Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 285 Ava: Who Are You?

My eyes fly open, and | gasp. Where my hand touches the ground, a faint golden glow spreads outward. It's

barely visible, like sunlight filtering through murky water, but it's there.

Heart pounding, | press my palm more firmly against the forest floor. The glow intensifies slightly, spreading

further. | can feel it now, a warmth seeping up through my skin, traveling along my arm.

It's the magic from the pond. Somehow, it's not confined to the water. It's here, in the very earth beneath my

feet.

A laugh bubbles up from my chest, half disbelief and half triumph. "Well, would you look at that?"

Encouraged, | place my other hand on the ground as well. The glow spreads further, creating a small circle of

light around me. It's beautiful, a stark contrast to the gloomy forest surrounding me.

| close my eyes, focusing on the sensation. The magic feels... different from what I've experienced before. It's not

the raw, primal power of the Moon Goddess, nor is it the structured, disciplined energy I've been trying to work

with in my training.

This magic feels wild. Untamed. Like a force of nature that can't be reasoned with. It remindsof the feeling |

get when I'm running through the forest, wind in my hair, heart pounding with the thrill of freedom.

The glow continues to spread, pushing back the darkness of the forest. With each passing moment, | feel

stronger, more alive. It's intoxicating.

It isn't under my control; it spreads without my thought or push. I'm little more than a conduit.

The dark water slowly changes, from black to navy. Then, slowly, into a glossy blue that reflects the sun.

And hints of green.

Green, from the leaves sprouting on once-dead branches. From the unfurling trees once again reaching high to

the sky.

It's limited to the area surrounding me, but there's life here, where there was once nothing at all.

A comfortable buzz against my wrist catches my attention, and | glance down at the silver bracelet Dr. Blackwell

gave me.

It's glowing, with the faintest hint of lavender aura around it.

Is that what's allowedto tap into the magic of this place?

"No. It's just enjoying the door you finally opened."

| leap to my feet, heart pounding. "Who's there?" My eyes dart around the forest, searching for the source of the

voice.

Silence. Nothing but trees and shadows.

"Oh, for the love of—" The voice cuts through the air again, dripping with sarcasm. "Why are you acting like I'm

ssort of attacker? You're the one who barged in here and wokeup."

I spin in a circle, trying to pinpoint where it's coming from. The voice is... odd. Not quite feminine, not quite

masculine. Young, maybe? "Show yourself!"

"Why does it matter if I'm male or female?" The voice sounds annoyed now. "Honestly, you humans and your

obsession with categorizing everything."

"I'm just trying to figure out who you are," | say, eyes narrowed as | scan the area. Something moves in my

peripheral vision, and | whirl toward the pond.

The dark surface ripples, then bulges upward. My breath catches as a figure begins to rise from the water.

Slowly, it emerges—first a head, then shoulders, torso, legs. Water cascades off its form as it steps onto the

shore. | take an involuntary step back, my mind reeling.

The figure beforeis... ethereal. Androgynous. Its skin shimmers with an otherworldly iridescence, like

moonlight on water. Hair the color of seafoam falls in waves past its shoulders. Its eyes are the deep blue-green

of the ocean, with flecks of gold that seem to dance and shift.

lt—they?—cocks their head to the side, regardingwith a mixture of curiosity and irritation. "Well? Are you

satisfied now that you can see me? Or do you needto provide a detailed anatomical breakdown?"

I blink, trying to process what I'm seeing. "What... who are you?"

They roll their eyes. "I'm the spirit of this place. Or | was, before it started dying." They gesture at the small

patch of greenery surrounding us. "Though | suppose | should thank you for the little bit of life you've managed

to bring back."

My mind races, trying to make sense of this. A spirit? Like... a nature spirit or something?

There should be nothing in this world capable of surprising me, yet here | am, sent reeling once again.

"I didn't mean to wake you," | say, my voice softer now. "I was just trying to connect with the magic here.

Wherever this is."

The spirit's expression softens slightly. "Yes, well, it's been a long tsince anyone's been able to do that. Most

just pass through without even noticing."

| take a tentative step closer. "What happened here? Why is everything... dead?"

A shadow passes over their face. "The magic is fading. Has been for a long time. Without it, the life here withers

away."

"But why?" | ask, my curiosity overriding my initial fear.

They shrug, a surprisingly human gesture. "Who knows? The ways of magic are mysterious, even to those of us

who are born of it."

| glance down at the silver bracelet on my wrist, still glowing faintly.

The strange figure moves closer, their head cocked. "You carry the legacy of witches, but have the mark of a

wizard. What are you?"

"Me?" Startled, | point at myself. "What am I?"

The way they stare atleavesfeeling about two inches small. "Yes, you. Who else is here?"

Good point.

"I'm a wolf shifter—" | can see the blankness in their eyes almost immediately. "Uh, a Lycan. But I'm also a witch.

Or a wizard. Magician? Something like that."

"They are all the same," they admit, pacing aroundas they inspectlike something strange.

I'm not the strange one here, okay. You are! You're the strange one!

But | keep my thoughts to myself.

"No. This is my domain, and you're the strange one here."

Right. They've read my mind a few times now. Should have caught onto that quicker.

"Indeed. Your intelligence seems to be lower than your predecessors." They squint at me. "Witches gave back to

magic, and in turn grew more powerful. Wizards devoted themselves to learning. Magicians had no interest in

living with humans, leveraging their abilities for power."

It's amazing how many different answers I've gotten from different people. History is so murky. Everyone has a

different view of it, and it's so far removed from current tI'm not sure I'll ever get a clear answer.

"Then how can you tell the difference?"

They snap their fingers. "That bracelet is a legacy of witches, and your soul bears several wards. Very

interesting. Only a wizard would put so much effort into a warded soul. Magicians and witches never practiced

with glyphs. It's all in the training, and they never shared."

"I don't understand," | admit, turning as they turn, until the world spins around me, leavingoff balance. "You

say they're the same, but then explain how they're different."

"Mother, these children learn nothing," they mutter, finally stopping. Maybe they're dizzy, too. "All humans

access the smagic. It's how they learn or what they use it for that creates a difference. Otherwise, you're all

the same. Humans with magic."

They pause for a second. "Though, Lycans don't have magic. Are you sure you're Lycan?"

"Positive." Kind of. | mean, | have Selene—I can't exactly have a wolf if I'm not, right?

Barring the whole not sharing a body thing, anyway.

"So," they say suddenly, changing the subject without warning. "You could access the sealed magic?"

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