Elsewhere, far from the chaos of the Nightshade Pack.
A middle-aged woman in a candlelit room adorned with tapestries and incense, held a sickly-looking young woman's hands with care. The middle-aged woman was the head of the Serenade pack, Everly's mother, Celeste Quinn. While the young lady was Odessa, the priestess of the Serenade pack. She held prayers, saw visions, and communed with the moon goddess, blessed with the ability to peer into the future. Her blessing was only supposed to enable her to see the future for a couple of seconds, but the old woman found she could see further than that, albeit at a dire cost. Her lifespan reduced every time she peered further than her limit. Using this ability, she had been able to keep the pack away from danger, seeing threats and warning them ahead of time. Despite the damage the blessing kept dealing her, Odessa kept using it fervently for the safety of the pack, and more importantly, for her friend, her Luna, Celeste.
Celeste had saved her life when she was a rogue, in the street all alone and fighting for her life. As soon as she entered the pack, she had found purpose, owing it all to Celeste. This was why she was willing to do anything, including risking her life. She was already on the edge of death, her body frail and on the verge of crumbling. But for Celeste, she had used her blessing one last time, and the result wasn't good, not one bit.
Before this, while praying, she had seen a vision where the moon goddess stated she would bestow a unique blessing on the one she deemed worthy. The blessing was one that surpassed all the others, and the one who owned it would grow powerful enough to ascend to heaven. The location this would take place was the Forest of Nothingness. Odessa had told Celeste of this vision, and Celeste, who had planned to go to the Nightshade pack with reinforcement Malcolm, had decided to take a detour. Odessa, feeling Celeste's decision was rash, decided to help in the only way she could, using her ability. But what she saw was ominous, everything she feared.
"Odessa," Celeste said warmly.
Odessa smiled but then began to cough. She knew it was almost time.
"Celeste, can you not show interest in the moon goddess' blessing and the Nightshade pack? Please, Luna Celeste, just stay home. It's... it's my dying wish."
Odessa knew how stubborn Celeste was and also knew how grateful Celeste was for her sacrifice. So she chose to convince her by tugging at the emotion she knew she had. But Celeste's response wasn't what she wanted, though it was expected.
"I'm sorry, Odessa, but I cannot do that."
"Luna Celeste, there's a high chance you'll lose your life and then everything you cherish if you don't listen. In fact, it has already started."
"Already started? What does that mean, Odessa?" Celeste demanded, but Odessa chose to remain quiet.
'She would find out soon.'
"Luna Celeste, I foresee your death and that of the Serenade pack. And the only reason it'll happen is because you enter the Forest of Nothingness. It'll eat us one by one...." Odessa then paused as if contemplating her next words. And then she spoke.
"Then there's her."
"Who?" Celeste asked, confused.
"Her," Odessa said in a tone that implied Celeste should understand who she was talking about. And as soon as Celeste realized who she meant, she began to breathe heavily.
'Again with that.'
Odessa had seen a future of her getting killed by a slave. All that was known about this slave was that she was from the Nightshade pack. This is why Celeste wanted an alliance with them. If the Nightshade pack agreed, she would have some access to their slaves and then kill the filth that threatened her peace of mind. But unfortunately for her, her plan hadn't worked out. Talks with Levi failed immediately, and he punished her by leaving an ugly scar on her face. This filled her with resentment, and she hated the slave with all she had. If it weren't because of Odessa's vision, Celeste wouldn't have bothered with the pack in the first place.
"The one who I once saw, who will end your life, will also be involved in this."
"This slave... is she also after the unique blessing?"
"I do not know."
"Then I still have a chance," Celeste said. If she could get this unique blessing, she'd become stronger, more powerful than blessed shifters like Levi. No one would stand a chance against her, not even the slave destined to kill her. Odessa saw the determined look on Celeste's face and shook her head, knowing she wasn't listening.
"Celeste..."
"Enough! I don't want to hear it."
Celeste hushed her, but she continued. "I will be silent forever in a few seconds, Celeste. In case you haven't noticed, I'm dying, so please listen."
Celeste's expression softened at this, and Odessa continued. "Sometimes I wonder if I did the things I did because I truly cared, not because I was charmed by you... I really hope it's the former. Though it doesn't matter. It never did. Not then, not now. Because you mean everything to me. Which is why I'm sincerely praying, from the bottom of my heart, that I do not see you so soon after I enter hell."
Celeste listened to Odessa's heartfelt words.
"Why would the moon goddess' servant go to hell and not heaven?"
She asked, but no reply came from Odessa. There was never going to be one. Odessa's hands had gone limp, and she was staring at the air unblinking. Celeste stood in silence for a while before letting out a slow sigh. The truth was contrary to what Celeste had hoped.
Right from the moment the two had met, Celeste had used her charm on her. Her blessing worked in such a way that her target doesn't even know his or her will has been tampered with, geared into doing whatever favored her. Odessa was simply a pawn, which she had used to death. Odessa wasn't going to hell; she was.
A man then entered the room, and Celeste turned her attention to him. It was Eamon, the beta of the pack, second to Celeste. He noticed Odessa had passed away and asked Celeste in a caring tone.
"Luna, are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Celeste said, her tone indifferent. "Odessa was an essential figure in the pack, her ability saving us many times. But we'll do fine without her."
Eamon gave Celeste a conflicted look, but then decided to ask what he really came here for.
"So are we still taking the detour to the Forest of Nothingness before we head to the Nightshade pack?"
Celeste sighed as she thought about this. Odessa's blessing was the real deal, and her prophecy usually came through, though the weaker she got, the more distorted and unclear her vision became. Maybe she was exaggerating things about her losing the pack. Maybe, just maybe, the slave killing her was a misinterpretation.
"Haa…" Celeste let out a heavy sigh. "We'll continue with the plan. Get ready."
Eamon furrowed his brow. He had thought Celeste would heed Odessa's vision and change her mind, but she was still insisting.
"Are you sure about this, Luna? Odessa warned..."
"Odessa is dead! And to ensure the rest of us live, not to guarantee it, we must head to the Forest of Nothingness."
"Understood, Luna Celeste."
Eamon lowered his head. In the end, it was her decision to make, and it was his duty to follow. He turned and left, leaving Celeste alone in the room. The moon goddess was gifting a blessing? She would be there to receive it. With such an ability, she wouldn't have to live in fear that the power she worked so hard to achieve would be taken away from her, the power she got scarred on her face to keep.
"I deserve more. Desire it. And no prophecy or vision was going to stand in my way."
Feeling confident, Celeste rose to her feet. But then she felt something slip off her wrist. And then she heard clattering on the floor. Looking downwards, she saw it was the wrist bead her daughter had made for her. She bent, picking a bead up as she wondered why it snapped all of a sudden. And then she felt it. A disconnect from the pack link.
"No. Why. How... How did this happen?"
Celeste's chin quivered as she felt a tightness in her chest. She felt weak in her limbs, and then she fell to her knees, tears uncontrollably pouring down her eyes as she mourned silently. "Everly."