The entrance was massive, arched like the jaws of so slumbering beast. Moss clung to the dark stone, and faint carvings etched into the rock shimred when the sunlight touched them. Strange symbols, old as the earth itself, which whispered of forgotten rites.
The air grew cooler as we approached, carrying with it the faint scent of damp stone and sothing tallic—blood, or perhaps old magic. Birds circled overhead, their cries sharp, uneasy.
Adam paused, gesturing toward the entrance. "This is where the worship session will take place," he said. "We are hours early, but there are many things to see. The caves hold more than shadows."
I stared at the yawning darkness, my magic stirring faintly in response. Whatever lay within, I knew it would not be ordinary.
But of course. This wasn’t my first ti here.
A shiver traced my spine even so, despite the warmth of the sun on my back. Maybe because of my magic. The last ti I was here, I was a little worse than a re human.
Diana glanced at , her eyes wide, sensing my tension. "You’re excited," she whispered.
"Excited... wary," I admitted, pressing a hand to my arm, feeling the faint tingle under my skin. "This isn’t just a cave. It feels... alive."
Adam frowned, as if he heard more than he should. "You have a good instinct," he said quietly, almost as if he were warning without words. "These walls have seen centuries of prayers, offerings, and tests. The air itself rembers."
We stepped through the archway. Imdiately, the light dimd, swallowed by the thick stone. The temperature dropped, and moisture clung to our skin like a thin veil.
Shadows twisted unnaturally along the walls, cast by the flickering torchlight Adam held. Every step echoed, as if the cave itself were listening to our passage.
"Wow," Diana breathed, tugging at my sleeve. "It’s... huge."
I nodded, my eyes scanning the walls. Paintings and carvings depicted rituals I did not understand: figures offering golden-hued objects to a towering, indistinct goddess, her form obscured in shadow. So of the symbols glowed faintly when my gaze lingered, and I felt the hum of magic beneath the stone, resonating with sothing deep inside .
This was a werewolf community quite alright, but magic was embedded deep within these walls. Maybe the goddess of magic and the moon goddess were close friends?
I bit back a laugh, shaking my head at my funny thought.
Adam led us further in. "Here," he said, stopping before a wide chamber. "This is where oblations are offered. Before the worship sessions, the elders and young werewolves leave offerings to the goddess. It’s a tradition as old as this cave itself."
I crouched to peer at the ground. Small bowls of water, so with petals, floated gently in shallow stone basins. The reflections glimred unnaturally. My magic stirred more insistently here, pulling at sothing I could not see.
"And over there," Adam continued, pointing toward a larger, circular pool, "is where the werewolves of age sixteen are tested. The pool assesses the strength of their wolf before they are fully accepted into the pack. Only those whose bond with their wolf proves strong may step forward."
I stepped closer to the pool that had ostracized . The water’s surface rippled, but not from our movent. Bubbles rose from the center as if the pool were breathing. A faint scent of sothing sweet and salty floated upward.
My fingers itched to touch the water, and as I leaned in, I felt a pulse; El recognized sothing ancient. The pool reacted to my presence. Adam stiffened behind , his usual composure faltering.
"Dora..." he said quietly, almost afraid. "Do not touch it. No one is allowed to."
I pulled back, frowning, feeling both disappointnt and intrigue. Sothing about the pool humd like it knew . Like it had been waiting. What was that?
We walked around the chamber, Adam pointing out murals of worshipers kneeling, wolves shifting mid-ritual, and priests performing rites that left scorch marks on the stone.
So figures in the paintings were humanoid; others were creatures barely distinguishable from wolves. I felt a thrill run through , the mory of my own magic tugging at my soul.
Then we reached the far end of the chamber, where two figures awaited us: a priest and a doctor. Both were older, the priest cloaked in dark robes, the doctor’s tunic spotless and stiff.
They watched us with sharp, assessing eyes. The doctor’s gaze lingered on , and I felt the weight of disapproval.
"This is unusual," the doctor said, his voice tight. "Why is she here?" His eyes darted to Adam, clearly unhappy.
Adam’s jaw tightened. "She cos with ," he said. "That is all."
The doctor’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing more, rely muttering under his breath. I caught a glimpse of sothing in his expression—fear, perhaps, or irritation, but there was also a trace of respect.
He hadn’t aged much. But then, it was only two years ago since I had t him last.
"Don’t worry about him," Adam whispered, guiding us past them. "He doesn’t like surprises. And you, Dora... are a very big one."
I smirked, but my pulse quickened. Sothing told the doctor’s unease wasn’t just pride. Were witches unallowed here?
Adam led us to a narrow ledge that overlooked the circular testing pool. The water shimred strangely, small waves dancing as if sothing beneath was stirring. He knelt to point out the markings carved into the rock around it.
"These runes," he said, "are for guidance and protection. They are older than any of us. Each year, when the young are tested, the runes ensure the goddess’s will is carried out. So say the pool can see the true strength of the wolf—and of the person guiding it."
I leaned closer, my reflection dancing on the water. For a mont, I thought I saw more than just myself—shadows shifting beneath the surface, too fast to be a reflection, too deliberate to be coincidence.
I froze.
Adam’s hand on my shoulder startled . "You feel that too?" he asked, voice low. "It’s... unusual. No one reacts to it like that except royals."
"I... I don’t know what it is," I admitted, my fingers tingling. "It feels... aware."
A soft laugh echoed off the stone. Not mine. Not Diana’s. Sothing in the depths, perhaps, or maybe in the magic itself, seed to pulse in response to my presence. I shivered, half excited, half cautious.
Adam cleared his throat, shaking off his unease, the surprise. "Co, I’ll show you more. There are smaller pools, paintings, and relics that most never see. The elders keep these hidden from tourists and the curious alike."
We moved through winding tunnels, the ceiling low in so spots, forcing us to duck. Moss-covered walls glistened in the torchlight. The air grew warr in places, colder in others, and I realized that the cave was not uniform—it shifted subtly, as if the stone itself were breathing.
At one alcove, Adam stopped again. "This," he said, pointing to another small pool rimd with runes, "is used for prayers at the start of the year. Offerings are left here for the goddess, and the strength of the pack is tested. Many co here seeking guidance."
I knelt, letting my fingers hover over the water. The surface rippled at my proximity, as if excited. I pulled back, unsure whether it was or sothing else.
Diana leaned close, whispering, "It’s like it knows you."
I nodded, my eyes fixed on the dark liquid. Sothing inside resonated with it. The sensation was faint but undeniable—like a tug at the soul, a whisper at the edge of consciousness.
"Now," Adam said, turning to us, "we should et the priest and the healer properly. They oversee the ceremonies, the tests, and ensure the rituals are carried out safely. They will permit us too to see the final space. Though..." His eyes flicked toward the mouth of the cave’s space, "...they are wary of outsiders. Especially those who carry power like yours, Dora. By now, they must have felt, like I do, that the cave responds to you."
I said nothing. Rather thinking. El was silent too.
We approached the two again. The priest inclined his head, eyes glinting in torchlight. "I have heard of you," he said, voice smooth, carrying an unspoken challenge. "You wield your strength with caution, I hope."
"I do," I replied, keeping my tone neutral.
The doctor’s expression hardened, though he nodded stiffly. "I do not like surprises," he said again. "But if Adam vouches..." He trailed off, his disapproval obvious, though he did not stop our passage.
I caught Diana’s eye, and she gave a small shrug. She wasn’t in the least bothered.
Adam thanked them with a nod, and led us further into the inner chambers. Narrow shafts of light illuminated carvings of the past.
"And here," Adam whispered, leading us to the final pool before the central chamber, "is where the culmination of the worship session occurs. The pool reacts to the purity of the wolf and the intent of the human. Few have ever seen it bubble like this."
I leaned close. The water frothed gently, tiny waves forming patterns almost like a heartbeat. My fingers hovered above the surface, and for a fleeting mont, I imagined the pool could see —my intentions, my power, my hunger. It was thrilling, terrifying, and intoxicating.
Adam’s voice broke my reverie. "We’ll stay here for a while. You can look, observe, but do not interfere with the rituals yet. The elders are precise—they do not forgive mistakes easily."
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