The full moon illuminated the clear sky, its silver light bathing the trees of the forest in soft shadows. Thalia stood by the lake, her gaze lost in the water's reflection. The calm surface of the lake contrasted with the storm raging inside her. The wind gently stirred the leaves, but her heart raced, each beat reminding her of the betrayal she had committed.
She had broken her vow, a sacred oath made before Artemis and the hunters. Her loyalty, her honor, everything she had sworn to defend had crumbled in a single night of passion. Inti had been the catalyst, but the decision had been hers. She knew she could blame no one but herself.
"How did I get here?" she murmured quietly, as her fingers traced unconscious circles in the air. The memory of that night with Inti still lingered fresh in her mind, and the guilt that accompanied it was an unbearable weight. It wasn't just the betrayal of Artemis, but also of herself and the sisters she had sworn to protect.
A crackling sound of branches behind her pulled her from her thoughts. She turned quickly, prepared for anything, but upon seeing the familiar figure of Zoë Nightshade, her guard lowered. Still, the weight of guilt remained. Zoë had always been her leader, her mentor, but today, the look in her eyes was different. There was disappointment there.
"We know what you did, Thalia," Zoë said, her voice low but firm. "Artemis knows. We all do."
Thalia's heart sank at those words. Although she knew this moment was coming, hearing Zoë confirm it made everything feel more real, more final. The hunter who had been like a sister to her was now a silent judge.
"I... it wasn't planned," Thalia tried to justify, but even as the words left her mouth, they sounded empty, pathetic. Nothing she said could erase what she had done.
Zoë regarded her without blinking, crossing her arms as she assessed Thalia. "It's not about planning, Thalia. It's about your choices. You chose to break your vow. You knew what joining the hunters meant, and still... you did it."
Each word from Zoë struck like a blow. Thalia felt her knees weaken, but she remained upright. She couldn't afford to break down, not now. Not when her fate hung by a thread.
"I know," she finally responded, her voice cracking. "I know, Zoë, but... I can't change what I did."
Silence fell between them. The wind seemed to stop, and the entire forest held its breath, awaiting Zoë's judgment. But instead of reprimand, what came was a heavy sigh.
"Artemis is waiting for you," Zoë said, her tone calmer than Thalia expected. "You know what that means."
Thalia closed her eyes and nodded slowly. She knew what it meant. By breaking her vow of chastity, she could no longer be a part of the hunters. Artemis, her goddess and protector, would not tolerate such a betrayal. Yet, what terrified her more than Artemis's judgment was that she no longer felt worthy of standing before her.
"And what am I supposed to do now?" Thalia asked, slowly opening her eyes. "I'm not a hunter anymore. I don't have a place."
Zoë looked at her with a mixture of compassion and resolve. "There are always options, Thalia. Artemis isn't a cruel goddess. You know she will offer you a way out. But that depends on you, on whether you're willing to face what you've done."
Thalia swallowed hard. Was she willing? The thought of facing Artemis terrified her.
But she knew she could no longer run. She had been a hunter for so long that she had forgotten what it meant to simply be Thalia, without a title, without a mission. And now, all of that had crumbled.
"I have no choice, do I?" she murmured, more to herself than to Zoë.
"There's always a choice," Zoë replied. "But running isn't one of them."
The words echoed in Thalia's mind as Zoë turned to leave. "Artemis is waiting for you in the clearing. Don't keep her waiting."
Thalia glanced at the path Zoë had indicated, a knot forming in her stomach. Every step she took toward that clearing brought her closer to the judgment she feared. But she knew she had to face it.
The clearing was bathed in moonlight when Thalia arrived. Artemis, her imposing and serene figure, stood at the center, waiting. Around her, several of the hunters observed in silence, their faces hidden in the shadows. Thalia could feel their eyes on her, as though each one was judging her, but no one spoke. Only Artemis's voice would break that silence.
"Thalia," Artemis said, her voice calm yet filled with power. "You know why you're here."
Thalia nodded slowly, not daring to look directly into the goddess's eyes. She could feel Artemis's presence like a heavy weight, and the guilt in her chest intensified.
"I've broken my vows, my lady," she murmured, bowing her head in respect. "I have failed."
Artemis watched her in silence for a moment that felt eternal. Thalia could feel the judgment in those eyes, but there was something else there... compassion, perhaps.
"I cannot allow you to remain a part of the hunters," Artemis said at last. "The rules are clear. Once a hunter breaks their vows, they can no longer be part of the hunt."
The words, though expected, struck Thalia's heart like a blow. Her life with the hunters was over. Everything she had known, everything she had been, had vanished in an instant.
But Artemis wasn't done. "However," she continued, "despite your betrayal, there is still a path for you. I will not abandon you, Thalia. You can find redemption, but you must decide if you are willing to follow that path."
Thalia raised her gaze for the first time, surprised by the goddess's words. Redemption... was that possible? She had expected punishment, perhaps even Artemis's wrath, but not this. "How can I redeem myself?" she asked, her voice trembling but filled with hope.
"That will depend on you," Artemis answered. "You will have to leave behind who you were. You will face challenges that will test your true character. Only then will you know if you are worthy of the second chance I offer."
Silence fell over the clearing again, as Thalia pondered Artemis's words. She knew the path ahead would be difficult. She couldn't return to the life she had known, but perhaps, just perhaps, she could find a new one.
"I accept," she said at last, her voice steady despite the fear that still gripped her. "I will do whatever it takes."
Artemis nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Then go. Begin your journey. We will meet again when you are ready to return... if you are ready."
Thalia bowed her head once more before turning to leave the clearing. With each step she took, she felt a part of herself fade away, a part that no longer belonged to her. She was no longer a hunter of Artemis, but she didn't yet know who she would be.
The journey toward redemption would be long, but Thalia knew she had to walk it. Though uncertainty surrounded her, something within her began to stir. A spark of determination, small yet growing.
As the clearing faded into the distance, Thalia promised herself she wouldn't fail again. She would find her place in the world, no matter how arduous the journey.
As she walked deeper into the woods, the weight of responsibility and guilt grew heavier. The whispers of the wind and the crunch of leaves beneath her feet were her only companions. The path to camp seemed longer than ever, as if the forest itself was stretching her journey, forcing her to reflect.
"How did I get here?" she thought again and again. Inti... the attraction she had felt for him had blinded her, but it had been her choice to give in. She knew she had to face the consequences—not just the ones from Artemis, but the ones she faced within herself. She had betrayed her own principles.
Memories of her time with the hunters paraded through her mind. The laughter, the training, the nights under the stars... Everything she had loved about being part of that sisterhood now felt distant, like a dream she had abruptly woken from.
Could she ever feel that same connection again? Could she ever find that sense of belonging?
Finally, the camp appeared before her. The lights flickered in the distance, and Thalia felt an abyss between herself and what had once been her home. She had no idea how she would face the hunters, let alone her friends.
But then she remembered something Zoë had told her before she left for Artemis's judgment: "It's not the end, Thalia, but a new beginning." It was a hard truth to accept in that moment, but the reality was that, even though her life as a hunter had ended, something new was taking shape.
"I have to be strong," she reminded herself, clenching her fists. "This isn't over."
When she reached the edge of the camp, the sounds of daily life began to invade her senses. Laughter, conversations, the clash of swords in training. It was as if the camp had moved on, oblivious to the radical change that had occurred in her life.
The first to notice her presence were a few younger campers. They looked at her with curiosity and some surprise. They knew Thalia as a hunter, someone who had always been a symbol of strength and loyalty to Artemis. Yet, something in her bearing had