THE PATH TO REVENGE

~ZIRA

There was darkness everywhere.

Yet there was light in the darkness, like stars in space. This allowed me to see what lay beyond. Yet even with the privilege, I could not see what was at the end of the space.

It stretched on for eternity. The darkness was endless, like a void that only brought emptiness. I felt so small within it as if the darkness would consume me.

I was standing in this space or perhaps floating, I could not really tell. I tried walking, the darkness did not seem to move. 

I was the only one moving. 

So I broke into a run but no matter how hard I ran, I could not find the end of the void. So I gave up and just stared around.

I blinked multiple times as I tried to remember how I got here. I looked down at my dress and saw that I was still in the outfit meant for my mating ceremony.

That was when it all started coming back to me. I had chosen my mate and suddenly, he was telling me that he had killed my parents. In the end, he killed me too.

Pain sliced across my chest and I found it hard to breathe. I sank to my knees as a fresh batch of tears began to flow down my cheeks.

Where was I? Was this what it felt like to die? Was this the afterlife or I had seized to exist?

"Zira. . ." A voice called to me and broke me out of my self-pity. I stopped and got to my feet but I saw no one.

"Zira. . ." It called again. It was a feminist voice and sounded as soothing as my mother's voice.

"Who's there?" I called as I searched my surroundings but I found no one. 

Was I perhaps imagining things? I must have lost my mind completely.

"Turn around. . ." The voice breathed and I spun as instructed.

I was met with the fairest woman I had ever set my eyes on. Her skin glowed brighter than the light in the darkness. 

Her skin was as flawless as milk. She was clad in a long sky-blue dress that flowed on for eternity. Her clothes seemed to float and I could not see the end of it.

Her hair flowed freely like her clothes and she wore a headband that had a crescent moon at the center.

I widened my eyes as I realized who she was.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked and she felt like water was given to a person who had been roaming through the savannah deserts. It was everlasting.

I bowed immediately. "You're the moon goddess!" I answered.

"Rise, my child. . ." She urged and I lifted my head to look at her. She looked astonishing.

"I come with a deal. If you can complete the task then I'll give you back your life," she announced.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What is the deal?" I demanded. 

I knew that it would be something dangerous, otherwise, she would not have me do it.

"The Moon crest has fallen into the wrong hands and that could destabilize the order of the world. I need you to retrieve it from them. Under no circumstances should the Moon Crest fall into Arden and his father's hands," She stated.

"So you're willing to give me back my life in return for keeping the Moon Crest safe?" I asked.

The goddess nodded.

"And if I fail?" I asked.

"Then Arden will kill you again and there will be no coming back. The demons will be waiting to feast on your soul," she announced and I felt my heart skip.

As I saw it, I did not have any choice. It was either I succeeded or I succeeded. There was no room for failure.

"I accept!" I stated firmly. 

I needed to make Arden and his father pay for murdering my parents and hurting me.

As I thought about it, rage started to build within me and my body vibrated with strong emotions. I wanted them dead and I knew that I would stop at nothing until my revenge was complete.

"Now go, my child. I will be with you every step of the way," she breathed.

Suddenly, she blew at me and a strong wind hit me. 

I was back in the void but this time there was no light. I heard sounds around me but I couldn't see anything.

My body felt like it was being transported and like a gush of wind, I suddenly felt the softness of my bed beneath me.

With a force, I thought I didn't possess, my eyes flew open.

I was back in my room.

I looked around in shock and realized that my dress was clean again. There was no blood stains in it.

My heart raced in my chest as comprehension of what had happened washed through me. I was back.

A knock resonated through my door, pulling me out of the daze I was slowly drowning in.

My mother stepped in and just like it happened, she opened her mouth and said the words I could almost recite.

"There you are sweetheart, everyone is waiting for you. Or have you changed your mind about choosing your mate today?"

From then on, everything else was on repeat. Everything was the same, the only thing that had changed were my emotions.

Soon, I was standing before Kael after bumping into him.

He stared into my eyes for a while before his stare turned into disgust.

"Zira," A voice called, and I turned to see Arden standing innocently there.

I turned back toward Kael and saw him walking away from me. I was in utter confusion as I stared around the hall. I was trying to process what was happening.

I looked to the end of the hall and saw my parents sitting there and watching me, waiting for me to use the mating call on Arden.

That was when it all made sense. I had thought that I would wake up in a grave and become a ghost haunting my enemies but no.

The goddess had given me a second chance to fix my mistakes. She had brought me back in time before choosing Arden as my mate and I was given a second chance to make a better choice.

So I turned back to Arden who was looking expectantly down at me.

"Zira. . ." He called out to me again, sounding way too Innocent.

What was the right way to fight him? As his mate or as his best friend?

And in the end, I found my answer.

"Mate!" I called to Arden and I waited for him to answer it. 

My mind began to plot how I would silently and quietly take down his father, his mistress, and himself to the grave. I would be the one to drive a sword through their hearts.

I would become their worst nightmare. 

I would make them beg for daring to destroy my family. I felt my eyes moisten as I glared at him. I would be the last thing that they saw before they breathed their last.

"Mate!" Arden answered.

And in my mind, I knew that Arden had just signed his death warrant by accepting me as his mate.