Melissa stared out the window, her fingers still curled around the dream stone Kael had given her. The city lights flickered beyond the glass, but her thoughts were miles away—back in the forest, back in the throne room, back in the eyes of the wolves who bowed to her like she was something more.
Someone more.
She didn't sleep again. She couldn't. The images refused to fade. The crown. The wolves. Kael calls her Eris.
Her.
Melissa Moore no longer felt like a complete name. Not after everything she had seen. Not after everything she had felt.
By the time the sun started to rise, painting the sky in pale oranges and grays, she had already packed a small bag. Just the essentials. Clothes, keys, phone—and the stone.
She didn't know where she was going yet, but she knew she had to find Kael.
She needed the truth.
As she stepped into the hallway, a low buzz vibrated through her palm. The stone. Warm again. Awake.
The dreams were only the beginning.
The elevator was slow, too slow. Melissa shifted her weight from foot to foot, the bag heavy on her shoulder. Every small creak of the elevator cables made her nerves jump. Her thoughts ran wild.
What would she say to Kael when she found him?
What if he was gone?
Or worse—what if someone else found her first?
The lobby was quiet when the elevator doors opened. The early hour had kept most people inside. Melissa pulled up her hood and stepped outside into the chilled morning air. The city was waking up, but she didn't feel like she belonged in it anymore. These people—these cars, buildings, and normal lives—they weren't her world now.
She tapped her phone screen and hesitated. She had no number for Kael. No address. Only a feeling. A pull in her chest that pointed… west.
"Seriously?" she muttered, half to herself. But the tug was undeniable. The dream stone vibrated softly again, like it agreed.
Melissa took off walking.
---
She made it to the edge of the city by noon. Her legs ached, and her head throbbed, but she couldn't stop. Not now.
The air changed once she left the pavement behind. The buildings gave way to trees. Fewer people. Quieter roads. The woods loomed ahead.
She paused at the treeline, heart pounding. This felt familiar—too familiar.
And then—
A low growl.
She turned slowly.
Kael stood at the edge of the path, one hand resting on a tree, his golden eyes watching her. His clothes were different now—worn, rough, like someone who belonged in the wilderness. His jaw was tight, and his face unreadable.
"You came," he said.
Melissa's breath caught in her throat. "How did you know I would?"
He shrugged, stepping closer. "I didn't. But the stone doesn't call to just anyone."
She pulled it from her bag, holding it out. "Why me? Why now?"
Kael's eyes flicked down to the stone. Then back to her. "Because time is running out."
Melissa frowned. "Running out for what?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he nodded toward the trees. "Come. There's someone you need to meet."
"Who?"
Kael's voice was quiet but sharp. "Someone who remembers Eris even better than I do."
Melissa hesitated for only a second—then followed him into the woods.
Melissa followed Kael into the woods, the path winding like a forgotten trail through time. The air grew colder, heavier, almost charged. The trees whispered above them—ancient things that seemed to lean in closer with every step.
She was about to speak when they reached a clearing.
In the center stood a stone circle, cracked with age and covered in moss. And around it—three people.
Melissa stopped in her tracks.
One was a woman draped in dark green robes. Her hair was long and silver, though her face looked no older than thirty. Her eyes glowed faintly violet, unsettling and wise.
Another was a tall man with ebony skin and dreadlocks bound in golden wire. A sword was strapped to his back, and he radiated authority. His gaze landed on Melissa and stayed there, unmoving.
The third was a girl. No older than sixteen, she wore a leather jacket too big for her and carried a staff that pulsed with blue light. She gave Melissa a small smile—but there was wariness in her eyes.
Kael stopped just at the edge of the circle.
"They've been waiting," he said.
Melissa glanced at him. "For me?"
The woman in green stepped forward. "No," she said softly. "We've been waiting for her."
She raised a hand—and Melissa felt her whole body jolt. Like lightning had struck through her soul. The stone in her pocket burned.
"I am Lysaria," the woman said. "The Keeper of Memory. This," she gestured to the man and girl, "is Theron, First Blade of the Ash Guard, and Nia, the youngest Oracle in a hundred years."
Theron inclined his head. "You've been gone a long time, Eris."
Melissa flinched. "Stop calling me that. I don't even know if—"
"You do know," Nia interrupted, her voice soft but clear. "You just haven't accepted it yet."
Kael stepped beside her. "They're not here to hurt you."
"Why are they here?" Melissa asked, heart thudding. "What do you all want from me?"
Lysaria approached slowly, eyes never leaving Melissa's. "Not what we want, child. What we need. The enemy you once fought is returning."
Melissa shook her head. "I don't even know who that is."
Theron spoke this time, his voice like thunder. "His name was Revenant. A shadow of a wolf. A god-killer. You struck him down once. But even death was not enough."
The sky above darkened suddenly, clouds swirling unnaturally. Nia turned her staff toward the horizon.
"He's waking," she whispered. "And this time… he's not alone."
Melissa's blood went cold.
Lysaria placed her hand over Melissa's heart. "You hold more than memories, Eris. You hold a key. To our salvation… or our ruin."
Melissa didn't move. Couldn't breathe.
Kael's voice broke the silence. "You asked what your purpose was."
Melissa looked at him, eyes wide.
He nodded toward the others. "This is it."
The trees rustled as a wind swept
"Then why didn't you stop him before?" Melissa asked, feeling a surge of frustration. "Why are you just telling me this now?"
"We couldn't stop him," Kael said. "Not fully. But now, with you—*with Eris—*we have a chance to end this once and for all."
Lysaria nodded. "But there is something else you must understand, Melissa. Something we haven't told you."
Melissa felt her pulse quicken. "What?"
Theron stepped forward, his face grim. "Not all of us are here to help you."
Kael's expression darkened at Theron's words. "What do you mean by that?"
Lyseria held up a hand, silencing the tension that had risen between the two men. "We do not have time for internal conflict. But Theron is right. There are those among us who seek their own agenda. Not everyone is aligned with your protection, Eris."
The air around them seemed to thicken, as if the shadows themselves were listening in. Melissa's heart pounded. "Who?"
Theron's gaze flicked toward the trees. "We don't know. But there is a traitor in our midst. Someone who has been feeding information to the Revenant. And they've been watching you, waiting for the right moment."
Melissa's stomach churned. A traitor? Among them?
"We'll find them," Kael said firmly, his jaw clenched. "But we can't waste any more time. The Revenant is coming. And we need to be ready."
The wind picked up again, howling through the clearing, and for the first time since they'd arrived in the forest, Melissa felt truly alone—like everything around her was closing in. The power, the mystery, the danger—it all felt like a trap she was falling into, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face it.
But something in her stirred, deep inside. The stone in her pocket burned, and for the first time, Melissa felt like she wasn't just a victim of fate. She was part of it. She had a purpose. A choice to make.
"I'm not Eris," she said again, though her voice lacked conviction. "I can't be."
Lysaria stepped closer, her expression softening. "You are Eris, Melissa. You will be. But the choice is yours. You can choose to fight, or you can walk away. But know this: If you walk away, there will be no returning."
Melissa's breath caught in her throat. No turning back.
She glanced at Kael, his golden eyes steady, unwavering. He was waiting for her decision, but he wouldn't push her. The others, though… they were ready. They were already seeing her as Eris. They were already counting on her.
For a moment, Melissa felt something deep inside her stir. Something primal. Something that had lain dormant for far too long.
And then, without a word, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the dream stone. She felt its warmth against her skin, like an extension of herself.
"Then I'll fight," she said, her voice stronger now.
Kael's lips curled into a small, approving smile. "Then we prepare."
And as they turned toward the heart of the forest, Melissa felt the weight of the decision she had just made. There was no going back now. The Revenant was coming. And she would face him—whether she was ready or not.
The hunt had begun. And Melissa Moore was no more.
Eris was waking.