of hopelessness was coiling at my being, dragging me down.

Weak... Powerless. I’m no different from when they used me!

"That’s a simple answer: they harmed my bride. I’ll kill anyone who has ever made you cry. Including that wolf boy, who considered defiling you before I could get to you." He answered, leaving me stunned.

Fenris... defiled me? You’re wrong! All Fenris ever did was...

"He saved me!" I snapped, clenching my teeth soon after.

The fake shook his head. "No... That silver blood did this to control you. The boy wants to make his city and people safe." He scuffed.

Silver blood...? Why did you call Fenris that? Wait… How do you…

"How do you know any of that?" I whispered, struggling to cover myself while he tilted his head.

"Oh? I saw some of your memories when I connected with you. Most of them are with that stupid wolf you hold too dearly. Something that needs to be fixed." He growled.

"I... won’t let you hurt him." I tried to defy him to caress my cheek.

It was hard to hold back the tears that his words caused me, but this man probably spoke the truth. Fenris didn’t see me as anything other than his duty.

You’ll marry another soon and probably forget me when that happens. Yet I…

"Oh, love, you’ll change your mind once you meet me. The fake affection you hold for that wolf boy will be no more. I’ll be identical… Eh, probably." He shrugged.

Fake? Be identical to him? No! You’ll never be the boy who pulled me into the light! Nor is my love for him a façade!

"You’ll never be like him! He’s my light who owns my heart and soul!" I declared, slapping his hand away again.

A sharp growl left his lips, slamming his hands to the wall, successfully pinning me between himself and the barrier.

"It enrages me to hear you call him that! You were born for me! That wolf-boy is just but a pastime for you! You’ll see it once we meet! Yes, everything will be clear! I’ll be your genuine light!" He announced, face inches away from mine.

"That’ll never happen," I assured him.

My words caused him to laugh again, triggering his eyes to shimmer brightly.

"Ah, feisty. I like that a lot." He smirked, sliding one of his hands onto my waist, triggering my body to shutter.

"Though... Why haven’t you fixed your body with magic?" He added, trying to change the subject.

"I don’t know what you mean," I replied, trying to find the strength to survive.

If my mind was playing a game or consuming me, I had to fight it.

But how... This doesn’t seem like anything I know.

When a lucid dreaming spell failed, most survivors said that darkness consumed them and they couldn’t find their way.

That bird from before… Just what’s going on here?

"Witches are known for their transformation magic, so I’m sure you can heal it. After all, you’re the vessel for the soul cairn." He clarified, trying to inspect my body further.

It was like he was trying to memorize everything that I went through. Perhaps he didn’t have access to all my memories from this place.

Just where are we?

"Soul cairn...?" I questioned, lacking any knowledge of what he meant by that.

"The thing you humans call the nether realm has an actual more appropriate name." He informed, sitting back down next to me.

My mind, though, appeared to snap.

Is this my mind trying to piece back my shattered self? I don’t understand what’s going on or how this…

"This can’t be real," I whispered, trying to look for a way out, but there was none.

Even Melody's voice had died down to the point I couldn’t hear her anymore. Perhaps I had consumed myself beyond saving. Instinctively, he grabbed me by my face, forcing my gaze back onto him again.

A touch that gave me so much warmth before only left me cold. Even if he appeared like Fenris, they were completely different.

"But it is. Love... This is very real. I hijacked your spell to contact you. However, I’m afraid my body isn’t in your mortal realm. That’s the only reason I haven’t come for you, but I had to see you." He answered me without having to ask him.

His ears slanted as his eyes narrowed, inspecting my expression before leaning a bit closer to me.

If this is real… I need to figure out what you are. Luckily, you don’t appear hostile towards me.

That was one advantage; if only I could control my fear of him.

How far can I push you... if I control myself?

"You aren’t in the mortal realm?" I tried to switch gears.

His tail wagged slightly when I turned my words into less hostile ones.

"No... I’m not. You see, my love, the elves trapped me long ago. I think it was them or their god-forsaken artifacts. Though this isn’t something to concern yourself with since I’ll see you soon enough in the flesh." He answered, smiling soon after.

"Soon...?" I asked, concerned about the timing of everything and my dream.

"Yes, soon." He answered vaguely this time.

"How soon?" I followed up, needing to know if this had anything to do with the red moon.

For a moment, he narrowed his eyes before shaking his head slightly.

"A year... Maybe less. It depends on these buffoons if they can manage to... Ah... I get ahead of myself once again. I forget to stop speaking when I’m with you.” He smirked.

Acting like a fool won’t make me lower my guard. You’re any but one.

"What do you mean by that? Why do you want me? What am I to you?" I barraged him with questions, glaring at the wolf.

"Ah, my beloved." He answered one of my questions, leaving the others unanswered.

His tail wagged while his ears were fully attentive to me, alerting me he was enjoying this. I wouldn't know or care if it was because of starved attention or something else. None of it matters since I had to think of a better way to get him to talk.

You think I’m your beloved. So, perhaps that’s something I can use.

"If you want me to warm up to you, wouldn't you think a name would be appropriate?" I asked, causing him to close the small gap I made between us.

All I could do was hold my clothing from falling apart when he grabbed my hand, pulling me towards him.

"I forget. Apologies. My name’s Alijah." He smiled, tugging me into him before kissing my forehead.

This was the start of something else entirely—another fight I would need to win.

No matter how you look like! You aren’t my wolf!