The Gate of Shadows

My heart pounded, yet I tried to play it off with a brave front for Melody. The last thing she needed was for me to show her how terrifying it was for me to do this.

"Well, let’s begin. Remember... this won’t feel pleasant for you. A part of you was ripped out, and we’ll have to stitch it together," I warned her.

She nodded, “I’m ready, Lily. Give it your best shot!” before closing her eyes and placing her hands on her lap.

Taking a deep breath, she braced for whatever came her way. It was brave of her to trust the same race that had gotten her into this mess. There was no use in worrying about what came next. A soft sigh left me as I pushed down my nerves, concentrating on what we were about to do.

If anything went wrong, I could hurt her worse than her curse ever did. Without wasting another second, I undid her blouse, exposing her chest to me. She shivered from the anticipation of what was coming while I grabbed the stone before pressing it against her chest.

When it contacted her skin, it shimmered brightly, resonating with the dormant wolf within her.

There’s no going back anymore!

My breath hitched as I felt the magic coming from the curse within her. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. A smirk rose on my lips, finding this opponent worthy of unleashing my wrath.

No longer will they look at you like you’re worth nothing. No longer will you be gazed down upon like the dirt they label you to be. There will be no chains holding you down!

"Liberate in bestia, quae non potest totum contineri!" I recited, causing the gemstone to crack, releasing the energy into Melody's body.

A sudden gasp released from her lips when her body and amber eyes hued crimson as I continued with the enchantment.

Free the beast within that can’t be contained.

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this, but what happened next never crossed my mind. Suddenly, Melody collapsed before me as I tried not to overthink it.

It has to be normal! It has to be!

No one had ever attempted to do this before, and there were no records or documentation of any attempt to release a cursed wolf.

Well, at least to the public.

Shaking my doubts, I continued to press forward, triggering Melody to convulse before me, causing me to remove my other bracelet.

More power! I need more!

“Lily, you're almost there!” Shade rooted on the side.

When the bracelet was off, my body radiated a pure blue aura energy. I closed my eyes, pushing forward again, not to see what was happening before me.

There’s no going back! This has to work! Please! Out of everyone I’ve met, she deserves to be free! Do you hear me?! She deserved it!

"Liberate in bestia, quae non potest totum contineri!" I shouted one last time.

Before, an explosion of energy radiated from us, flinging me to the side and knocking me out cold upon impact. However, instead of falling into darkness, it felt like it ripped my soul from my body, sending me flying towards the unknown.

When I finally could tell where I was, I found myself where I least expected. In front of me was Stella in a room I couldn’t quite identify. A heavy mist made everything hazy.

What the heck? Is this a dream? The bitch hasn’t aged a day.

Next to her was a woman wearing a hood that clung to her chest, almost as if something had hurt her. The only physical thing I could see from her was her black hair from the cloth she covered herself with.

"What’s the matter, Edna?" Stella asked, grabbing the shoulder of the woman who seemed out of breath.

"Impossible. Unless…" She gasped for air, shaking her head.

“Someone bring a hair in!” Stella called out to someone outside the room.

They quickly brought a chair for the ailing woman to sit on.

"Edna, what happened?" Stella continued to tend to the woman.

Wow… So, someone like you can be caring, as long as it isn’t towards me.

Sadly, I couldn’t see this mystery woman’s face, shrouded in darkness, but I saw Stella as clear as day.

"Hah... So... It finally begins. Someone broke one of my curses—an ancient one. It was impossible to do, yet they did it." Edna snickered, intrigued by what I had done.

Her voice caused shivers to ripple through my spine.

Ancient curse? So that means you’re…

“It must’ve been a fluke. You are unmatched by any regular witch." Stella huffed, crossing her arms.

Edna grabbed Stella, getting up from the chair. "No... I sensed that power. It was a strong one—strong enough to rival me, perhaps, but weak compared to what I’ve seen."

Everything clicked in that instant. Curses usually traveled back to their point of origin once they broke; somehow, I hitched a ride with it, bringing me to this space.

So, the person who cursed Melody's family was with you, but why?

With this encounter, more questions arose, with little to no answers.

"Impossible. No normal witch can rival an eternal—" Stella stopped herself before rephrasing what she would say.

Eternal... That means this woman is…

"I mean, a witch as experienced as yourself." Stella finished, causing Edna to laugh.

I glanced around the room to find any clue that would allow me to identify them, but nothing stood out except the two women who spoke before me. Their surroundings, with their rugged walls, eerily reminded me of a cave.

Where…

"Well... we’ll see if whoever did that will survive what happens next." Edna snickered.

What?

"Oh, what do you mean?" Stella echoed my thoughts.

The woman slowly approached me, and I took a few steps back in response to her approach.

Can she see me? Impossible.

"It’s one thing to put a beast to sleep. It’s another to awaken it," Edna declared, standing right before me.

Even from this close, I couldn’t see how she appeared. However, there was a green glow within the darkness that shrouded her.

"Oh, I see... They’ll probably be torn to shreds." Stella deduced.

The mysterious woman slightly nodded, "Yes... hopefully." She tilted her head. “You don’t seem like much, little witch.”

Wait, you can see me?!

Waving her hand, she sent me crashing back into my body. My eyes flew open, feeling like a pack of wolves crashed into me. Blood dripped down my left cheek and onto the floor below, only for me to wince when I reached for the source.

The energy blast had flung me onto the bed frame, slicing my forehead upon contact.

Even though everything sounded muffled, I heard Shade yell for me. “Lilith, run! I can’t hold her without hurting her for long!”

It was hard to get accustomed to the changes I was experiencing as a minor skirmish continued out of my view. However, everything in the room was turned over or destroyed.

“Stay still! I like you and don’t want to hurt you!” Shade huffed to whatever was in her paws.

Unable to understand what was happening, I sluggishly reached my feet, only to see Shade atop what appeared like a beast. Slowly, my vision became more apparent, and I saw the source of the chaos: a giant black wolf who stared back at me like I was a snack.

Melody was utterly uninterested in Shade, who held her back. She would undoubtedly charge at me if she slipped from Shade’s grip. Her eyes glowed bright yellow, alerting me that she was out of control and I couldn’t handle her.

"Go get help! I’ll hold her down!" Shade yelled, only for Melody to slide away from her paws before charging straight at me.

That woman’s words echoed within me. It’s one thing to put a beast to sleep and another to awaken it.

Ah… Nothing I do ever goes right.